Swindon's Bus Company

Last updated

Swindon's Bus Company
Swindons Bus Company.png
YX17NHY Thamesdown Transport ADL Enviro200 (36660094653).jpg
ADL Enviro200 heading towards GW Hospital in September 2017
Parent Go-Ahead Group
FoundedSeptember 1904
Headquarters Swindon
Service areaSwindon
Service typeBus services
Fleet85 (February 2017)
Website www.swindonbus.co.uk

Swindon's Bus Company (formerly Thamesdown Transport) is a bus operator in England, serving Swindon and the surrounding area. Previously owned by Swindon Borough Council, ownership passed to the Go-Ahead Group in February 2017 and the operation was rebranded as Thamesdown...Swindon's bus company, later simply Swindon's bus company. [1]

Contents

History

The final logo of Thamesdown Transport, used until 2017 ThamesdownBus.svg
The final logo of Thamesdown Transport, used until 2017
Depot on Barnfield Road in March 2007 Thamesdown Transport Depot.jpg
Depot on Barnfield Road in March 2007
Wright Solar bodied Scania K230UB at the 2008 Alton bus rally at Anstey Park in Thamesdown livery. Thamesdown Transport 520.JPG
Wright Solar bodied Scania K230UB at the 2008 Alton bus rally at Anstey Park in Thamesdown livery.
Transbus Pointer SPD in Swindon in September 2004 Thamesdown Transport bus 215 (WX04 CZL), Showbus 2004.jpg
Transbus Pointer SPD in Swindon in September 2004

Thamesdown Transport had its origins in 1904, when Swindon Corporation started to operate electric trams. Bus operation started in 1927, and two years later all the trams were replaced. [2]

On local government re-organisation in April 1974, the functions of the corporation were transferred to the new Thamesdown district, and the name of the bus operation was changed to Thamesdown Transport. A blue, green and white livery was used. During the 1980s, operations were expanded to rural areas around Swindon, to replace services withdrawn by Alder Valley and Bristol Omnibus Company.

To comply with the Transport Act 1985, the operation was transferred into a separate legal entity. [3] Swindon Borough Council retained ownership from 1986 until the company was sold to the Go-Ahead Group in February 2017, [4] and was integrated into its Go South Coast subsidiary. [5] [6] At that time the fleet consisted of 85 buses. [6]

From April 2017, the branding "Swindon's bus company" was employed, together with a new livery in green and blue, with red and yellow highlights. [7]

Fares

Thamesdown implemented a fastFare system on 1 August 2005 in which passengers must pay the exact fare as change will not be given by the driver. [8] This has generated some criticism as its implementation often results in passengers paying more than the necessary fare. [9] This can be due to not having the correct change or, more commonly, tourists and visitors being unaware of the policy until after they have deposited money. The reasoning behind the policy is that if the driver does not have to deal with giving change, passenger loading times are shortened, resulting in a faster and more reliable service. It also reduces the risk of attacks on drivers. This policy was scrapped in 2017, when Thamesdown Transport was sold to Go South Coast.

Thamesdown has also implemented a Text and Go service, where passengers can send an SMS message containing a seven digit bus stop identifier to a premium number to receive information about the next three buses due to arrive at that stop. [10]

Since Go South Coast has taken over, they have introduced new ways to buy tickets. Contactless payments have been introduced, [11] and in 2018, the Clickit2ride app was made available, [12] in common with the rest of Go South Coast. The app can be used to purchase time-defined tickets, [13] but not single or return tickets. The app produces a QR code, which is scanned by the bus's ticket machine..

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport for London</span> English transport authority

Transport for London (TfL) is a local government body responsible for most of the transport network in London, United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dublin Bus</span> Public transport operator in Greater Dublin, Ireland

Dublin Bus is an Irish state-owned bus operator providing services in Dublin. By far the largest bus operator in the city, it carried 145 million passengers in 2023. It is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oyster card</span> Payment method for public transport in London

The Oyster card is a payment method for public transport in London, England, United Kingdom. A standard Oyster card is a blue credit-card-sized stored-value contactless smart card. It is promoted by Transport for London (TfL) and can be used on as part of London's integrated transport network on travel modes including London Buses, London Underground, the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), London Overground, Tramlink, some river boat services, and most National Rail services within the London fare zones. Since its introduction in June 2003, more than 86 million cards have been used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adelaide Metro</span> Public transport system around Adelaide, Australia

Adelaide Metro is the public transport system of the Adelaide area, around the capital city of South Australia. It is an intermodal system offering an integrated network of bus, tram, and train services throughout the metropolitan area. The network has an annual patronage of 79.9 million, of which 51 million journeys are by bus, 15.6 million by train, and 9.4 million by tram. The system has evolved heavily over the past fifteen years, and patronage increased dramatically during the 2014–15 period, a 5.5 percent increase on the 2013 figures due to electrification of frequented lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Buses</span> Transport for London subsidiary for bus services

London Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London (TfL) that manages most bus services in London, England. It was formed following the Greater London Authority Act 1999 that transferred control of London Regional Transport (LRT) bus services to TfL, controlled by the Mayor of London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardiff Bus</span> Municipal bus operator in Cardiff, Wales

