January - GB Bus Group

takes every ten minutes during the day, Monday to Saturday. A new weekly ticket has been introduced,
costing £5 for seven days unlimited travel between the new development and the station.
MCV has finally managed to break into the London Bus market, albeit not the TfL red bus portion it is
aiming for. Golden Tours is expanding its sightseeing fleet and has placed an order for nine of the MCV
double deck bodies, to be built on the Volvo B9TL chassis. Six of the new buses will be open top. Aside
from three demonstrators currently in the UK, these will be the first production buses to enter service.
A & A Mason of Bo’ness unexpectedly ceased trading in mid December. Five school contracts were
operated for Falkirk Council and operators have been found to take these on. Several vehicles were noted
at the premises of auctioneers Sweeney Kincaid.
National Express is looking into the future of its depot at Crawley, located next to the depot of Metrobus,
close to the London – Brighton railway line. Despite a viable operation at present, significant investment is
required to bring the depot up to modern standards and allow continued operation at the depot, which
employs 140 staff, or it will become unviable.
Tees Valley Luxury Coaches Ltd. became the last of many operators to cease trading during 2012.
Administrators were called in at the end of December. Several factors have lead to the firm’s demise over
the last few months; as with other firms, the cuts in BSOG and concessionary reimbursement led to the
commercial bus services becoming unviable. A £62,000 VAT bill impacted on the firm’s cash flow and led
to its inability to fulfil a new contract with Middlesborough College.
Oxford Bus Company is currently taking delivery of 19 Volvo B5LH / Wrightbus Gemini 2 hybrid double
decks. They feature the 4.23m low height body and were part funded through the Government’s Green Bus
Fund; they will join 17 Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 hybrids already operated.
Fleet News
Arriva
North East: Keith Bailey has told me that an order has been placed for ten MAN EcoCity single decks,
following a successful trial of a demonstrator.
North West: Sold to Southdown PSV (dealer) have been 2536 (MX52 XNN), 2537 (MX52 XNO), 2538
(MX52 XNP), 2539 (MX52 XNR) and 2559 (MM02 ZVJ). This latter is now with Tanat Valley.
Cymru: The former Crosville depot at Llandudno Junction is to be vacated in the New Year. Operations will
move to new premises in Llandudno, next to the Alpine depot on Builder Street.
Ex London DAF DB250 / Alexander ALX400 4159 (S289 JUA) has been scrapped, whilst sister 4157 (S287
JUA) has been moved to Merseyside, now residing at Bootle garage.
Midlands: Withdrawn have been 2316, 2318, 2320, 2332, 2337, 2346, 2347, 2349, 2352, 2364, 2366 and
2397. A couple of allocation changes: 2217 Burton to Thurmaston: 2258, 2259 Burton to Wardles: 3417
Telford to Shrewsbury: 3419 reinstated at Shrewsbury:
The Shires: The refurbished Volvo / Alexander 400 double decks, from London, VLA164 to VLA179, are
now all in use at Garston garage on TfL routes142, 340 and 642
6164 LJ55 BVS 6168 LJ55 BVW 6172 LJ55 BVD 6177 LJ55 BVK
6165 LJ55 BVT 6169 LJ55 BVX 6175 LJ55 BVG 6178 LJ55 BVL
6166 LJ55 BVU 6170 LJ55 BVY 6176 LJ55 BVH 6179 LJ55 BVM
6167 LJ55 BVV 6171 LJ55 BVZ
London: Aside from the remaining handful of hybrid Volvo / Wrightbus that remain to be delivered, It has
been very quiet here of late, the only allocation change being DLA183 from Croydon to Brixton. PDL53 and
PDL56 have headed to Derby for refurbishment, prior to onward allocation elsewhere.
Southern Counties: A number to disposals to record. Mike Nash, Cobham (dealer) has taken Dennis
Darts 3086, 3088 and 3101, along with Olympian 5925. A H Hardwick (dealer) has Dennis Darts 3092 and
3100. Dennis Dart 3306 has been moved to Kent & Surrey at Maidstone as a driver trainer T306