Stagecoach in Eastbourne
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 Alexander Dennis Enviro300 leaving Terminus Road Eastbourne |
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| Parent | Stagecoach Group |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Headquarters | Canterbury, Kent |
| Locale | Borough of Eastbourne |
| Service area | Eastbourne, Polegate, Hailsham, Heathfield, Uckfield, Tunbridge Wells |
| Service type | bus service |
| Routes | 16 |
| Fleet | 60 |
| Operator | Stagecoach South East |
| Web site | Stagecoach East Sussex |
Stagecoach in Eastbourne is the name of the bus operator of bus services in the Eastbourne area after taking over Eastbourne Buses and Cavendish Motor Services.
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[edit] History
In early November 2008, local press reports indicated that Eastbourne Buses was to be sold by the end of the year to either the Go-Ahead Group or Stagecoach Group. The employees' trade union, Unite, wrote to Eastbourne Borough Council to ask the Council to sell to the Go-Ahead Group, because of work conditions and a superior fleet.[1]
On 25 November 2008, it was announced that Stagecoach was preferred bidder to purchase. A few days later, it was announced in local press that the takeover had cost £4 million.[2]
It would not be the first time Stagecoach have been running services in the town. They had run services until late in 2000 before they were withdrawn. They currently still operate services to Hastings and Bexhill from Eastbourne.
The sale caused a lot of controversy, with MPs criticising the secrecy surrounding the sale[3] and blaming each others' parties for the state the Eastbourne Buses got into, the Liberal Democrats claiming the Conservatives "failed to support Eastbourne Buses".[4]
There has also been criticisms of the low price the company was sold at - revealed at £3.7 million, lower than the original report of 4 - and criticism against Stagecoach, one MP saying that the company has effectively been "given away for nothing"[5] However, is was revealed that Go-Ahead had bid much lower at £2.85 million, so the council has to sell to Stagecoach to serve the taxpayer due to the £1.2 million difference in bids, despite the union's calls.[4]
The bad financial condition at Eastbourne Buses which caused the sale was illustrated by the news that in April 2007 the company nearly had to close as it could not pay for fuel.[4]
In January 2009, Cavendish Motor Services were bought by Stagecoach Group as well, making both companies one. Because of this, both companies now accept each other's tickets. Stagecoach has announced redundancies for Cavendish staff.[6] Both companies were then merged under the Stagecoach in Eastbourne name.
On 13 May 2009, the Office of Fair Trading announced that it was referring the purchase of Eastbourne Buses and Cavendish Motor Services by Stagecoach to the Competition Commission.[7] Although the provisional decision found that the acquisitions had substantially lessened competition, the Competition Commission cleared the purchase in October 2009 after deciding that Cavendish would have chosen either to reduce its services substantially or even to close its operations altogether following Stagecoach's acquisition of Eastbourne Buses.[8]
[edit] Routes
From 1st August 2011.
| Route | Between | And | Route details |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Loop | Town Centre | Town Centre | Via Kings Drive, District Hospital, Willingdon Trees, Hampden Park, Winkney Farm, Langney, Priory Road, ASDA, Beatty Road & Seaside |
| 1 | Shinewater | Hamlands | Via Langney, Seaside, Town Centre, Old Town & Willingdon Roundabout |
| 1A | Shinewater | Willingdon Trees/Hamlands | Via Langney, Seaside, Town Centre, Old Town & District Hospital |
| 1A | Hailsham | Eastbourne (Town Centre) | Via Stone Cross, Shinewater, Milfoil Drive & Seaside |
| 3 | Meads (Foot of Beachy Head) | Town Centre | Via Meads Village, University & Theatres |
| 5 | Town Centre | North Harbour | Via Bridgemere, Seaside & ASDA |
| 5 | Town Centre | South Harbour | Via Bridgemere, Seaside & Beatty Road |