Cardiff Bus is the main operator of bus services in Cardiff, Wales and the surrounding area, including Barry and Penarth. The company is wholly owned by Cardiff Council and is one of the few municipal bus companies to remain in council ownership. Unlike municipal bus companies elsewhere in Britain, Cardiff Bus is unique in that it is directly managed by Councillors who sit on its Board, rather than as an Arms Length Organisation as other municipal bus companies in Great Britain are run.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brighton & Hove (bus company)</span> Bus operator in Brighton and surrounding areas

Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company Limited, trading as Brighton & Hove, is a bus company operating most bus services in the city of Brighton and Hove in southern England. It is a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lothian Buses</span> Municipal bus operator in Edinburgh and the Lothians

Lothian Buses is a major bus operator based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is the largest municipal bus company in the United Kingdom: the City of Edinburgh Council owns 91%, Midlothian Council 5%, East Lothian Council 3% and West Lothian Council 1%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Vectis</span> British bus operator on the Isle of Wight, England

Southern Vectis is a bus operator on the Isle of Wight, founded in 1921 as Dodson and Campbell. It became the Vectis Bus Company in 1923. The company was purchased by Southern Railway before being nationalised in 1969. In 1987, the company was re-privatised, and in July 2005, it became a subsidiary of Go-Ahead Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plymouth Citybus</span> Bus operator in Plymouth, England

Plymouth Citybus is a bus operator in Plymouth. It is a subsidiary of the Go South West sector of the Go-Ahead Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myki</span> Public transport ticketing system in Victoria, Australia

Myki, stylised as myki, is a reloadable credit card-sized contactless smart card ticketing system used for electronic payment of fares on most public transport services in Melbourne and regional Victoria, Australia. Myki replaced the Metcard ticketing system and became fully operational at the end of 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bluestar (bus company)</span> Bus company in Southampton, England

Solent Blue Line Limited, trading under the name Bluestar, is a bus operator providing services in Southampton and the surrounding areas of Hampshire. It is a subsidiary of the Go South Coast sector of the Go-Ahead Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metro Tasmania</span> Tasmanian government bus operator

Metro Tasmania, commonly called Metro, a Tasmanian Government business enterprise, is the largest bus operator in the state of Tasmania, Australia, with operations in three of the four largest urban centres of Hobart, Launceston, and Burnie. Urban services in Devonport are provided by a private operator, Kinetic. Services are provided by Metro under a range of urban and non-urban contracts with the Transport Commission, a division within the Department of State Growth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buses in Swindon</span>

Buses in Swindon have been the major method of public transport in the region since the beginning of the 20th century. Introduced in 1927 and replacing the tram system in 1929, the area is now served by numerous operators.

Go South Coast is a bus operator on the south coast of England. It is a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group. All services under the company come under its operating certificate, however the buses run under a multitude of brands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bus Vannin</span> Bus service on the Isle of Man

Bus Vannin - styled as bus vannin - is the government-owned and operated bus service on the Isle of Man. The name was adopted in June 2009 to replace Isle of Man Transport. The company was founded on 1 October 1976, as National Transport, which was an amalgamation of two other operating companies.

metroCARD Public transit payment system used in Adelaide

MetroCARD is a contactless smartcard ticketing system for public transport services in the Adelaide city and suburbs in South Australia. The system is managed by Adelaide Metro and is usable on their bus, train and tram services.

Contactless smartcards are being progressively introduced to replace paper ticketing on the buses of Great Britain. The ITSO standard has been developed as a national standard to cover all types of public transport. It is also the format that ENCTS concessionary passes are required to be issued in. The contactless payment function of EMV credit and debit cards is also widely supported across the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ticketer</span> Bus ticket machine manufacturer

Ticketer is the brand name for a range of electronic ticket machines provided by British company Corvia Ltd, primarily for usage on buses. The cloud-based system, first marketed on a small scale in 2008, has since developed into a rival to the three major ticket issuing systems used by bus companies throughout Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport for Cornwall</span> Organisation responsible for overseeing the public transport network in Cornwall, England

Transport for Cornwall is a partnership between local government and transport operators responsible for the development and integration of the transport network in Cornwall, England.

References

  1. "Fresh new look unveiled for Thamesdown…Swindon's bus company". Thamesdown Buses. 28 April 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  2. About Us Archived 14 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine Thamesdown Transport
  3. Companies House extract company no 1997617 Thamesdown Transport Limited
  4. Swindon council sell loss-making Thamesdown Transport bus firm BBC News 3 February 2017
  5. New managing director of Thamesdown Transport named after Go-Ahead takeover Swindon Advertiser 4 February 2017
  6. 1 2 "Thamesdown Transport sold to Go South Coast". Bus and Coach. 10 February 2017. Archived from the original on 19 February 2017 via Internet Archive.
  7. "Fresh new look unveiled for Thamesdown…Swindon's bus company". Thamesdown Transport. 28 April 2017. Archived from the original on 21 June 2017.
  8. Lyndsay Scanlan. "Just the exact change please". Swindon Advertiser. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 9 January 2007.
  9. S Watson. "Expensive and inconvenient as well". thisiswiltshire.co.uk. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 9 January 2007.
  10. "Text and Go". Thamesdown Transport. Archived from the original on 4 May 2007. Retrieved 9 January 2007.
  11. "Thamesdown Transport goes contactless". Swindon Advertiser. 15 June 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  12. "Now you can buy your bus tickets using a phone app". Swindon Advertiser. 15 May 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  13. "Introducing a new way to pay". Swindon's bus company. Archived from the original on 3 March 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2019.