Stagecoach in Preston




























































Stagecoach in Preston

Stagecoach bus 28514 Scania N94 East Lancs Esteem PO56 JDJ 27 April 2009.jpg
A Stagecoach in Preston East Lancs Esteem

Slogan Preston Citi - "City Travel, Made Easy", Preston Citi - "City Life, Citi Travel"
Parent Stagecoach Group
Founded 2009
Defunct 19 January 2011 (Rotala)
Headquarters
Preston/Carlisle
Service area Lancashire
Service type Bus services
Destinations
Preston, Southport, Blackpool, Wigan
Depots Deepdale Rd, Deepdale, Preston and Selbourne St, Preston
Fleet 221
Operator Stagecoach North West
Website
www.prestonbus.co.uk
www.stagecoachbus.com/northwest

Stagecoach in Preston was a network of bus routes running within the city of Preston, Lancashire and into the surrounding area. It was founded in 2009 after Stagecoach Group acquired Preston Bus that was founded in 1904. The company operated from the main depot on Deepdale Road and their other depot on Selbourne Street.




Contents






  • 1 History


  • 2 Routes


    • 2.1 Preston park and ride


    • 2.2 School services


    • 2.3 Brands




  • 3 Depots


  • 4 Fleet


    • 4.1 At Stagecoach Takeover


    • 4.2 When sold to Rotala


    • 4.3 Easy Access Bus




  • 5 See also


  • 6 References


  • 7 External links





History


Preston Bus was founded in 1904 as Preston District Travel, and as was bought from the local authority by its employees in 1993 as part of deregulation. It became a limited company.


In 2006, Stagecoach North West set up various services using a fleet of new & old Optare Solos, Dennis Enviro 400s and new & old Dennis Dart SLFs in order to compete with Preston Bus. They were branded as "Preston Citi" Competition grew into a bus war.[1] Stagecoach offered lower fares on the busiest routes.[2]


Both companies accused each other of unprofessional behaviour, with some Stagecoach drivers reported to have thrown eggs at Preston Buses.[3]


On 10 June 2008, both companies were agreed to a code of practice by the traffic commissioner.[4] Competition continued, Stagecoach operating routes within Preston and Preston Bus operating a route between Preston and Penwortham.


On 30 December 2008, it was announced that Stagecoach had approached Preston Bus to negotiate a possible sale. This was agreed and on 23 January 2009 Stagecoach North West purchased Preston Bus for £10.4 million.[5] From March 2009, the combined network of routes was rebranded as Stagecoach in Preston.


On 28 May 2009, the Office of Fair Trading announced that it was referring the purchase of Preston Bus by Stagecoach to the Competition Commission.[6] Their provisional findings are that the purchase has reduced competition and may potentially harm the interests of passengers. Possible remedies may involve the sale of part or all of the business, measures to encourage new entry by other operators, as well as controls on fares and requirements to maintain service levels. The final report is due by 12 November 2009.[7]


On 12 November 2009 The Competition Commission submitted that Stagecoach would have to sell a "reconfigured" (i.e. profit making) Preston Bus. Stagecoach has some freedom over what it sells, although it must be approved by the Competition Commission.


Stagecoach appealed to the Competition Appeals Tribunal, stating that the Competition Commission's decision was "perverse and irrational" and that the Commission had committed an error in law with its use of the counterfactual argument and handling of Stagecoach's responses.


When the Competition Appeals Tribuneral announced their verdict, Stagecoach began actively looking for a buyer. The result was that Stagecoach retained route 11. Thing reverted to how they were before the takeover; with services transeferring between Stagecoach and Preston Bus. Service 7 was withdrawn, and service 4 revised among other changes. Services 19, 22 & 8 reverted from giving Change to fast fare. The 19-22 system has been replaced by the original system operated by Preston Bus, and smaller buses are now used on the 19.


From the moment the Competition Commission announced it was investigating, Stagecoach stopped repainting buses out of Preston Bus livery. Some of those that were painted in Stagecoach colours were later returned to Preston Bus livery before the sale.


