Eastbourne Buses

Eastbourne Buses was a bus operator running within the Borough of Eastbourne and into the surrounding area, including Pevensey, Hailsham, Tunbridge Wells, Uckfield, and East Grinstead, with a fleet of around 50 vehicles. Eastbourne Buses was sold to the Stagecoach Group on 18 December 2008 for £3.7 million, beating Go-Ahead to the ownership.

MCV Evolution bodied MAN 14.220 in 2008
ParentEastbourne Borough Council (80%)
Keolis (20%)
Founded1903
Defunct2008
HeadquartersBirch Road
LocaleBorough of Eastbourne
Service areaEastbourne, Hailsham, Tunbridge Wells, Uckfield, East Grinstead
Service typebus service
Routes10
Fleet61
WebsiteEastbourne Buses website

History
The previous Eastbourne Buses logo
Optare Spectra bodied DAF DB250 at Showbus 2004

Formed in April 1903, Eastbourne Buses claimed to be the first and oldest municipally owned motor bus operator in the world; the first bus service operated between Eastbourne railway station and Old Town.

In 2007, the company was fined over £25,000 for two accidents involving employees, one of which was fatal.[1]

At the beginning of 2008, the traffic commissioner fined the company for failing to run services on time.[2]

In June 2008, it was reported that Eastbourne Borough Council intended to sell its 80% majority shareholding in the company.[3]

Sale to Stagecoach

In early November 2008, local press reports had indicated that the company was to be sold by the end of the year to either the Go-Ahead Group or Stagecoach Group. The employees' trade union, Unite, wrote to Eastbourne Borough Council to ask the Council to sell to the Go-Ahead Group, because of work conditions and a superior fleet.[4]

On 25 November 2008, it was announced that Stagecoach was the preferred bidder. On 18 December 2008, Stagecoach took control of the Birch Road Depot.[5]

It is not the first time Stagecoach have run services in Eastbourne. They had run services until late in 2000 before they were withdrawn. They still operate services to Hastings and Bexhill from Eastbourne.

The sale has caused considerable controversy, with MPs criticising the secrecy surrounding the sale[6] and blaming each other's parties for the state the Eastbourne Buses got into, the Liberal Democrats claiming the Conservatives "failed to support Eastbourne Buses".[7]

There was also criticism of the low sale price for the company – revealed at £3.7 million, lower than the original report of 4 - and criticism of Stagecoach, one MP saying that the company has effectively been "given away for nothing".[8] However, it was revealed that Go-Ahead had bid much lower at £2.85 million, so the council was forced to sell to Stagecoach, despite the union's calls.[7]

In April 2007 the company nearly had to close as it was unable to pay for fuel.[7] At that stage it was inevitable that the company would soon have to be sold.

In January 2009, rival company Cavendish Motor Services was also bought by the Stagecoach Group, making both companies one.

The Eastbourne Buses name was discontinued on 8 March 2009, with operations rebranded as Stagecoach in Eastbourne, which is now under the East Sussex operations of Stagecoach UK Bus.

Fleet

The Eastbourne bus fleet comprised a number of different vehicle types, of both older and new vehicles. Twelve new vehicles joined the fleet in January 2009 as part of the Stagecoach takeover, the majority of which were Alexander Dennis Enviro300s.

Fleet before takeover:

Single decker
Double decker

See also

References
  1. "Family mourns killed bus driver". BBC News. 5 September 2006. Retrieved 20 June 2008.
  2. "Bus firm fined for late services". BBC News. 7 January 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2008.
  3. "Speculation on Eastbourne Buses future". Bus & Coach Professional. 19 June 2008. Archived from the original on 29 December 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2008.
  4. "Bus firm is close to being sold". Eastbourne Today. 6 November 2008. Archived from the original on 20 June 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
  5. "Eastbourne Buses was sold for £4million". Eastbourne Today. 27 November 2008. Retrieved 29 November 2008.
  6. "MP blasts 'cloak of secrecy' over sale of bus company". Eastbourne Today. 20 November 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
  7. "How bus company almost went bust". Eastbourne Today. 24 December 2008. Archived from the original on 28 December 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
  8. "MP slams bus sale". Eastbourne Today. 24 December 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
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