 Wright StreetLite on Albert Street, Derby, in May 2025 | |
| Parent | Arriva |
|---|---|
| Founded | November 1880 (as Derby Tramways Company) |
| Headquarters | Derby |
| Service area | Derbyshire |
| Service type | Bus services |
| Hubs | Derby bus station |
| Depots | 1 |
| Fleet | 92 (June 2025) |
| Chief executive | Simon Mathieson |
| Website | www.arrivabus.co.uk/midlands/bus-travel-in-derby |
Arriva Derby is a bus operator in Derby. It is a subsidiary of Arriva Midlands.
In March 1880, the Derby Tramways Company commenced operating horse-drawn trams between Market Place and Derby railway station. The Derby Corporation Tramways, &c. Act 1899 (62 & 63 Vict. c. cxciii) saw the Derby Corporation take over the tram lines in November 1899. Between 1903 and 1907 the network was extended and electrified. [1]
In May 1917, a Tilling-Stevens petrol-electric bus entered service. A second entered service in 1920, but both were replaced with motor buses in 1924. Between January 1932 and July 1934, Derby's trams were replaced by trolleybuses. Motor buses continued to operate alongside the trolleybuses until the network began to be closed in the 1960s, [1] with the last running on 9 September 1967. [2]
In December 1973, Derby Corporation purchased Blue Bus Services of Willington. [3] In 1974, Derby Corporation was renamed Derby Borough Transport and later became Derby City Transport when Derby was granted city status in 1977. [4]
To comply with the Transport Act 1985 and ensuing deregulation of bus services from 26 October 1986, the assets of Derby City Transport were transferred to a new legal entity, Derby City Transport Limited, in October 1986. [5] Following deregulation, Derby City Transport Limited was placed up for sale by Derby City Council in January 1989, [6] and in the intervening period, saw minibus competition from Midland Red North, formed from the split of National Bus Company subsidiary Midland Red and operating locally under the 'Mercian' brand. [7]
Following six months of negotiations between Derby City Council and company employees, Derby City Transport was sold for over £3 million (equivalent to £9,427,000in 2023) in July 1989 to a consortium consisting 75% of an employee buyout team and 25% Luton & District, beating a management buyout bid as well as interest from Trent Buses, Midland Red, Stevensons of Uttoxeter and Go-Ahead Northern. [8] [9]
Derby City Transport took over competitor Camms of Nottingham's bus operations in 1993 after the latter decided to return solely to coaching work, altering the timings of Camms services in Derby to reduce duplication as well as moving 15 buses from Derby to Nottingham in order to operate Camms' school and local authority contract services. [10] Having revived the Blue Bus Services name for the company's coaching arm in 1984, Derby City Transport adopted the Blue Bus name for the entire bus fleet in January 1994, with buses being painted into a two-tone blue livery with white striping. [11]
In July 1994, Derby City Transport was sold to British Bus, who by then had gained a 25% stake in the company through their earlier purchase of Luton & District. [12] In 1995, Derby City Transport's Blue Bus identity was replaced by a new City Rider brand, with new Scania N113DRB double-decker buses and Mercedes-Benz 711D minibuses adopting a yellow, red and blue livery, drivers being issued with new uniforms matching the livery, and more frequent bus services being operated. [13]
In August 1996, British Bus was purchased by the Cowie Group. [14] A year later in November 1997, Cowie rebranded to Arriva and adopted a corporate aquamarine and cream livery; [15] Derby City Transport was accordingly rebranded to Arriva Derby, with a fleet of new Plaxton Pointer bodied Dennis Dart SLFs being among the first new vehicles within the group delivered in the new livery. [16]
In November 2024, the Arriva Derby depot was crowned Top National Depot at the UK Bus Awards. [17]
Most services depart from Derby Bus Station although some use on street stops around the city centre. [18] Between 1994 and August 2024, service X38 between Burton-upon-Trent and Derby was jointly operated with Trentbarton, however following a dispute, both operators now operate competing services on the route, with Arriva extending it's variant of the X38 to serve Derby Bus Station and operating later timetabled journeys. [19]
Since September 2018, Arriva Derby also provide shuttle bus services around Nottingham on behalf of the University of Nottingham, which are branded as HopperBus. [20]
As of June 2025, the Arriva Derby fleet consisted of 92 buses. [21]
Arriva announced in early 2008 that an order for 59 new buses to update its Derby bus fleet had been placed. [22] Optare Solos, Scania OmniLinks, [23] Scania OmniCitys and Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B9TLs were purchased.[ citation needed ]
From 18 August 2014, seven Alexander Dennis Enviro400s built to Sapphire specification, featuring USB chargers, free WiFi, audio-visual next stop announcements and e-leather seating, were launched on service 38 to Sinfin. [24]
In February 2019, nineteen Wright StreetLites joined the fleet to help meet clean air targets for buses in Derby city centre. [25]
Media related to Arriva Derby at Wikimedia CommonsBus operators in the East Midlands | ||
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