Bath Bus Company
Bath Bus Company[1] is an English open top bus operator operating in Bath and Cardiff. It is a subsidiary of the RATP Group.
Unvi Urbis-bodied Volvo B9TL tour bus in The Circus, Bath in 2015 | |
Parent | RATP Group |
---|---|
Founded | 1997 |
Headquarters | Bath |
Service area | Bath Cardiff |
Service type | Bus services Open top bus tours |
Depots | 2 |
Fleet | 36 (October 2014) |
Chief executive | Martin Curtis |
Website | www.bathbuscompany.com |
History
Bath Bus Company was formed in May 1997 by Martin Curtis and three other former Badgerline managers. It commenced operating open top tours in Bath with Bristol VRTs and an AEC Routemaster. It diversified into the operation of tendered services. In 1999, Bath Bus Company became a City Sightseeing franchisee.[2]
In June 2004, the business was purchased by Ensignbus, who transferred its existing City Sightseeing operations in Cardiff, Eastbourne and Windsor to become part of Bath Bus Company.[3][4] In February 2011, the business was purchased by the RATP Group.[2][5][6]
On 21 November 2014, the company began a service between Bristol and Bath using the country's first bus powered entirely by human and food waste. The biomethane gas is generated at Bristol sewage treatment works in Avonmouth, which is run by GENeco, a subsidiary of Wessex Water.[7]
Services
As well as open top bus tours in Bath, Cardiff and Windsor, Bath Bus Company operates a service from Bath to Bristol Airport branded as Air Decker.[8]
Fleet
As at October 2014, the fleet consisted of 36 buses.[2]
References
- Companies House extract company no 329006 Bath Bus Company Limited
- "In Focus: Bath Bus Company" Buses issue 716 November 2014 page 81
- Martin Curtis: Top draw sightseeing in Bath Bus & Coach Professional 30 August 2006
- The History of Ensignbus Ensignbus
- Tour de France: city bus firm bought by European business Archived 18 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine Bath Chronicle 2 March 2011
- RATP Dev announces the acquisition of the Original Tour Archived 12 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine RATP Group 11 September 2014
- "UK's first 'poo bus' goes into service between Bristol and Bath". BBC News. 21 November 2014.
- "Airport Service". Archived from the original on 16 October 2014.
External links
Media related to Bath Bus Company at Wikimedia Commons - Official website