I think that we can safely say that the years after deregulation were certainly... interesting. I don’t want the thread to descend into whether deregulation was a good or bad thing, however it being more an opportunity for people to share their memories or experiences of the period up to 2000.
Here’s something I can think of off the top of my head to maybe get us started:
Operators outside their usual operating area
Probably the most famous one that people remember in the era is East Midlands with their short-lived Frontrunner operation before being bought by Stagecoach in 1989. Frontrunner North West was based in Tintwistle and was mainly serving the Glossop area. While that might have been some way from their normal area, Frontrunner South East was even further away – this being based in Essex and even operating a couple of London contracts.
PMT expanded outside their area in the late 80s, setting up operations in the Wirral (this being before they bought Crosville), the West Midlands and even Leeds.
Stevensons of Uttoxeter also got in on the act, with their Pacer operation in Stockport and Edinburgh Transport (no prizes for guessing where they operated), as well as expansion into the West Midlands – eventually getting retaliation from West Midlands Travel in Burton-on-Trent.
Even independents seemed to expand with Appleby’s operating services in Bridlington & Scarborough, outside their usual territory of North Lincolnshire (although I'm not 100% sure it this was entirely post-deregulation); and Pride of The Road seemed to be everywhere across Yorkshire...
Were there any other examples of operators setting up outside their usual area?
As I said further up, feel free to add your own memories of this period...
Here’s something I can think of off the top of my head to maybe get us started:
Operators outside their usual operating area
Probably the most famous one that people remember in the era is East Midlands with their short-lived Frontrunner operation before being bought by Stagecoach in 1989. Frontrunner North West was based in Tintwistle and was mainly serving the Glossop area. While that might have been some way from their normal area, Frontrunner South East was even further away – this being based in Essex and even operating a couple of London contracts.
PMT expanded outside their area in the late 80s, setting up operations in the Wirral (this being before they bought Crosville), the West Midlands and even Leeds.
Stevensons of Uttoxeter also got in on the act, with their Pacer operation in Stockport and Edinburgh Transport (no prizes for guessing where they operated), as well as expansion into the West Midlands – eventually getting retaliation from West Midlands Travel in Burton-on-Trent.
Even independents seemed to expand with Appleby’s operating services in Bridlington & Scarborough, outside their usual territory of North Lincolnshire (although I'm not 100% sure it this was entirely post-deregulation); and Pride of The Road seemed to be everywhere across Yorkshire...
Were there any other examples of operators setting up outside their usual area?
As I said further up, feel free to add your own memories of this period...