Yellow Buses Explained

Yellow Buses
Company Slogan:Filling your community with colour
Parent:Simon Newport (33.3%)
Phil Pannell (33.3%)
David Squire (33.3%)
Headquarters:Bournemouth
Service Area:Dorset
Service Type:Bus services
Routes:24 (Not including school routes)
Fleet:131
Ceo:David Squire
Depots:Bournemouth - Yeomans Way

Yellow Buses[1] was a bus operator based in Bournemouth, on the south coast of England. Yellow Buses was the trading name for Bournemouth Transport Ltd. The company fell into administration in July 2022 and ceased operations on 4 August 2022.[2] [3]

History

Origins

See main article: Bournemouth Corporation Tramways. Yellow Buses traces its origins to July 1902, when Bournemouth Corporation began operating trams. Bus services commenced in 1906 to act as feeders to the tram system. In 1930 more bus services were started away from the tram system, to serve Kinson and Holdenhurst when those areas were added to the borough of Bournemouth.

In 1933 the corporation began to operate trolleybuses, and by 1936 replaced all the trams with trolleybuses. The trolleybuses were replaced by buses between 1963 and 1969.[4]

Bournemouth Transport Limited

With the passing of the Transport Act 1985 and subsequent deregulation of bus services, Yellow Buses was incorporated as a private limited company, Bournemouth Transport Limited. All shares in the limited company were owned, however, by Bournemouth Borough Council. In 2005, with a need to modernise the fleet and a realisation that full privatisation would better equip the operator to overcome the increasing competition it was facing from Wilts & Dorset, the Council offered the company for sale.[5]

Transdev

In December 2005 Bournemouth Borough Council sold 90% of the shares in Bournemouth Transport Limited to Transdev. The Council retained a 10% shareholding.[6] The operation was rebranded as Transdev Yellow Buses.

Transdev then decided to make its mark on Yellow Buses by giving the network a complete overhaul. This became the Big Network Change of 2 July 2006, where each bus, each journey, and each route (even route numbers) was changed. To make sure that the public were made aware of these changes, Transdev Yellow Buses held road shows across Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch to publicise its new network, livery, branding and new fare structure. Transdev subsequently made slight changes to the network with funding from Bournemouth Borough Council, including the introduction of routes 37 and 38, the extension of route 41 at both ends to Boscombe Pier and to Throop Church, and the re-introduction of route 24 to Bournemouth, also restoring this route's evening service and its Sunday service between Bournemouth Railway Station and Alum Chine. Also, for the first time in recent years, Transdev Yellow Buses decided not to run services on New Year's Day 2007 except route 747, which ran a normal Monday service.

In April 2010 services were expanded into East Dorset with the launch of the hourly route 29 between Bournemouth, Winton, Ferndown and West Moors.[7]

RATP Group

In 2009 Transdev's majority owner, Caisse des dépôts et consignations, commenced negotiating with Veolia Environnement to merge Transdev with Veolia Transport. As part of the resulting agreement, it was agreed that the RATP Group, which had a minority shareholding in Transdev, would take over ownership of some of Transdev's operations in lieu of cash payment. Transdev Yellow Buses was included and was transferred on 3 March 2011. The business resumed trading as Yellow Buses.

On 16 November 2013 the A1 (Airport Shuttle) once again become a Yellow Buses route, after six years of being operated by Discover Dorset.[8] In 2016, RATP Group purchased the 10% shareholding in Bournemouth Transport Limited that it did not already own.[9]

2017 route changes and financial losses

In January 2017, Yellow Buses announced it was reorganising most of its routes "after extensive research into the life and work patterns of passengers".[10] The 1a, 1b and 1c services between Poole and Christchurch were replaced with new 'P' services ('P' standing for 'Priory', denoting Christchurch Priory) and ceased to run along Christchurch Road, taking a more lengthy route via Holdenhurst Road. Other lettered services included 'B' for 'Bourne', 'U' for 'University', and 'V' for 'Kinson Village'.[11] The new routes, and the rushed introduction of the new timetables, led to scores of complaints from passengers[12] and in October that year, Bournemouth Transport Limited, which owned and ran Yellow Buses, posted pre-tax losses of £124,000 at Companies House (generating a loss after tax of £193,000).[13] [14] Andrew Smith, the managing director, announced his resignation days after the accounts were published.