The brand, Stagecoach in Preston, is only now seen on repainted Leyland Olympians, which new owners Rotala are planning to withdraw soon.



Routes


Below are the routes operated by Stagecoach in Preston in March 2010:




































































































































































































































































































































































































No.
From
To
Via
Fast Fare/Gives Change

Handicapped/disabled access
Main Bus(es) Used
Main Frequency
Notes
citi 1
Preston Bus Station Stand 69
Longridge Post Office
Ribbleton Avenue, Grimsargh
Gives Change

Yes check.svg
Alexander Dennis Enviro 400, Dennis Trident/ALX400
10 minutes
run alongside service 11 in time providing 5 minute freq. till Grange
citi 2
Preston Bus Station Stand 61
Southport
Hutton, Longton, Tarleton, Hesketh Bank
Gives Change

Yes check.svg
Alexander Dennis Enviro 400, Dennis Trident/ALX 400
2 per hour Preston to Hesketh Bank, 1 per hour continuing to Southport.

citi 2A
Preston Bus Station Stand 61
Ormskirk Bus Station
Hutton, Longton, Tarleton, Burscough
Gives Change

Yes check.svg
Alexander Dennis Enviro 400, Dennis Trident/ALX 400
1 per hour
Runs alongside 2 providing 20 minute frequency between Preston & Tarleton
2B
Preston Bus Station Stand 61
Ormskirk Bus Station Stand 6
New Longton, Longton, Tarleton, Burscough
Gives Change

Yes check.svg
Optare Solo
1 hour
Subsidised by Lancs County Council
citi 3
Preston Bus Station Stand 65
Penwortham
Cop Lane
Gives Change

Yes check.svg
Optare Esteem, Dennis Dart SLF/Pointer, Optare Versa, MAN 18.220
7/8 minutes

citi 3A
Preston Bus Station Stand 63
Penwortham Clive Road
Broadgate, Hill Road South, Central Drive
Fast Fare

Yes check.svg
Optare Solo
1 hour
Subsidised By Lancs County Council.
citi 3B
Preston Bus Station Stand 63
Longton
Broadgate, Hill Road South, Whitestake, New Longton
Fast Fare

Yes check.svg
Optare Solo
1 hour
Subs. by LCC. Run alongside 3A to provide 30 min freq. till Hill Road South.
4
Preston Bus Station Stand 12
Chipping
Garstang Rd, Watling St Rd, Royal Preston Hospital, Wychnor, Woodplumpton, Whittingham, Longridge Post Office
Gives Change

Yes check.svg
Optare Solo
1 hour
Network Ribble Valley. Subsidised by Lancashire County Council
citi 7
Preston Bus Station Stand 16
Brookfield
Garstang Road, Watling Street Road
Fast Fare

X mark.svg
Optare Solo, Leyland Olympian
15 minutes
Easy access buses aren't used only 4 specified times a day.

Bus 7


citi 8
Preston Bus Station Stand 73
Moor Nook
Ribbleton Avenue
Fast Fare

Yes check.svg
Optare Solo
10 minutes

citi 9
Preston Bus Station Stand 74
Moor Nook
New Hall Lane, Miller Road
Gives Change

Yes check.svg
Optare Esteem, Dennis Dart SLF/Pointer, Dennis Dart SLF/Capital, Dennis Dart SLF/Spryte, MAN 18.220
10 minutes
Run alongside service 8 in time providing service to Moor Nook 5 min freq
citi 11
Preston Bus Station Stand 71
Gamull Lane
Ribbleton Avenue, Grange Estate
Fast Fare

Yes check.svg
Dennis Trident/Lolyne, Optare Esteem, Scania Omnidekka, Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 (full)
10 minutes
run alongside service 1 in time providing 5 min freq. till Gamull Lane
citi 14
Preston Bus Station Stand 18
Fairfax Road
St Paul's Road, St George's Road, St Gregory's Road, Holme Slack
Fast Fare

