How many bus operators do we currently have in the UK?

[swt class 450]

Does anyone know how many bus operators currently operate in the UK? Is there anywhere where i can find an exact number? Or if not then a rough estimate? Also is there anywhere where i can find a full A to Z list of all of them?

Note i am only talking about bus operators that run registered local bus services. I am not talking about coach operators who only do private hires or anything like that.

Many thanks for any help.

 

[overthewater]

Look on bustimes.org

 

[carlberry]

Does anyone know how many bus operators currently operate in the UK? Is there anywhere where i can find an exact number? Or if not then a rough estimate? Also is there anywhere where i can find a full A to Z list of all of them?

Note i am only talking about bus operators that run registered local bus services. I am not talking about coach operators who only do private hires or anything like that.

Many thanks for any help.

I'd say 1632. Or 970 if you only want those with services on Traveline.

 

[swt class 450]

Many thanks for the replies.

So why are there 1632 operators but only 970 operators on Traveline? What are the other 662 operators and why are they not shown on Traveline?

Thanks for suggesting - https://bustimes.org - i didn't realise that lists were shown there as well. Although you can only view a separate list for each region of the UK rather than one complete list for all of the UK. It would be good if there was an option to see one full A to Z list for all bus operators in the UK.

I didn't realise just how many bus operators we have. It is a lot more than i thought. Although i suppose a lot of them are very small companies that just run a couple of routes.

 

[317 forever]

The vast majority of these are independents. The privatisation of NBC, SBG, PTCs and LBL has been consolidated into basically 16 owners. These (in approximately descending order of size within the UK) are

Stagecoach *
First
DB - Arriva *
Go-Ahead *
National Express
Comfort DelGro *
RATP *
Transdev
Wellglage
McGills
CentreBus
Rotala
West Coast Motors
Tower Transit *
Midland Classic
Uno

I exclude independents who have taken over former privatised routes but with their own vehicles, often as their own initiative.

The ones marked * have bought into former LBL operations. From the above list Uno have 1 TfL route (383) but they won this on tender rather than through any buyout. The other operators of TfL routes not covered above are

Abellio
CT Plus (owners HCT have other operations elsewhere such as MCT and Powells)
Sullivan

The only 9 remaining municipal operators (roughly north to south) are

Lothian
Blackpool
Halton
Warrington
Nottingham
Ipswich
Reading
Newport
Cardiff

 

[carlberry]

Many thanks for the replies.

So why are there 1632 operators but only 970 operators on Traveline? What are the other 662 operators and why are they not shown on Traveline?

The 1632 figure includes a few that shouldn't be there like train operating companies and Irish companies so it's likely to be closer to something like 1550. The difference is companies that operate 'closed door' school contracts that are on VOSA but not on Traveline.