JP Travel
 |
|
|---|---|
 An Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart of JP Travel in Bolton |
|
| Founded | 1974 |
| Headquarters | The Coach House, Joshua Lane, Middleton, M24 2AZ |
| Locale | North West England |
| Service area | Greater Manchester |
| Service type | Bus |
| Routes | 22 |
| Destinations | Altrincham, Ashton-under-Lyne, Hyde, Manchester, Middleton, Oldham, Rochdale, Stalybridge, Stretford, Stockport |
| Web site | www.jptbuses.com |
JP Travel, sometimes known as JPT or Jpt Bus Company, is a bus company based at Middleton in Greater Manchester, England. The company is owned by Janet and Peter Walsh and runs local services in the North Manchester area. The JP in JP Travel forms the initials of their first names.
Contents |
[edit] History
The company started trading in 1974, entering the bus market in 1987. A small network of services began to form during the latter part of the 1980s under the name of "City Nippy", with the following routes being introduced within 12 months of commencing bus operations:
- 12 Middleton - Moorclose [1]
- 62 Middleton - Moston [2]
- 129 Middleton - Boarshaw [3]
- 130 Langley - Middleton - Crumpsall [4]
- 131 Middleton - Manchester [1]
- 132 Middleton - Langley [5]
- 133 Middleton - Alkrington [5]
Since then, a network of services has developed across Manchester. Whilst concentrating on north Manchester, the company has gained a presence in the southern area through gaining GMPTE tenders. In the past few years, expansion through this means has taken as far as Farnworth and Stockport.
An attempt to reroute service 162 to miss out North Manchester General Hospital met opposition from residents in the Alkrington area. The decision was reversed and the route was instead diverted to serve more of the Alkrington estate.[6]
In 2007, they took over the services then operated by Ashall's Coaches and have since taken over the routes of the former operator, Vale Of Manchester. The company has a fleet of 35 vehicles and claims to be "one of Manchester's leading independent operators."
The company has been one of the innovators in the use of social media, advertising a Facebook page at which customers can communicate with the operator. Buses carry a logo advising passengers to "become a fan of Jpt Bus Company" by joining the Facebook site.[7] They have now also launched their new website, link at bottom.
Another innovation occurred in 2009, when the operator became the first on service 343, between Oldham, Mossley and Hyde, to operate low floor buses.[8] As part of a summer promotion, in August 2009 the company halved the cost of its weekly season ticket from £10.00 to £5.00,[9] at a time when competing major operators were cutting back on services.[10]
In October 2009 the company was awarded the contracts for five new services in North Manchester and received a loan of £250,000 to buy new low-floor vehicles for the routes.[11][12]
In January 2011, JP Travel had announced that its sister company Eurobus, had purchased local coach firm known as Ellenbrook Travel, originally based in Worsley, Manchester. Eurobus began operating on Route 17 as of the 15th of May 2011, effectively competing against First Manchester on that route. Five former Stagecoach Alexander ALX200-bodied Volvo B6LE are used, running alongside JPT on a coordinated timetable. The Eurobus vehicles share exactly the same colour scheme (except for the Eurobus logo) as JPT and are based at the same address.
[edit] Routes
Most of JP Travel's routes are concentrated in and around North Manchester, mainly Middleton. In recent years, this has included some tendered operations on behalf of Transport for Greater Manchester.
| No. | From | To | Via | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Rochdale | Manchester Shudehill | Castleton, Middleton, Harpurhey | Rochdale-Manchester runs Monday-Saturday Extra journeys run by Eurobus |
| 54 | Belle Vue | Trafford Centre | Rusholme, Old Trafford, Trafford Park | Early weekday mornings only |
| 88 89 |
Manchester Piccadilly | Manchester Shudehill | Monsall, White Moss, Higher Blackley, North Manchester General Hospital, Cheetham Hill | Evenings and Sundays only |
| 118 | North Manchester General Hospital | Manchester Piccadilly | White Moss (not to/from Moston), Harpurhey | |
| Moston Gardeners Arms | ||||
| 129 | Middleton | Middleton | Hollin, Stannycliffe | Grasshopper service. Circular |
| 156 | Langley | Manchester Shudehill | Middleton, Heaton Park, Collyhurst | Most journeys run Middleton-Manchester only |
| 159 | Middleton | Woodhouses | New Moston | One weekday morning journey |
| 164 165 |
Heywood (164) | Manchester Shudehill | Hollin (164), Middleton (164), Heaton Park, Dam Head, Harpurhey (164), Collyhurst | Evenings/Sundays only |
| 169 | Ashton-under-Lyne | Southern Cemetery | Littlemoss, Droylsden, Openshaw, Gorton, Belle Vue, Levenshulme, West Didsbury | Evenings/Sundays only. |
| 217 218 |
Manchester Shudehill | Tameside General Hospital | Clayton, Droylsden, Audenshaw, Ashton-under-Lyne | Sunday daytime. 217 from Manchester, 218 to Manchester. |
| Stalybridge | Manchester Shudehill | Dukinfield, Audenshaw, Droyslden, Clayton | Sunday daytime. 217 to Manchester, 218 from Manchester | |
| Droylsden | Manchester Piccadilly | Clayton | Evenings only (217) | |
| 245 | Flixton | Altrincham | Trafford General Hospital, Stretford, Sale, Woodheys, Sinderfield (evenings only) | Sundays only |
| 256 | Flixton | Manchester Picadilly | Davyhulme, Stretford, Old Trafford, Hulme | Late evenings only |
| 276 | Trafford General Hospital | Withington Community Hospital | Flixton, Urmston, Stretford, Chorlton | |
| 343 | Oldham | Hyde | Lees, Grotton, Mossley, Stalybridge, Dukinfield | Saturday daytime only |
| 370 | Stockport | Altrincham | East Didsbury, Didsbury, Northenden, Northern Moor, Baguley, Timperley | Sundays only |
| 415 | Holts Estate | Oldham | Lees, Greenacres | Sunday evenings only |
[edit] External links
[edit] References
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: JP Travel (bus company) |
- ^ a b GMPTE bus guide ref. 6786 06/1988
- ^ GMPTE bus guide ref. 7781 02/1989
- ^ GMPTE bus guide ref. 6498 02/1988
- ^ GMPTE bus guide ref. 6398 11/1987
- ^ a b GMPTE bus guide ref. 6172 07/1987
- ^ Edwards, David (23 April 2004). "Hospital bus saved". Middleton Guardian (M.E.N. Media). http://menmedia.co.uk/middletonguardian/news/s/411007_hospital_bus_saved.
- ^ Manchester Buses : Operator News : Manchester Bus Operators on Facebook
- ^ Stuart Vallantine : The History of the 343 Bus Route
- ^ Facebook : Jpt Bus Company : Summer Promotion : 29 July 2009
- ^ Manchester Buses : Operator News : Recession Bites as Operators Cut Back Services
- ^ Manchester bus and coach company J.P Executive Travel invest in new fleet | Coach Broker News
- ^ "JP Executive Travel expands fleet after winning new routes". Manchester Evening News (M.E.N. Media). 29 October 2009. http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1179773_jp_executive_travel_expands_fleet_after_winning_new_routes.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
