Now in its third generation, the Panther body style was originally launched in 1999/2000 under the codename ‘Coach 2000’ when, along with the pivot door Paragon model, it replaced the Premiere 350 and Excalibur models. At that time only 12m models were produced but that subsequently changed and the Panther family now covers the range […]
On Saturday, Reading Buses formally launched the Scania Euro6 gas bus with an event in the town’s Broad Street described by CEO Martijn Gilbert as a ‘regal affair with royalty aplenty.’ The company will be the first to operate the new type of super environmentally friendly bus. Alongside the display of the promotional vehicle in Reading […]
Near empty buses running on routes may, despairingly, be a familiar sight in some parts of the country, particularly rural areas. Although these services provide a vital service to those who rely on them, cost cutting pressures on local authorities mean they often fall victim to budget cuts, threatening their existence. This is causing accessibility […]
The Boxing Day operation of free bus routes in west Cumbria by the Workington Transport Heritage Trust (WTHT) is a well established event in the heritage calendar. In its early years, it provided a number of local services around Workington which were the only buses operating in the area on that day. Subsequently, the introduction […]
An ‘Obsidian’ jewel in the yard of Step 1 Travel of Horncastle, Lincolnshire is it’s new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 516 Bluetec mini-coach, converted by Excel Conversions. Chris Peat met with Step 1 Travel proprietor Philip Heath to inspect this new vehicle. He also took the opportunity to see some more of Phil’s fleet and talk to […]
Fresh paintwork is something that benefits vehicles new and old, whether to breathe new life into an older vehicle or as part of an upgrade of a newer vehicle to a higher specification for a more premium service. You may have read about refurbishers and paintshops that can carry this work out, but what about […]
Held for the fourth consecutive year at the Radisson Blu Hotel at East Midlands airport, the annual Coachmarque Conference was staged last week. It has a significant social aspect including a dinner and though Stuart Jones missed this, he was present throughout the following day’s business sessions. According to the organisation’s website, Coachmarque is ‘the […]
The company’s history can be traced back to the formation in 1945 of two individual Fife businesses, James Moffat and Sons of Cardenden and Williamson’s of Gauldry, the two joining forces in 1978. George joined the industry in 1976 as a semi skilled mechanic and later as a driver for the Williamson family. He had […]