It has been suggested that Sunbus Cairns , Sunbus Rockhampton , Sunbus Sunshine Coast and Sunbus Townsville be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since June 2024. |
Parent | Kinetic |
---|---|
Founded | 1995 |
Defunct | 2022 |
Service area | Cairns Magnetic Island Rockhampton Sunshine Coast Townsville Toowoomba |
Service type | Bus operator |
Routes | 200 as of 2022 |
Depots | Caloundra Garbutt Glenmore Marcoola Nelly Bay Smithfield Wilsonton |
Fleet | 275 (July 2022) |
Website | www.sunbus.com.au https://www.wearekinetic.com/ |
Sunbus was an Australian bus operator in the Australian state of Queensland. It operated in 5 regional areas across the state under contract to the Government of Queensland under the Translink banner. As of 2022 Sunbus has changed its name as part of a business re-brand by the parent company, Kinetic. Sunbus has now been dissolved into the Kinetic brand with its fleet of buses reflecting this change. [1]
In 1995, Harry Blundred, the proprietor of Thames Transit in the United Kingdom, was awarded the operating rights to route services in a number of regions in Queensland following the state government deciding to put the operation of these services out to tender. Sunbus were awarded the rights to operate services in the Cairns, Ipswich, Rockhampton, Sunshine Coast and Townsville regions. [2] As part of the deal, Sunbus was also responsible for the operation of school bus services in the region, however these were sold in 1997 to fellow British bus operator Stagecoach. [3] [4]
In January 2000, the Ipswich business was sold to the Pulitano Group and in September 2003 Hagan's, Bus Service, Toowoomba was purchased and rebranded Garden City Sunbus and was based at 487 Greenwattle Street, Wilsonton. This was sold in April 2009 to the Pulitano Group. [5] [6]
In April 2008, Blundred sold the remaining Sunbus operations to Transit Australia Group.
In November 2008, Magnetic Island Bus Services was purchased [7] and in April 2010 the Townsville operation was expanded with the acquisition of Hermit Park Bus Service. [8] [9]
In April 2019, Transit Australia Group was purchased by AATS Group, parent company of Skybus and majority owned by OPTrust. [10] In August 2019, AATS Group was rebranded the Kinetic Group. [11]
In late 2022, Sunbus was officially branded as KINETIC with all new advertising now showing the Kinetic Brand. All new buses will display the Kinetic logo with the current fleet of Sunbus slowly being updated to reflect the new brand name. The current website for Sunbus will stay active until early 2023 before it will be deactivated, directing customers to the new Kinetic website.
Sunbus operated as:
As at July 2022, the fleet consisted of 275 buses. [12] When Sunbus commenced it introduced a large number of Mercedes-Benz Vario midibuses. These were replaced by Bustech bodied Volvo B7RLEs, B12BLEs, Bustech MDis and XDis. Fleet livery was light blue.
Surfside Buslines was an Australian bus operator on the Gold Coast in Queensland. It operated 56 services under contract to the Government of Queensland under the Translink banner. It also operates nine services in the adjoining Tweed Valley of northern New South Wales under contract to the Government of New South Wales. As of 2022, Surfside Buslines has changed its name as part of a business re-brand by the parent company, Kinetic. Surfside Buslines has now been dissolved into the Kinetic brand with its fleet of buses reflecting this change.
Sunbus Sunshine Coast was an Australian operator of bus services on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. It operated 25 services under contract to the Government of Queensland under the Translink banner. It was one of Sunbus' operations. As of 2022, Sunbus changed its name as part of a business re-brand by the parent company, Kinetic. Sunbus was dissolved into the Kinetic brand with its fleet of buses reflecting this change.
Thames Transit was a bus and coach company which operated in the Oxford area. As well as running a number of local services, it also ran a regular service to London under the Oxford Tube brand. It was sold in July 1997 to Stagecoach, and traded as Stagecoach in Oxfordshire. As of 2022 it is part of Stagecoach West.
