Bus vehicles that are owned by councils.

[swt class 450]

I have noticed that some councils seem to own bus vehicles but don't operate them directly and instead lease them out to bus operators (usually for use on council contracted routes).

I am not talking about Council owned bus operators (ie the remaining municipal bus operators). I am only really talking about councils who own vehicles and then lease them out to bus operators.

I am interested in both vehicles that are currently owned by councils and vehicles that have been previously owned by councils.

I can think of the following:

Dorset County Council:
YJ12 GWV - Optare Solo SR EV 8.9m
YJ12 GWW - Optare Solo SR EV 8.9m
YJ60 KFV - Optare Versa 11.1m
YJ60 KFW - Optare Versa 11.1m
YJ60 KFX - Optare Versa 11.1m
YJ58 CEN - Optare Solo 8.1m SL
YJ58 CEO - Optare Solo 8.1m SL
YJ58 PGO - Optare Solo 8.8m
YJ58 PGU - Optare Solo 8.8m
YJ58 PGV - Optare Solo 8.8m
YJ58 PGX - Optare Solo 8.8m
YJ58 PGY - Optare Solo 8.8m
YJ58 PGZ - Optare Solo 8.8m
YJ07 VRG - Optare Tempo 12.6m
YJ07 VTA - Optare Solo 9.5m SL
YJ56 WUL - Optare Solo 9.5m
YJ56 WUM - Optare Solo 9.5m
YJ56 WUO - Optare Solo 9.5m
YJ06 FYU - Optare Solo 8.5m SL
YJ06 FZO - Optare Solo 8.5m SL
YJ06 FZP - Optare Solo 8.5m SL
MX54 KXT - Optare Solo 9.2m
MX04 VLY - Optare Solo 9.2m
Y746 TGH - Volvo B7TL Plaxton President

East Sussex County Council:
YJ05 WCA [B456] - Optare Solo 8.5m SL
YJ05 WCC [B455] - Optare Solo 8.5m SL
YJ05 WCD [B457] - Optare Solo 8.5m SL
YJ05 WCE [B458] - Optare Solo 8.5m SL
YJ05 WCF [B459] - Optare Solo 8.5m SL
YJ05 WCG [B460] - Optare Solo 8.5m SL
YK05 CDU [B461] - Optare Solo 8.5m SL
YK05 CDV [B462] - Optare Solo 8.5m SL
YK05 CDX [B463] - Optare Solo 8.5m SL
YN53 ELU [B450] - Optare Solo 8.5m
YV03 UTX [B448] - Optare Solo 8.5m
YV03 UTY [B449] - Optare Solo 8.5m
YG52 DHD [B445] - Optare Solo 8.5m
X657 WYG [B437] - Optare Solo 8.5m
W283 EYG [B438] - Optare Solo 8.5m
V931 VUB [B428] - Optare Solo 8.5m
V932 VUB [B429] - Optare Solo 8.5m
V933 VUB [B430] - Optare Solo 8.5m
V934 VUB [B431] - Optare Solo 8.5m
V935 VUB [B432] - Optare Solo 8.5m
S794 XUG [B427] - Optare Solo 8.5m

Hampshire County Council:
YJ05 XMR - Optare Solo 7.8m
YJ05 XMS - Optare Solo 7.8m
YK04 KVU - Optare Solo 8.5m
YK04 KVV - Optare Solo 8.5m
YK04 KVW - Optare Solo 7.8m
YN03 UXY - Optare Alero
YR02 YRO (YA02 YRO) - Optare Solo 8.5m
YR02 YRX - Optare Alero
YR02 YRY - Optare Alero
YR02 YRZ - Optare Alero
YR02 YTA - Optare Alero

Surrey County Council:
LK07 CBF - Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Myllennium 11.3m
LK07 CBO - Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Myllennium 11.3m
LK07 CBU - Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Myllennium 11.3m
LK07 CBV - Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Myllennium 11.3m
LK07 CBX - Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Myllennium 11.3m
LK56 JKE - Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Myllennium 11.3m
LK56 JKF - Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Myllennium 11.3m
LK56 JKJ - Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Myllennium 11.3m
LK56 JKN - Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Myllennium 11.3m
LK56 JKO - Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Myllennium 11.3m
LK56 JKV - Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Myllennium 11.3m
LK06 BWB - Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Myllennium 11.3m
LK06 BWC - Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Myllennium 11.3m
LK06 BWD - Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Myllennium 11.3m
LK55 ACV - Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Myllennium 11.3m
LK55 ACY - Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Myllennium 11.3m
LK55 ACX - Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Myllennium 11.3m
LK55 ADU - Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Myllennium 11.3m
LK55 ADV - Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Myllennium 11.3m
LK55 ADX - Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Myllennium 11.3m
LK55 ADZ - Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Myllennium 11.3m
LK55 AEA - Dennis Dart SLF East Lancs Myllennium 11.3m
T591 CGT - Dennis Dart SLF Plaxton Pointer MK2 10.7m
T592 CGT - Dennis Dart SLF Plaxton Pointer MK2 10.7m
T593 CGT - Dennis Dart SLF Plaxton Pointer MK2 10.7m
T594 CGT - Optare Metrorider

