Nu-Venture
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 A Leyland Lynx in new livery on route 179 in Chatham |
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| Founded | Various |
| Service area | Kent |
| Service type | Bus |
| Routes | 52 |
Nu-Venture Coaches Ltd is an Aylesford, Kent-based bus company. Established in 1960s as a coach company, Nu-Venture once operated coach tour holidays all over Europe, and, in the 1980s, a London commuter service, but coach hire activities ceased in 2010.
On UK deregulation of local buses in 1986, local bus operation started with a joint service 58 between Maidstone, West Malling and Trottiscliffe/Ryarsh. Since the 1990s, the fleet and area of operation has expanded to allow 28 buses to serve Maidstone, Medway, Malling, Gravesham, Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells.
Daily operation of bus service 151 (Medway/Kings Hill) under contract to Kent & Medway Councils commenced in April 2008, part-replacing a previous and long-established Nu-Venture commercial operation. This and other Nu-Venture operations in Medway serve Chatham Town Centre's new Waterfront Bus Station, opened 10 October 2011 and used by all local bus operators. Previously, Nu-Venture used on-street stands, rather than entering the Arriva-controlled Pentagon bus station.
Under contract to Kent County Council, Nu-Venture operate a number of services, including much of the TRANSWEALD 295 / 297 route from Tunbridge Wells and Tenterden to Ashford during the daytime on Mondays to Fridays.
From April 2010, Nu-Venture's operation of Kent County Council services altered, routes 23, 26, 27, 66, 404 and 405 being assumed in place of operations on services 71, 81, 82, 85, 88 and 158. A new commercial service 406 linking West Kingsdown with Maidstone Hospital/Maidstone commenced in late April 2010 but lasted only one year when poor passenger revenues prompted its withdrawal.
From September 2010, routes operated under contract to Medway Council altered with the assumption of routes 172/173 (Chatham-Earl Estate) but loss of 179 (Chatham-Walderslade) and 172/173 have subsequently had journeys diverted (as 174/175) to serve Medway City Estate (using a newly-constructed bus-only link road); this road is also part of the 170 route, provided from August 2011 by Nu-Venture on a commercial basis to link Medway Gate with Chatham.
From April 2011, a Kent/Medway contract to provide services 130/131 (Maidstone/Hempstead Valley/Rainham/Twydall, with a limited service beyond to Medway Maritime Hospital), was assumed; a further Kent/Medway contract service 150 (Maidstone/Blue Bell Hill Village/Walderslade/Lordswood) was assumed from 30 January 2012.
Nu-Venture operate a growing number of modern accessible low-floor easy access single-deck buses, but, amongst older buses, a quantity of new-to-London 1980s Leyland Titan double-deck buses, converted from dual- to single-door specification, remain.
Since December 2010, the 'Ticketer' ticketing system has been in use, providing smartcard and vehicle location functions as well as the normal ticket-issuing function.
