 A Yorkshire Rider MCW Metrobus in Leeds in August 1993 | |
| Founded | September 1986 |
|---|---|
| Ceased operation | September 1995 |
| Headquarters | Leeds |
| Service area | West Yorkshire |
Yorkshire Rider was a bus company operating in West Yorkshire, England. The company was formed in 1986 out of the bus operations of the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive. It was later bought by the Badgerline Group, who would later become the FirstGroup, and the company trades today as First West Yorkshire.
To comply with the Transport Act 1985, the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive formed an arms length company named Yorkshire Rider in September 1986. [1] [2] West Yorkshire PTE's 'Metrobus' services were transferred to Yorkshire Rider upon the deregulation of West Yorkshire bus services on 26 October 1986. [3]
On 21 October 1988, Yorkshire Rider was privatised for £20 million (equivalent to £62,345,000in 2021). 51% of shares in the company were sold by West Yorkshire PTE to a team of eight managers in a management buyout, while the remaining 49% were sold to Yorkshire Rider's 3,500 employees in an Employee Share Ownership Plan, the largest such arrangement in the United Kingdom at the time. [4] [5]
After having previously been denied permission to purchase the former National Bus Company subsidiary upon its privatisation in 1987, [6] Yorkshire Rider would go on to purchase the operations of the West Yorkshire Road Car Company from the AJS Group in July 1989, [7] [8] [9] briefly maintaining West Yorkshire as a separate brand of Yorkshire Rider's operations before largely dissolving West Yorkshire amid cost-cutting measures in April 1990, resulting in 89 job losses and 26 buses being withdrawn from the fleet. [10] Yorkshire Rider was also awarded a contract to operate the proposed Bradford trolleybus system in 1989, [11] although ultimately, the project would be cancelled.[ citation needed ] Yorkshire Rider would later complete its purchase of the remaining AJS Group bus companies in August 1990, purchasing York bus operators Target Travel and York City & District as well as independent operator Reynard Buses, [12] merging the operations of these companies to form the subsidiary company Rider York.
On 15 April 1994, Yorkshire Rider was purchased by the Badgerline Group for £38 million (equivalent to £80,408,000in 2021). [9] [13] [14] The company was included in the merger of Badgerline with the GRT Group on 16 June 1995 to form FirstBus, later renamed to FirstGroup. [15] [16]
In September 1995, Yorkshire Rider was made defunct by the FirstGroup and split into separate divisions: [17] [ better source needed ]
In February 1998, all were renamed as First Bradford, First Calderdale, First Huddersfield and First Leeds as part of the rollout of the FirstGroup brand. [19] [ better source needed ] Today, these operate under First West Yorkshire, with Rider York also rebranded to First York.
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The company's central engineering works in Kirkstall, as well as a bus depot in Headingley, were both closed for redevelopment in July 1992. [20] An arson attack at the company's Torre Road depot in Burmantofts would cause £2 million (equivalent to £4,090,000in 2021) in fire damage, which included the destruction of thirteen double-decker buses stored at the depot overnight. [21] [22]
The Yorkshire Rider Social Club still exists in Leeds but no longer has a formal connection with any bus operator and does not receive any financial subsidy. It is one of the few remaining buildings where the Yorkshire Rider logo is still on display. [23]
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and Derbyshire to the south, Greater Manchester to the south-west, and Lancashire to the west. The city of Leeds is the largest settlement.
Transdev Blazefield is a bus group, which operates local and regional bus services across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, England. Formed in August 1991, the group has been a subsidiary of French-based operator Transdev since January 2006.
Metro is the passenger information brand used by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority in England. It was formed on 1 April 1974 as the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (WYPTE), at the same time as the metropolitan county of West Yorkshire. The Metro brand has been used from the outset and, since the formal abolition of the WYPTE on 1 April 2014, it has remained the brand name of public transport in the region, overseen by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which is also responsible for the delivery of transport policies.
East Yorkshire operates both local and regional bus services in the East Riding of Yorkshire and North Yorkshire, England. Prior to acquisition by the Go-Ahead Group in June 2018, the company was known as East Yorkshire Motor Services.
Stagecoach Lincolnshire is a bus company, formerly known as Lincolnshire RoadCar, which runs services throughout Lincolnshire.
Huddersfield railway station serves the town of Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England.
Badgerline was a bus operator in and around Bristol from 1985 until 2003. Its headquarters were in Weston-super-Mare. Initially a part of the Bristol Omnibus Company, it was privatised in September 1986 and sold to Badgerline Holdings in a management buyout. It went on to purchase a number of bus companies in England and Wales. In November 1993, Badgerline Group was listed on the stock exchange and, on 16 June 1995, it merged with the GRT Group to form FirstBus.
Arriva Yorkshire is a major bus operator providing services primarily within and across West Yorkshire, although it also provides service in some parts of South Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire and southern areas of North Yorkshire. It is a subsidiary of Arriva UK Bus.
First York operates local bus services, with a network centring around the cathedral city of York, North Yorkshire, England. It is a subsidiary of FirstGroup, which operates bus, rail and tram services across the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Stagecoach Yorkshire is an operating division of Stagecoach Group.
First Eastern Counties is a bus operator providing services in Norfolk and Suffolk in eastern England. It is a subsidiary of FirstGroup and has five depots in operating areas spread out across East Anglia. These areas are Norwich, Ipswich, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft and King's Lynn.
Yorkshire Coastliner is a bus company that operates both local and regional bus services in North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, England. It is a subsidiary of Transdev Blazefield.
The Keighley Bus Company operates both local and regional bus services in West Yorkshire, England. It is a subsidiary of Transdev Blazefield.
The Harrogate Bus Company operates both local and regional bus services in North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, England. It is a subsidiary of Transdev Blazefield.
First West Yorkshire operates both local and regional bus services in West Yorkshire, England. It is a subsidiary of the FirstGroup, and is made up of three sub-division brands: First Bradford, First Halifax, Calder Valley & Huddersfield and First Leeds.
Ribble Motor Services was a large regional bus operator in North West England based in Preston.
The Passenger Transport Executive (PTE) bus operations were the bus operating divisions of the passenger transport executives in the United Kingdom. In 1986 they underwent a process of deregulation and privatisation, forming some of the largest private bus companies in the UK outside London, with all being sold to their employees or management. Despite their relative size and lucrative operating areas, none of the companies survived beyond the late 1990s, with all falling into the hands of the major bus groups, who had their origins in privatised regional subsidiaries of the former National Bus Company and the Scottish Bus Group.
Team Pennine operates both local and regional bus services in West Yorkshire, England. It is a subsidiary of Transdev Blazefield, which operates bus services across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.
Leeds City bus station serves the city of Leeds, England. Owned and managed by West Yorkshire Metro, it is situated between the Quarry Hill and Leeds Kirkgate Markets areas of Leeds city centre. The National Express Dyer Street Coach Station adjoins the bus station.
Keighley bus station serves the town of Keighley, West Yorkshire, England. The bus station is owned and managed by Metro.
Media related to Yorkshire Rider (bus company) at Wikimedia Commons