Yes check.svg
Optare Solo
15 minutes

citi 16
Preston Bus Station Stand 75
Farringdon Park
New Hall Lane
Fast Fare

Yes check.svg
Optare Esteem, Dennis Trident/ALX 400, Dennis Dart SLF, Alexander Dennis Enviro 400, MAN 18.220
10 minutes

citi 19
Preston Bus Station Stand 19
Royal Preston Hospital Hospital Turning Circle
Deepdale Road, Watling Street Road
Fast Fare

Yes check.svg
Optare Esteem, Dennis Dart SLF/Pointer, Dennis Dart SLF/Capital, Dennis Dart SLF/Spryte, Alexander Dennis Enviro 400, Dennis Trident/ALX 400, Optare Versa, MAN 18.220
10 minutes
Continues as service 22 to Preston City Centre

Bus 19


citi 19A
Preston Bus Station Stand 21
Royal Preston Hospital Main Entrance
Deepdale Road, Watling Street Road, Sharoe Green Lane, Hospital Turning Circle, Broadwood Drive Estate
Fast Fare

Yes check.svg
Optare Solo
10 minutes
Run alongside 19 to provide service to RPH via Watling St Rd every 5 minutes
citi 22
Preston Bus Station Stand 22
Royal Preston Hospital Main Entrance
Adelphi Street, Plunington Road, Black Bull Lane
Fast Fare

Yes check.svg
Optare Esteem, Dennis Dart SLF/Pointer, Dennis Dart SLF/Capital, Dennis Dart SLF/Spryte, Alexander Dennis Enviro 400, Dennis Trident/ALX 400, Optare Versa, MAN 18.220
10 minutes
Continues as service 19 to Preston City Centre
citi 23
Preston Bus Station Stand 23
Fulwood Asda
Adelphi Street, Plunington Road, Black Bull Lane, Royal Preston Hospital "Turning Circle", Sherwood
Fast Fare

Yes check.svg
Dennis Trident/Lolyne, Scania Omnidekka
10 minutes
Run alongside 22 to provide service to RPH via Plungington Rd every 5 minutes
citi 29
citi 29A
Preston Bus Station Stand 58
Frenchwood
London Road (29) or Manchester Road (29A)
Fast Fare

Yes check.svg
Optare Solo
30 minutes
Subsidised by Lancashire County Council
citi 31
Preston Bus Station Stand 33
Savick
Brook Street, Eldon Street, Lane Ends
Fast Fare

Yes check.svg
Optare Solo
15 minutes

citi 35
Preston Bus Station Stand 33
Tanterton
Fylde Road, Lane Ends, Tag Lane
Fast Fare

Yes check.svg
Dennis Trident/Lolyne, Scania Omnidekka
7/8 minutes

citi 44
Preston Bus Station Stand 35
Ingol Dunbar Road
Plungington Road, Eldon Street, Lane Ends, Tag Lane, Redcar Avenue
Fast Fare

Yes check.svg
Optare Solo
15 minutes

61
Preston Bus Station Stand 66
Blackpool Talbot Road T6
Lane Ends, Blackpool Road, Lea, Kirkham
Gives Change

Yes check.svg
Dennis Trident/Lolyne, Dennis Trident/ALX 400
30 minutes

Coastliner 68
Preston Bus Station Stand 68
Blackpool Talbot Road T6
Tulketh Road, Blackpool Road, Lea, Freckleton, Warton, Lytham, St Annes
Gives Change

Yes check.svg
Dennis Trident/ALX 400, Dennis Trident/Lolyne, Optare Esteem
15 minutes

citi 81
Preston Bus Station Stand 56
Conway Drive
Lane Ends, Mill Lane
Gives Change

Yes check.svg
Optare Solo
1 hour
Subsidised by Lancashire County Council
citi 87
Preston Bus Station Stand 25
Lea Dodney Drive
Lane Ends, Blackpool Road, Larches Avenue
Fast Fare

