Central Buses

Last updated

Central Buses logo.svg
Central Buses BU12 LJO.jpg
Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 in September 2012
ParentGeoff Cross
FoundedSeptember 2003
Defunct24 February 2018
Headquarters Perry Barr
Service area Birmingham
Coventry
Staffordshire
Warwickshire
Worcestershire
Shropshire
Service typeBus operator
Routes23 (February 2018)
Depots2
Fleet31 (February 2018)
Website www.centralbuses.com

Central Buses [1] was a bus company based in Birmingham, England.

Birmingham Major city in the English Midlands, 2nd highest population of UK cities

Birmingham is the second-largest city and metropolitan area in England and the United Kingdom, with roughly 1.1 million inhabitants within the city area and 3.8 million inhabitants within the metropolitan area. This also makes Birmingham the 17th largest city and 8th largest metropolitan area in the European Union. Birmingham is commonly referred to as the nation's "second city".

Contents

History

Central Buses was founded in September 2003 by 16-year-old Geoff Cross, in partnership with his father Peter. [2] [3]

Later, a separate arm of the company was created. Centrad was created under the CEN Group brand, which Central Buses also joined. This supplies electronic equipment to the bus industry. [2]

Many of the services operated by Central Buses were operated under contract to Transport for West Midlands. All buses were equipped to use prepaid fare cards. [4] [5] [6] [7]

Transport for West Midlands Local government body responsible for the transport system in the county of West Midlands

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) is the public body responsible for co-ordinating transport services in the West Midlands metropolitan county in England. It is an executive body of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), with bus franchising and highway management powers similar to Transport for London. TfWM's policies and strategy are set by the Transport Delivery Committee of the WMCA.

In February 2018, Central Buses was purchased by Rotala with its 23 services and 31 buses taken over by its Diamond West Midlands subsidiary. [8] [9] [10] Operations ceased at the conclusion of services on 24 February 2018. [11] [12]

Rotala AIM listed bus group

Rotala plc LSE: ROL is an Alternative Investment Market listed company, established in 2005, which owns a number of bus operators in England.

Diamond West Midlands

Diamond Bus Ltd., trading as Diamond West Midlands, is a bus operator in the West Midlands. It is a subsidiary of Rotala.

Fleet

As of February 2018, the fleet consisted of 31 buses. Fleet livery was red and grey. [11]

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References

  1. ↑ Companies House extract company no 4754447 Cen Group Limited
  2. 1 2 Start your own business: Young bus operator takes slow lane to success Daily Express 24 February 2010
  3. ↑ "Rotala grows again with £2m Central Buses deal" Buses issue 756 March 2018 page 7
  4. ↑ "Buses to trial new pre-paid systems". Express & Star. 1 January 2010. Retrieved 21 January 2010.
  5. ↑ John, Patrice (9 October 2009). "Date set for Birmingham's delayed bus smartcard system". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 21 January 2010.
  6. ↑ John, Patrice (17 October 2009). "West Midlands public transport users soon to see electronic ticketing system". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 21 January 2010.
  7. ↑ Authi, Jasbir (20 January 2010). "Smartcard a step closer on Midlands transport". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 21 January 2010.
  8. ↑ Rotala buys Central Buses Coach & Bus Week 2 February 2018
  9. ↑ Rotala buys Central Buses for £1.95 million Route One 2 February 2018
  10. ↑ "Central Buses to become Diamond Bus Services". Diamond Bus. Archived from the original on 11 April 2018. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  11. 1 2 "Central Buses bows out in style" Buses issue 757 April 2018 page 10
  12. ↑ "Central Farewell" Bus & Coach Preservation May 2018 page 21

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