Translink is the public transit agency for Queensland, and is part of the Department of Transport and Main Roads. Translink was first introduced by the Queensland Government in June 2003 to orchestrate bus, ferry, rail and light rail services. They work with Brisbane Airtrain, Transport for Brisbane, RiverCity Ferries, Queensland Rail and other operators to provide services. Translink operates an integrated ticketing system across Queensland and the go card system to allow the use of one ticket on multiple services in South East Queensland.
Greyhound Australia is an Australian coach operator that ran services in all mainland states and territories until reduction of services in the 2000s.
Sunbus Townsville was the principal bus operator in Townsville, Queensland, Australia, that operated services under the Translink scheme in Regional Queensland. It was one of Sunbus' operations. As of 2022, Sunbus changed its name as part of a business re-brand by the parent company, Kinetic. Sunbus was dissolved into the Kinetic brand with its fleet of buses reflecting this change.
Cranbourne Transit is a bus operator in Melbourne, Australia. It operates 16 routes under contract to Public Transport Victoria. It is a subsidiary of the Pulitano Group.
Transport in Townsville, Queensland provides details of the transport services that support the city of Townsville in Queensland. As a major coastal city these include road, rail, sea, air, and public transport.
Westside Bus Company is an Australian operator of bus services in the western suburbs of Brisbane. It operates 16 services under contract to the Government of Queensland under the Translink banner.
Park Ridge Transit is an Australian operator of bus services in the southern suburbs of Brisbane. It operates nine urban services and nearly 70 school runs under the contract of Translink, which is owned and operated by the Queensland Government.
BusTech Group is an Australian bus-building manufacturer with production facilities in Rocklea, Queensland, Edinburgh Adelaide, South Australia and Burnie, Tasmania. BusTech Group produces fully built up integral route buses, school buses and double deck buses and also produces single deck bus bodies, largely built on European chassis from manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Scania, predominantly under their VST model line. As of 2022, BusTech Group was actively delivering new buses into Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania and the ACT.
Sunbus Rockhampton previously Capricorn Sunbus was the principal bus operator in Rockhampton, Queensland that operated services under the QConnect scheme in Regional Queensland. As of 2022, Sunbus changed its name as part of a business re-brand by the parent company, Kinetic. Sunbus was dissolved into the Kinetic brand with its fleet of buses reflecting this change.
Sunbus Cairns, previously Marlin Coast Sunbus, was the principal bus operator in Cairns, Queensland that operated services under the Translink scheme in the Cairns region. It was one of Sunbus' operations. As of late 2022, Sunbus has changed its name as part of a business re-brand by the parent company, Kinetic. Sunbus was dissolved into the Kinetic brand with its fleet of buses reflecting this change.
Mackay Transit was a bus operator in the Australian state of Queensland. It operated in the Mackay region under contract to the Queensland Government to operate urban and school bus services utilising the Translink banner. As of 2023, Mackay Transit has changed its name and branding as part of a business re-brand by the parent company, Kinetic. Mackay Transit has now been dissolved into the Kinetic Group with its fleet of buses reflecting this change.
Young's Bus Service is an Australian bus operator in Rockhampton, Queensland operating services under the Translink scheme in Regional Queensland. It is the largest operator in the Rockhampton region.
The Pulitano Group is an Australian operator of buses and coaches in Queensland and Victoria.
Bus Queensland was formed in April 2009 when the Pulitano Group purchased both the Garden City Sunbus and Kynoch Coaches operations.
Transit Australia Group (TAG) was one of Australia's leading mass transit specialists headquartered on the Gold Coast in Queensland.
CDC Queensland, formerly Buslink Queensland, is an Australian bus operator in the Gladstone, Rockhampton and Sunshine Coast regions of Queensland. It is a subsidiary of ComfortDelGro Australia.
Kinetic Group is an Australian-based multinational bus company that wholly owns a number of bus operations in Australia and New Zealand, including the SkyBus business, which operates bus services to a number of airports in both countries. Through its 51%-owned subsidiary Go-Ahead Group based in the United Kingdom, Kinetic also operates buses and railway services in the United Kingdom, Singapore, Germany, Ireland and Norway.