X mark.svg
Optare Solo
30 minutes
Non- Easy Access Buses rarely used.
Orbit 88A
Preston Bus Station Stand 17
Preston Bus Station Stand 17
Deepdale Road, Brookfield, Blue Bell Way, Fulwood Asda, Sherwood Way, Royal Preston Hospital, Cadley Causeway, Tag Lane, Cottam, Larches, Mariners Way
Fast Fare

Yes check.svg
Optare Solo
15 minutes
Preston orbit anti-clockwise
Orbit 88C
Preston Bus Station Stand 27
Preston Bus Station Stand 27
Mariners Way, Larches, Cottam, Tag Lane, Cadley Causeway, Royal Preston Hospital, Sherwood Way, Fulwood Asda, Blue Bell Way, Brookfield, Deepdale Road
Fast Fare

Yes check.svg
Optare Solo
15 minutes
Preston orbit clockwise

Bus 88C


citi 89
Preston Bus Station Stand 25
Lea Dodney Drive
Mariners Way, Pedders Lane, Blackpool Road, Larches Avenue
Fast Fare

X mark.svg
Leyland Olympian, Optare Solo
30 minutes
Easy Access Buses (the Solos) used 30% of the time
113
Preston Bus Station Stand 59
Wigan Bus Station
Bamber Bridge, Lostock Hall, Farington, Leyland, Eccleston, Standish
Gives Change

Yes check.svg
Optare Solo
1 hour
Subsidised by Lancashire County Council, Sundays don't operate from Preston, so subsidised by GMPTE.
Boomerang 150
151
Preston Bus Station Stand 6
Bamber Bridge
Higher Walton, Gregson Lane
Gives Change

Yes check.svg
Optare Solo
30 minutes
Evening and Sunday journeys subsidised by Lancashire County Council
X2
Preston Bus Station Stand 63
Liverpool Queen Square
A59, Tarleton, Southport, Formby, Bootle
Gives Change

Yes check.svg
Scania E400/Alexander Dennis Enviro 400
30 minutes
Listed as Best UK Express Bus Service 2009
X59
Preston Bus Station Stand 11
Blackburn Bus Station L
Samlesbury, Mellor Brook, Beardwood
Gives Change

X mark.svg
Volvo Olympian, Coaches, Optare Solo
1 hour
Also branded as Stagecoach Express, Optare Solos used during evenings.
X61
Blackpool Talbot Rd T6
Manchester Shudehill Interchange
(M55)-Kirkham, Preston Bus Station Stand 11, Frenchwood (M65,M61) - Chorley, Horwich (M61) Salford
Gives Change

X mark.svg
Scania E400/Alexander Dennis Enviro 400, Alexander Dennis Enviro 400, Volvo Olympian, Coaches
Every hour until 4pm.
Also branded as Stagecoach Express, Easy Access buses used 50% of the time.


Preston park and ride



All park and ride buses are Easy Access
Services 1 & 2 primarily use Optare Solo SRs, Optare Solos are additionally used at peak periods. The Orbits are 88A & 88C and therefore use Optare Solos.































No.
From
To
Fast Fare/Gives Change
Notes
1
Preston
Portway
Gives Change

2
Preston
Walton-le-Dale
Gives Change

orbits
Preston
Bluebell Way
Fast Fare



School services


Stagecoach in Preston also provided school buses to secondary school and colleges in Preston and the Wyre, running as far as Cabus and Garstang to the north, Accrington to the east, Chorley to the south and Blackpool to the west.



Brands


Preston citi logo.png


Stagecoach in Preston has 6 different brands for services.











Preston Citi - 1, 2, 3, 3A, 3B, 7, 8, 9, 11, 14, 16, 19, 19A, 22, 23, 29, 31, 35, 44, 81, 87 and 89.
Preston Orbit - 88A, 88C
Fylde Coastliner - 61, 68.
Stagecoach Express - X61
Boomerang - 150, 151
Route 113 - 113
X2 - X2
Park & Ride - 1 Portway, 2 Walton-le-Dale, Orbit serves Bluebell Way
Others - 2B, X59


Depots


Stagecoach in Preston use two depots.