[edit] Routes
Routes operated include the following (more details and timetables at www.nu-venture.co.uk) :
| Service | From | To | Via | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Maidstone | Hollingbourne | Otham & Leeds | Mondays to Fridays | ||
| 14 | Sutton Valence | Cornwallis Academy | Mondays to Fridays schooldays | |||
| 20 | Yalding & Chainhurst | Cornwallis Academy | Mondays to Fridays schooldays | |||
| 21 | Bearsted | Cornwallis Academy | Maidstone | Mondays to Fridays schooldays | ||
| 23 | Yalding | Maidstone | Tovil | Mondays to Saturdays | ||
| 26/27 | Goudhurst/Marden | Maidstone | Yalding | Mondays to Saturdays | ||
| 28 | Hunton/Chainhurst | Maidstone | Marden | Mondays to Fridays | ||
| 53 | West Peckham | West Malling | Kings Hill | Tuesdays & Fridays only | ||
| 58 | Maidstone | Trottiscliffe | West Malling | Mondays to Fridays schooldays | ||
| 66 | Headcorn/Kingswood | Cornwallis Academy | Mondays to Fridays schooldays | |||
| 70 | Lunsford Park | Borough Green | West Malling | Mondays to Fridays | ||
| 78 | Maidstone | Barming | Queens Road | Mondays to Fridays | ||
| 83 | Park Wood | Maidstone | Maidstone Hosp | Mondays to Fridays, limited service | ||
| 87 | Park Wood | Maidstone Hospital | Maidstone | Mondays to Fridays, limited service | ||
| 89 | Coxheath | Maidstone Hospital | Maidstone | Mondays to Saturdays incl Evenings | ||
| 123 | Kings Hill | West Malling | Mondays to Fridays | |||
| 130 | Twydall Shops | Maidstone | Hempstead Valley & Boxley | Mondays to Saturdays | ||
| 131 | Medway Maritime Hospital | Maidstone | Twydall, Hempstead Valley & Boxley | Mondays to Fridays | ||
| 149 | Chatham | Malling School & Kings Hill | Mondays to Fridays schooldays | |||
| 150 | Maidstone | Lordswood | Bluebell Hill & Walderslade | Daily | ||
| 151 | Chatham | Kings Hill | Snodland & West Malling | Daily | ||
| 170 | Chatham | Medway Valley Park | Medway City Estate, Strood | Daily | ||
| 172/3/4/5 | Chatham | Earl Estate | Rochester/Strood | Mondays to Saturdays | ||
| 176 | Chatham | Hazelmere Drive | Gillingham | Sundays only | ||
| 181 | Chatham | Tunbury Wood | Luton & Walderslade | Sundays only | ||
| 192 | Chatham | Lodge Hill | Strood | Mondays to Fridays only | ||
| 277 | Pembury | Tunbridge Wells | Sherwood | 1 early Monday to Friday journey only | ||
| 282 | Speldhurst | Hawkenbury | Tunbridge Wells | Mondays to Fridays not evenings | ||
| 283 | Ravenswood Ave | Tunbridge Wells | Mondays to Fridays limited service | |||
| 285 | Speldhurst | Hawkenbury | Tunbridge Wells | Mondays to Saturdays not evenings | ||
| 295 | Ashford | Tenterden | Shadoxhurst and Woodchurch | Mondays to Fridays not evenings | ||
| 297 | Tunbridge Wells | Tenterden | Pembury, Goudhurst, Cranbrook, Benenden | Mondays to Fridays not evenings | ||
| 404 | Edenbridge | Sevenoaks | Ide Hill | Mondays to Fridays | ||
| 405 | West Kingsdown | Sevenoaks | Wednesdays | |||
| 406 | West Kingsdown | Maidstone | West Malling | Mondays | ||
| 416 | Gravesend | Meopham | Shorne | Mondays to Saturdays | ||
| 417 | Gravesend | Cliffe | Cliffe Woods, Higham, Shorne | Mondays to Saturdays | | ||
| 422 | East Hill | Gravesend | West Kingsdown, Farningham, Bluewater | Thursdays only | ||
| 601 | Cliffe | Hundred of Hoo School | Cliffe Woods | Schooldays only |
[edit] Gallery
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Marshall Bus bodied Dennis Dart carrying the previous standard Nu-Venture blue/white bus livery which is now being gradually superseded by a green-based livery.
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Former London Transport Leyland Titan T857 (A857 SUL), pictured wearing Maidstone Corporation Transport centenary livery applied in 2004 by Nu-Venture. The fiesta-blue and cream colours were used on Maidstone Corporation's bus fleet from the 1970s for a period. This bus has since been repainted to carry an overall advert for the Kent County Council 'Freedom Pass' scheme.
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Alexander RH bodied Leyland Olympian, 100 (H838 PTW), new to Dublin Bus in 1990, pictured when still owned by Nu-Venture and wearing a representation of the Maidstone Corporation brown and cream livery used until the 1970s and again in the early 1980s. The bus was disposed of in 2006 by Nu-Venture and is believed to be in the South Humberside area.
[edit] External links
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