Harrogate Bus Company

The Harrogate Bus Company

Parent Transdev Blazefield
Founded 1906
Headquarters Harrogate
Service area North Yorkshire
Service type Bus services
Routes 13 (October 2013)
Hubs Harrogate
Leeds
Depots 1
Fleet 70 (October 2013)
Website www.harrogatebus.co.uk

The Harrogate Bus Company[1] is a bus operator based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. It is a subsidiary of Transdev Blazefield. Commencing in July 2016, the business is progressively being rebranded from Transdev in Harrogate.

History

Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B7TL departing Harrogate bus station on route 36 in March 2008

In 1906 The Harrogate Road Car Company[2] was formed, initially operating steam buses in Harrogate, and from 1911 petrol buses. In 1924 it was absorbed into Tilling & British Automobile Traction and renamed Harrogate & District Road Car Company. With the company's expansion during the following years, in 1927 it was renamed West Yorkshire Road Car Company, to reflect its wider geographical spread.[3]

In 1948, along with other companies that were then part of the Tilling Group, West Yorkshire Road Car Company was nationalised. In 1968 West Yorkshire Road Car Company became part of the National Bus Company.[3]

In 1987 West Yorkshire Road Car Company was sold in a management buyout to former East Yorkshire Motor Services managing director Alan Stephenson's AJS Group and in December 1988 split into smaller companies, one of which was Harrogate & District Transport Limited.[1][3] In April 1989 Harrogate Independent Travel,[4] which had been set up as an independent operator in January 1987 by 10 former Harrogate drivers to challenge their former employer, was purchased by AJS Group.[5]

In 1991 Harrogate & District Travel was one of a number of AJS Group subsidiaries sold to Blazefield Travel.[6][7][8][9] In 1996 Cowie's United Automobile Services operation in Ripon was purchased.

In January 2006 Harrogate & District Travel was included in the sale of Blazefield Holdings to Transdev.[10][11] Harrogate & District was rebranded as Transdev in Harrogate. Starting from July 2016, Transdev in Harrogate was again rebranded to the Harrogate Bus Company.[12][13]

Services

As at June 2016, the Harrogate Bus Company operates 13 bus routes.[14] The key marketed route is 36, a high frequency service between Ripon, Harrogate and Leeds.

Another significant route was the airport Xpress route 767 service between Harrogate and Leeds Bradford Airport, which Harrogate & District operated from its inception in April 2005 until the contract was awarded to Dales & District in April 2010. Retendering by North Yorkshire County Council in 2011 saw all the routes that had been operated for the council pass to other operators with except route X59 to Skipton on which a reduced commercially operated service was retained for a short period until withdrawn completely.

In 2011, the Harrogate Bus Company, then trading as Transdev in Harrogate, became involved in a bus war with Connexionsbuses.[15][16]

References

  1. 1 2 Companies House extract company no 2327319 Harrogate & District Limited
  2. ↑ Companies House extract company no 91413 Welwyn & Hatfield Line Bus Company Limited formerly AJS Developments Limited formerly West Yorkshire Road Car Company Limited
  3. 1 2 3 A brief history Harrogate Bus Company
  4. ↑ Companies House extract company no 2326011 Harrogate Independent Travel Limited
  5. ↑ AJS swallows Challenger Commercial Motor 20 April 1989
  6. ↑ Companies House extract company no 2188825 Blazefield Travel Group Limited
  7. ↑ AJS sells remaining bus firms Commercial Motor August 1991
  8. ↑ Jenkinson, Keith A (1999). Small is Beautiful, The Story of the AJS Group and Blazefield Holdings. Autobus Review Publications. ISBN 0907834426.
  9. ↑ First for Fearnley in UK Bus move Bus & Coach Professional 26 January 2011
  10. ↑ Transdev acquires Blazefield Group Bus & Coach Professional 7 January 2006
  11. ↑ A new stop for Blazefield Yorkshire Post 9 January 2006
  12. ↑ "Harrogate Bus Company celebrates 110 years of service" Coach & Bus Week issue 1253 16 August 2016 page 10
  13. ↑ "Transdev rolls out two more rebrands" Buses Magazine issue 738 September 2016 page 9
  14. ↑ Timetables Harrogate Bus Company
  15. ↑ Harrogate to Wetherby bus war breaks out BBC News 4 July 2011
  16. ↑ War erupts over bus service Harrogate Advertiser 9 July 2011

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