The main one is the one previously owned by Preston Bus, on Deepdale Road. This can hold over 150 buses and holds all buses in Preston Bus Livery, Citi Livery and Stagecoach in Preston livery.


The other smaller one is on Selbourne Street. This holds buses in the liveries of Fylde Coastliner, Network Ribble Valley, 113, those still in Stagecoach in Lancashire and Boomerang Livery. It is also where the outstations at Fleetwood and Clitheroe report to. This was previously owned by Stagecoach in Lancashire, and before that Ribble Motor Services. Before 2005 this had been rated as one of the worst Stagecoach depots in the UK for timekeeping, because at the time it mainly relied on interurbans.[citation needed]



Fleet



At Stagecoach Takeover


The Preston Bus fleet was originally all double deckers, but latterly the company moved to single deckers and midibuses, with the most common vehicle as of 2008 being the Optare Solo midibus.


When Stagecoach took over Preston Bus in 2009, the fleet comprised



  • 47 Optare Solo midibuses bought between 2001 & 2009.

  • 8 Optare Solo SR midibuses with leather seats and television screens bought in 2008 for Park & Ride services.

  • 6 Optare MetroRiders dating from 1997.

  • 4 Leyland Lynx bought between 1989 and 1991.

  • 12 Scania large single-deckers/Optare Esteem bought between 2006 and 2007.

  • 1 DAF SB220/Optare Delta Driver Trainer

  • 27 Leyland Olympian double deckers, one new in 1984, the others bought between 1989 and 1992, except for ten examples purchased from Lothian Buses in 2003.

  • 18 Dennis Trident 2/East Lancs Lolyne double deckers, bought between 1999 and 2000.

  • 2 Scania N94UD OmniDekka, bought in 2006.



When sold to Rotala


When Preston Bus was sold to Rotala in January 2011, the fleet comprised:



  • 34 Optare Solo midibuses bought between 2001 and 2009.

  • 8 Optare Solo SR midibuses with leather seats and television screens bought in 2008 for Park & Ride services. All in Preston Park & Ride livery.

  • 1 Leyland Lynx

  • 10 Scania large single-deckers/Optare Esteem bought between 2006 and 2007.

  • 1 DAF SB220/Optare Delta Driver Trainer

  • 13 Leyland Olympian

  • 18 Dennis Trident 2/East Lancs Lolyne double deckers, bought between 1999 and 2000.

  • 2 Scania N94UD OmniDekka, bought in 2006.



Easy Access Bus


The majority of buses in the Stagecoach in Preston fleet are Easy Accessible. Optare Solos, Dennis Tridents, Optare Esteems, Optare Solo SRs, Optare Versas, MANs, Enviro 400s, and Dennis Dart SLFs are all Easy Access. Services 2, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 8, 9, 11, 14, 16, 19, 19A, 22, 23, 29, 35, 44, 68, 81, Orbits, 113, 150, 151, and X2 are all completely Easy Access. All the others except service 89 are often Easy Access. Service 7 has specified times that aren't Easy access, four times a day.[8]



See also


  • List of bus operators of the United Kingdom


References





  1. ^ How Preston's bus wars have been fought - Lancashire Evening Post


  2. ^ Bus giant accused of 'dirty tactics' - Lancashire Evening Post


  3. ^ Legal loophole delay for egg-throwing drivers - Lancashire Evening Post


  4. ^ Preston bus and Stagecoach agree a code of conduct - Preston Bus Archived 9 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine.


  5. ^ We were forced to sell - Lancashire Evening Post


  6. ^ "OFT refers Stagecoach's Preston Bus acquisition to Competition Commission" (Press release). Retrieved 2009-06-05..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}


  7. ^ "Preston Bus merger has reduced competition" (PDF) (Press release). Retrieved 2009-09-03.


  8. ^ Stagecoach Northwest




External links






  • Preston Bus website










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