West Sussex County Council:
MX09 GZL - Transbus Enviro 200 12.6m
MX09 GZM - Transbus Enviro 200 12.6m

Wiltshire County Council:
YJ12 GZH - Optare Solo 7.1m SE
YJ12 GZK - Optare Solo 7.1m SE
YJ12 GZL - Optare Solo 7.1m SE
YK07 BFO - Optare Solo 7.1m SE
YK07 BFP - Optare Solo 7.1m SE
YK07 BFU - Optare Solo 7.1m SE
YJ54 UCA - Optare Solo 8.5m

I believe that East Sussex County Council and Surrey County Council and West Sussex County Council have sold all of theirs. However i believe that Dorset County Council and Hampshire County Council and Wiltshire County Council do still own their ones.

What other vehicles can you think of? Can you think of any other vehicles that are currently owned by councils or have been previously owned by councils?

Many thanks.

 

[GusB]

What's this nonsense about "bus vehicles"? Why can't you just say "buses"?

 

[swt class 450]

I don't know to be honest! I suppose i could have indeed just said buses!

 

[Jordan Adam]

Aberdeen City Council own the 10 Vanhool A330 Hydrogen Buses which are currently on lease to First/Stagecoach.

First Examples are:
64994 | SV14FYR
64995 | SV14FYS
64996 | SV14FZD
64997 | SV14FZC

Stagecoach Examples are:
29901 | SV14DMX
29902 | SV14DMU
29903 | SV64BPZ
29904 | SV64BRF
29905 | SV64BRZ
29906 | SV64BRX

The lease on these to First/Stagecoach will end later this year, current plans is that all 10 will now then operate at First alongside the 10 brand new Hydrogen Powered Wright Streetdecks which are due for delivery in Summer.

 

[Surreyman]

Think your list for Surrey is completely out of date, the T regs went a long time ago and the last Darts are out of service following the delivery of new Electric E200EVs to Stagecoach at Guildford.
I think some of the Hampshire Solos have gone too.
Don't know for certain but I would question the East Sussex list given the age of some of the vehicles.
How old is your list?

 

[Ken H]

North Yorkshire operate a number of low volume routes.
The 11 from Tosside to Horton in Ribblesdale via Settle
and some locals round Skipton. Think there are some further afield.
Dont know why these are not tendered to private operators. The Settle-Horton used to be Donny Waites, and the locals in Skipton were West Yorkshire Road Car or Ribble, then Pennine Motors.
But the 11 bus doesnt start till the school transport it covers are done and finishes so it can do school transport in the afternoon. Same timetable on Saturdays....
Pity it doesnt do an early skipton - settle run as the first Settle-lancaster is quite late as the bus comes from Lancaster.

Think all NYCC buses are minibuses.

 

[randyrippley]

Cumbria had a fleet of double deckers which were leased to Stagecoach for Kendal-Barrow services (x74 ???)
They disappeared around four years ago when the timetable changed to the current 6/X6 service

Lancashire had a small fleet of white-painted minibuses fitted with rear bike racks that were initially leased out to various contractors in the Forest of Bowland, two later went to Kirkby Lonsdale buses and were used on the routes around Silverdale/Carnforth

 

[swt class 450]

Thanks for the info. I thought there would be some others. Although there doesn't seem to be as many these days as there once was. I guess all the cuts to councils may be why less and less buses are owned by them.

Yes i believe all the ones with East Sussex County Council and Surrey County Council and West Sussex County Council have indeed been sold. I don't think these three own any buses any more. However i believe that Dorset County Council and Hampshire County Council and Wiltshire County Council do still have theirs. Although it is possible that these three might not still have all of them as some could have been sold.

 

[bussnapperwm]

Stoke on Trent used to (I think) own a fleet of solos which D&G/Wardles used to lease (I think)

 

[James101]

Stoke on Trent used to (I think) own a fleet of solos which D&G/Wardles used to lease (I think)

Yes, used to be a dozen or so Solos & Versas. In the remaining examples had ownership transferred to D&G/Stantons/Scraggs in return for an agreement they would continue to operate the allocated services without subsidy. I don't know how long this arrangement protects the services for.

https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/new...public-transport-operators-needed-run-1435037