Further financial losses and 2019 buy-out

In early 2018, it was announced that Yellow Buses would be reverting to an earlier route-name format - '1', '1a', '1b' and so on - these changes coming into effect on 8 April 2018.[15] This necessitated painting and rebranding the company's entire fleet of 140 buses and updating the timetable information at more than 1,000 stops. David Squire, who had replaced Andrew Smith as MD, said: "Everything is in place for Sunday's launch of our revised network. It has been a tremendous team effort and I think our 15 million passengers will notice a positive difference in our services from April 8." The company continued to post losses at Companies House, however, generating pre-tax losses of £1,818,000 in the year ending 30 December 2017[16] and further losses of £1,975,000 in the year to 31 December 2018.[17] On 2 July 2019, following a review of its operations, RATP Group sold Bournemouth Transport Limited to the three directors of the latter company in a management buyout.[18] [19]

In the months following the management buyout, Yellow Buses further incurred financial losses, losing £2.65 million over 15 months leading to March 2020, said to have been caused by the replacement of computer systems and the cost of the management buyout from the RATP Group.[20] In the February of the same year, Yellow Buses stopped using Poole Bus Station due to anti-social behaviour in the area.[21] [22]

Administration

Two years after difficulties in attempting to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the company fell into administration in July 2022, citing loss in revenue and an increase in running costs for the business.[23] Yellow Buses ceased operations on 4 August 2022 with bus services operated by the company cancelled, with some of its key routes taken over by morebus.[24]

Yellow Coaches was purchased by Xelabus of Eastleigh on 5 August, though its operations ceased in February 2023 with their tender for its services expiring the same month.[25] [26] The National Express Group purchased the intercity coaching and engineering operations of Yellow Buses from administrators Milsted Langdon on 8 August.[27] [28]

Services

At the time the company ended operation, it ran the following routes in Bournemouth and surrounding area:[29]

Morebus (previously Wilts & Dorset) took over the routes 1/1b, 1a, 2, 4, 5/5a, 6, 18, 33, 36 and 737 above,[24] and the remainder ceased operation.

However, following the retendering process, the council-subsidised routes 18, 33 and 36 were transferred to Yellow Coaches starting from 15 August,[30] while on the same weekend, morebus started running the route 12 (Alum Chine - Hengistbury Head) again, which had been replaced by the Buster's Beach Bus since April 2022 under Yellow Buses' operation.[31]

Fleet

A large part of the Yellow Buses fleet was made up of both Alexander-Dennis and Wrightbus-bodied Volvo buses, as well as 16 to 53-seater coaches in the Yellow Coaches subdivision.[32] As of 2021, the company operated 131 buses and coaches.

