Munro's of Jedburgh

Munro's of Jedburgh was a bus operating company, based in the town of Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders. They operated a number of local services, mainly in and around the Scottish Borders, Edinburgh and the Lothians.[1]

Munro's of Jedburgh
A Munro's of Jedburgh MCV Evolution bodied MAN 14.220, seen at MetroCentre Coach Park in 2009.
Slogan"The borders bus company"
Founded1960s
Defunct3 July 2013
HeadquartersOakvale Garage
Bongate
Jedburgh
Scottish Borders
TD8 6DU
Service area
Service typeBus and coach
ManagerDonald Cameron
& Ewan Farish
Websitehttp://munrosofjedburgh.co.uk/

History

The company was founded in the mid 1960s by Jimmy Munro, who expanded his hire-car business to include coach operations. The company then began to operate works and schools contracts in and around Roxburghshire.[2]

In 1992, the company began its first local route, the contracted Border Courier service, as a joint operation with Austin's of Earlston. Munro's also launched a service linking the Borders General Hospital with Lilliesleaf and Hawick, which ran three days a week.

Munro retired in 1998 and, as the family did not want to continue in the business, the company was put up for sale. In July 1998, the company, along with a small garage workshop, yard, and 8 vehicles, was bought by former First Group area managers Donald Cameron and Ewan Farish.[2]

The new owners were keen to expand the business, and quickly won additional contracts with both schools and local rugby teams. In July 2000, the company took over routes 29 and 30 (now the 51 and 52, operated by Borders Buses), and routes 65, 66, 67, and 68 from First. A further three contracts were won over the next two years.

August 2002 saw further expansion, with Munro's providing new town services, following the closure of First depots in Hawick and Kelso.[3]

In 2006, the Scottish Borders Council and the Rural Bus Development Grant subsidised a number of service improvements, including more frequent services from Jedburgh and Kelso to Edinburgh (routes 51 and 52), and a new service from Galashiels to Berwick-upon-Tweed (route 67). Munro's won the contracts to operate both services, although the 67 was later lost to Perryman's (now Borders Buses).[4]

Another contract win in 2006 saw Munro's launch a network of routes in and around the towns of Dalkeith and Musselburgh. These services used two Plaxton Primo single-decker vehicles, the only two of their type in Scotland at the time.[5]

In June 2009 operation of contracted route 20, linking Kelso to Hawick, was lost to McEwans after five years.[6] A number of journeys on routes 51 and 52, linking Jedburgh and Kelso to Edinburgh, were controversially axed in November 2009.[7]

Demise and closure

In October 2010, the company was fined £3,000, and had the number of vehicles it was licenced to operate cut by the Scottish Traffic Commissioner.[8] The company's routes in Musselburgh and Dalkeith were withdrawn in April 2011, and later replaced by a new route operated by First.[9]

In January 2013, Munro's had its operating licence revoked, following an inquiry into the loaning of vehicle operating discs in October 2011 to another operator, Edinburgh Group Travel. Services continued to operate as usual whilst the decision was appealed by the company.[10] Although the appeal proved unsuccessful, Munro's applied for, and was granted, a new licence.

In June 2013, it was announced that the reformed company had lost nine contract routes during a retendering process, including the routes linking Jedburgh and Kelso with Edinburgh, and Jedburgh with Galashiels.[11]

Munro's ceased trading at midnight on 3 July 2013, with its routes taken over by other operators on temporary contracts.[12]

References
  1. "Munros of Jedburgh Limited". Companies House. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  2. "The Company History". Munro's of Jedburgh. Archived from the original on 11 July 2006. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  3. Knox, David (11 April 2002). "End of the road for depot". Hawick News. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  4. "New contracts signed for Borders bus services". Scottish Borders Council. 17 July 2008. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  5. "Munro's of Jedburgh purchase Plaxton Primos". Mistral Group. 5 January 2007. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  6. "Borders bus company loses out through EU directive". The Southern Reporter. 5 May 2009. Archived from the original on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  7. "Munro's to axe bus journeys". The Southern Reporter. 20 October 2009. Archived from the original on 6 January 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  8. "Jedburgh bus company faces vehicle cut". BBC News. 7 October 2010. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  9. Gyford, Sue (25 May 2011). "Campaigners celebrate as village bus route restored". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  10. "Jed bus firm is stripped of licence". The Southern Reporter. 21 January 2013. Archived from the original on 23 January 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  11. Paterson, Kenny (20 June 2013). "Bus jobs boost... but Munro's misses out". The Southern Reporter. Archived from the original on 11 June 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  12. "Tender losses force Munro's closure". Bus and Coach Professional. 10 July 2013. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
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