| 51 | Heathfield | Eastbourne (Town Centre) | Via Horam, Hellingly, Anglesey Avenue, Hailsham Town, Polegate, Farmlands Way, District Hospital & Upperton Road |
| 54 | Uckfield (Nevill Rd) | Eastbourne (Town Centre) | Via Halland, East Hoathly, Golden Cross, Horsebridge, Battle Rd, Hailsham, Dittons Wood, Polegate, Willingdon, District Hospital & Upperton Road |
| 55 | Beachlands | Sainsbury's | Via Pevensey Bay, Westham, Stone Cross, Friday Street, Langney, Winkney Farm, The Hydneye, Birch Road, Seaside, Town Centre, Old Town, Cherry Garden Rd, Hill Road & District Hospital |
| 56 | District Hospital | Eastbourne (Town Centre) | Via Sainsbury's, Langney, Westham, Stone Cross, Polegate, Farmlands Way, Hamlands, Kings Drive & Carew Road |
| 251 | Tunbridge Wells | Heathfield | Via Frant, Mark Cross, Mayfield, Five Ashes & Cross in Hand |
| 252 | Tunbridge Wells | Heathfield | Via Frant, Mark Cross, Rotherfield, Mayfield, Five Ashes & Cross in Hand |
School services
| Route | Between | And | Route details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 57 | Sovereign Centre | Willingdon School | Via ASDA, Pevensey Bay, Beachlands, Westham, Stone Cross & Polegate |
| 58 | Langney Shopping Centre | Willingdon School | Via Friday Street, Stone Cross & Polegate |
| 501 | Shinewater | Ratton School | Via Langney, Beatty Road, Seaside, Town Centre & District Hospital |
[edit] Fleet
The Stagecoach in Eastbourne fleet consists of former Eastbourne Buses' vehicles as well as the Alexander Dennis Enviro300s brought in after Stagecoach's takeover and several more buses that have since been transferred. The Eastbourne buses' livery has been erased now with every bus in the fleet wearing Stagecoach livery as of August 2010.
- Single decker
- 1 Volvo B10M-55/Alexander PS
- 2 Dennis Dart SLF/Marshall Capital
- 3 Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer
- 2 MAN 18.220LF/Alexander ALX300
- 6 DAF SB120/Wright Cadet - all have branding for Eastbourne Loop
- 10 MAN 14.220/MCV Evolution
- 12 Alexander Dennis Enviro300 - all have branding for routes 1/1A (Uno)
- 5 Scania K230UB/Alexander Dennis Enviro300 - all have branding for routes 1/1A (Uno)
- Double decker
- 4 Volvo Olympian/Alexander
- 1 Volvo Olympian/Northern Counties Palatine 1
- 4 DAF DB250/Alexander ALX400
- 5 Dennis Trident 2/Alexander ALX400
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Bus firm is close to being sold". TR Beckett Newspapers. 2008-11-06. http://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/news/Bus-firm-is-close-to.4670109.jp. Retrieved 2008-12-30.
- ^ "Eastbourne Buses was sold for £4million". TR Beckett Newspapers. 2008-11-27. http://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/news/Eastbourne-Buses-was-sold-for.4740549.jp. Retrieved 2008-11-29.
- ^ "MP blasts 'cloak of secrecy' over sale of bus company". TR Beckett Newspapers. 2008-11-20. http://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/news/MP-blasts-39cloak-of-secrecy39.4716091.jp. Retrieved 2008-12-30.
- ^ a b c "How bus company almost went bust". TR Beckett Newspapers. 2008-12-24. http://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/news/How-bus-company-almost-went.4822723.jp. Retrieved 2008-12-30.
- ^ "MP slams bus sale". TR Beckett Newspapers. 2008-12-24. http://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/news/MP-slams-bus-sale.4822737.jp. Retrieved 2008-12-30.
- ^ "Stagecoach axe Cavendish Buses and 40 jobs". TR Beckett Newspapers. 2009-01-15. http://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/news/Stagecoach-axe-Cavendish-Buses-and.4882134.jp. Retrieved 2009-01-22.
- ^ "OFT refers Stagecoach bus acquisitions in Eastbourne to Competition Commission" (Press release). http://www.oft.gov.uk/news/press/2009/62-09. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
- ^ "CC Clears Eastbourne Bus Merger" (Press release). http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/press_rel/2009/oct/pdf/49-09.pdf. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
[edit] External links
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