See also

Notes and References

  1. http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/02004964 Companies House extract company no 2004964
  2. Web site: Yellow Buses has gone into administration . 2022-07-29 . Bournemouth Echo . 29 July 2022 . en.
  3. News: Simpson . Matt . 3 August 2022. All routes served by Yellow Buses to stop from tomorrow night . Bournemouth Echo . 3 August 2022.
  4. Web site: Our History . yellowbuses.co.uk . 12 July 2021 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210716021816/https://www.yellowbuses.co.uk/our-history . 16 July 2021.
  5. Web site: UK | England | Dorset | Bus company sell-off under fire . . 14 December 2004 . 13 February 2016.
  6. Web site: Transdev wins race for Yellow Buses . Bus & Coach Professional . 22 July 2005 . 2 October 2013 . dead . https://archive.today/20131008013407/http://www2.busandcoach.com/newspage.aspx?id=234&categoryid=0 . 8 October 2013 . dmy-all .
  7. Web site: Villagers turn out in force to launch new bus service . Bybus.co.uk . 20 April 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130925160549/https://www.bybus.co.uk/2010/04/villagers-turn-out-in-force-to-launch-new-bus-service/ . 25 September 2013 . 13 February 2016.
  8. Web site: Yellows fly high after landing airport bus contract . Bybus.co.uk . 30 August 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130925160534/https://www.bybus.co.uk/2013/08/yellows-fly-high-after-landing-airport-bus-contract/ . 25 September 2013 . 13 February 2016.
  9. Annual Accounts for year ended 31 December 2016
  10. http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/newS/15022561.New_times_and_numbers_for_Yellow_Buses_from_today/ "New times and numbers for Yellow Buses from today"
  11. https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/15987666.new-yellow-buses-routes-revealed/ "New Yellow Buses routes revealed"
  12. https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/15024820.yellow-buses-passengers-confused-by-new-routes/ "Yellow Buses passengers confused by new routes"
  13. https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/document-api-images-live.ch.gov.uk/docs/5iw10apAdoXsSP8W-xVBxdnTlm5Jpeden4W8aXMeg8A/application-pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=ASIAWRGBDBV3NVZE677J%2F20190929%2Feu-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20190929T140412Z&X-Amz-Expires=60&X-Amz-Security-Token=AgoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEMz%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FwEaCWV1LXdlc3QtMiJIMEYCIQCdL%2FzfvlyF1HGbdMhCXfCWinpFRVSfSNROv%2Bj2IDoL0AIhALr2ofATqkGPxEZWTThahcss4PdoiuSYR4J6rZnlaZ2lKuMDCKX%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FwEQAhoMNDQ5MjI5MDMyODIyIgwXpEJ%2F9rl3EYDhRugqtwPXi%2BmsKe4ooGLzn1Qzb18eRfUOt1iZPdAE2I8FiSYVo9A6UPcG9M%2BrQxjo%2BJ6Rz15nzRaTtucVp3tW27dul7aarUUHfWkuWTvWprk51ib%2FX8Jy93b60IBTj%2FwpoZuVyzsLNOY9ypbRHQz3VY3naBdUpKO6Y4wcYGDXB%2B7m2oDJG17UFAqVBmzrjwyYmOoh1IfZVr81rPoSe1ywPwuOODALJ9tebGk8Pxx%2FBlDDy%2BXOxbXw7Lu829u3kTA4GagBuAAiXiw976wrdxJyuOdTpm6rDD42IoKFwBtBCaAn1Cdy97CVFEL5wI6Ny2prhzwWEv56iSrv8aDY3fwVgIKAc2PqAAtXSRIQKlQ6b%2FJmAl771Dggygy1YsJ%2BApS%2FvrCWnedOMyrVWuJNTpQuhxQR%2B%2FEy9xzWKnY3kRgDAul3Ixta%2BWrJVpTnyR2jyB24iDnJFvzwIfJfT7kFlSLJj2yPXex1cv2L2OUg1tqieQH8WbhfTN%2F6VJe%2B36pRakXKxZ4ds6AtIyMNwVF%2BQ4zHJjNeSNnHsjLKnfrl595b5jTM51PyUsdVSZtgQxahc5%2FpztP5OUTdBySZk7dbMJK3wuwFOrMBV6EFBwnIoiTSCcoX8K2dqyN6A9XMoWwVxRjB8WCAWE4Ef5yoNi7mKjkUTO32uOVZDGl4F9I6KtMU1LcyHGvfgJdlUh5IBTbriqu3LTT1evkMiMApnq%2FOo%2FAlDS16TEAKs7%2FGMO6tGSThbOhtlFQfcji23EkXkELG8md%2FOQ0%2BBfb4b6gT1bs0UR%2B%2Bxo332VQ%2BcM5yQ7XVSKvRTBL%2BkXPqRTCupEi62S72Obu90wsiSh0SkBQ%3D&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Signature=bbc8f0a5156d27bcff6529bb0c399d342b9293fd2ec01621acb6cf69236e91a8#page=11 "Bournemouth Transport Limited accounts for 53 weeks ending 31 December 2016
  14. https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/15588608.yellow-buses-boss-andrew-smith-quits-days-after-firm-reports-rising-losses/ "Yellow Buses boss Andrew Smith quits - days after firm reports rising losses"
  15. https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/16144680.yellow-buses-launch-revised-network-across-the-region/ "Yellow Buses launch revised network across the region"
  16. https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/document-api-images-live.ch.gov.uk/docs/m6tthYDmhGVqy9sa_yOK3ZxMeOA4RwgRalv0bpUz2xk/application-pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=ASIAWRGBDBV3GA7KY3VR%2F20190929%2Feu-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20190929T151049Z&X-Amz-Expires=60&X-Amz-Security-Token=AgoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEMz%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FwEaCWV1LXdlc3QtMiJHMEUCIQD8N%2Ff81vSyGyMxUvtFNYSEHTfxAkw9ofEt5gRc7i2RGgIgezhUW9FPPAToqtXTblpN88Ey6rTfrpybgOHs5K5U68kq4wMIpf%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FARACGgw0NDkyMjkwMzI4MjIiDLcnFwB97lmUXyQOWiq3A%2FL72UlMkdywWDAqo%2B%2FOV0epFSUdxtaKnO2waRCeb3NbDs4sYBGiYT2GRGgr4GskDvi4uoJ5n9ednBNJCzLONU7sMVGOpPs1PnD4EwJzKp0eHOzi31nuMGlMIcy31GTi2cfyi%2FVOxc8sBxCsp1KS9Q6OgCasXquVm0u7gVrE8pY8IQDBJyXlE%2B1fEclt5Y%2BNJZqjjvhMl2MAZkocc1q9T2a78MkTiVS%2BvnuUm40%2F0M7NnbSZIBgXULzR%2FZU20CtnyyUoTEpKD4oCQm06VOIvlJaTBztW8dfVRGvJN7V9eOACGtEV%2FQxGS7JYQVWjk3zU02xnTHoYFz7uPb8HRjh7L1xsrPeFkgI94Ju03bz1afG4i%2FGIDJcnL4gZGFZiyTcL1Z8GaPJNB0u1JeKD9m8FRpG5IIo9vTfVqJXe%2FaZ7dj9%2Bfc9Savcbmw6d2gMAiR7zDXSLCA9F8Zlp%2F1xWNdjEPGx1aW7qPm8UqEkixGhfwQplHE%2F2wO7f8iGQ04J455R8WRSUNkulvNEjgqcVt8taYKEudNpJmsy6ywb%2BsJG9dVkO2Wcmxt7BT7FLKDsDymwFG0cZSEB6Ff4whajC7AU6tAH4QOFZFLo%2FbsJHMjR%2FKtiEXH0nyqwb5wOdetiLnEZTkQiDjmtPbGEQ2ago6RR%2FHDfWGT8JNdkKvBlWRs4LAKpYFaWtZHpkvKQMgqTB%2BZy6%2FLs26YgRXuUO%2F9LT6%2FhATQPBDSz56QneWDrc1uih7Ug7MtUt%2FQD7mEXrwHkZMQ0BHYHo6DJ0BvImW2MaY9B%2FJlpXw2EPmiR%2Fi67qBmXz164A0068e8k6Ay8DlV4kb6xtCU4BHio%3D&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Signature=295c2bab1428defaf0c19e298f326ba51c20e8f00229a93c7129a091207e598f#page=11 "Bournemouth Transport Limited accounts for 52 weeks ending 31 December 2017"
  17. https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/document-api-images-live.ch.gov.uk/docs/UhJazy9gd61Rmef5qB-LZrqoertLZzLuYsfIfdE94uo/application-pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=ASIAWRGBDBV3GA7KY3VR%2F20190929%2Feu-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20190929T151226Z&X-Amz-Expires=60&X-Amz-Security-Token=AgoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEMz%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FwEaCWV1LXdlc3QtMiJHMEUCIQD8N%2Ff81vSyGyMxUvtFNYSEHTfxAkw9ofEt5gRc7i2RGgIgezhUW9FPPAToqtXTblpN88Ey6rTfrpybgOHs5K5U68kq4wMIpf%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FARACGgw0NDkyMjkwMzI4MjIiDLcnFwB97lmUXyQOWiq3A%2FL72UlMkdywWDAqo%2B%2FOV0epFSUdxtaKnO2waRCeb3NbDs4sYBGiYT2GRGgr4GskDvi4uoJ5n9ednBNJCzLONU7sMVGOpPs1PnD4EwJzKp0eHOzi31nuMGlMIcy31GTi2cfyi%2FVOxc8sBxCsp1KS9Q6OgCasXquVm0u7gVrE8pY8IQDBJyXlE%2B1fEclt5Y%2BNJZqjjvhMl2MAZkocc1q9T2a78MkTiVS%2BvnuUm40%2F0M7NnbSZIBgXULzR%2FZU20CtnyyUoTEpKD4oCQm06VOIvlJaTBztW8dfVRGvJN7V9eOACGtEV%2FQxGS7JYQVWjk3zU02xnTHoYFz7uPb8HRjh7L1xsrPeFkgI94Ju03bz1afG4i%2FGIDJcnL4gZGFZiyTcL1Z8GaPJNB0u1JeKD9m8FRpG5IIo9vTfVqJXe%2FaZ7dj9%2Bfc9Savcbmw6d2gMAiR7zDXSLCA9F8Zlp%2F1xWNdjEPGx1aW7qPm8UqEkixGhfwQplHE%2F2wO7f8iGQ04J455R8WRSUNkulvNEjgqcVt8taYKEudNpJmsy6ywb%2BsJG9dVkO2Wcmxt7BT7FLKDsDymwFG0cZSEB6Ff4whajC7AU6tAH4QOFZFLo%2FbsJHMjR%2FKtiEXH0nyqwb5wOdetiLnEZTkQiDjmtPbGEQ2ago6RR%2FHDfWGT8JNdkKvBlWRs4LAKpYFaWtZHpkvKQMgqTB%2BZy6%2FLs26YgRXuUO%2F9LT6%2FhATQPBDSz56QneWDrc1uih7Ug7MtUt%2FQD7mEXrwHkZMQ0BHYHo6DJ0BvImW2MaY9B%2FJlpXw2EPmiR%2Fi67qBmXz164A0068e8k6Ay8DlV4kb6xtCU4BHio%3D&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Signature=e245cfc6a5707b337176091847bded58ad95b5afb1f446d89b6d0b926a7fb845#page=12 "Bournemouth Transport Limited accounts for 52 weeks ending 31 December 2018"
  18. Web site: Yellow Buses under local ownership in management buyout . www.yellowbuses.co.uk . 2 July 2019 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190702132701/https://www.yellowbuses.co.uk/Management-buyout . 2 July 2019 . 2 July 2019.
  19. https://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/yellow-buses-in-management-buyout/ Yellow Buses in management buyout
  20. News: Slade . Darren . 11 March 2021 . Yellow Buses has lost £2.65m in the past 15 months . Bournemouth Echo . Bournemouth . 12 July 2021.
  21. Web site: 2020-02-04. Yellows quit Poole bus station. 2020-11-19. Dorset Chamber of Commerce and Industry. en-GB.
  22. Web site: 2020-02-04. LOCAL NEWS: "We're quitting Poole Bus Station" says angry Yellow Buses Chief. 2020-11-19. BH Living Magazine. en-GB.
  23. Web site: Yellow Buses struggling with driver shortage and have to "rebuild" business . 2022-07-29 . Bournemouth Echo . 27 July 2022 . en.
  24. Web site: We will be running extra routes . morebus . 3 August 2022. 5 August 2022.
  25. News: Simpson . Matt . 5 August 2022. Bournemouth's school bus services to be run by Xelabus . Bournemouth Echo . 5 August 2022.
  26. Xela Group closes Yellow Coaches Bournemouth operation . Coach & Bus Week . Peterborough . Emap . 24 January 2023 . 24 January 2023.
  27. Web site: Yellow Buses to close as NatEx in for Yellow Coaches . routeone . 4 August 2022 . 4 August 2022.
  28. News: Simpson . Matt . 8 August 2022. National Express finalise Yellow Buses buyout saving 50 jobs . Bournemouth Echo . 18 August 2022.
  29. Web site: Routes & Maps - Yellow Buses . 4 August 2022.
  30. News: Yellow Coaches begin operating three BCP Council funded routes. Bournemouth Echo. 15 August 2022.
  31. Web site: Even MORE ways to enjoy the beach this summer!. morebus. 10 August 2022.
  32. Web site: Yellow Coaches . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220625185106/https://www.yellowcoaches.co.uk/ . 25 June 2022 . 12 July 2021.

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