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Bath Bus Company

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Bath Bus Company
Unvi Urbis-bodied Volvo B9TL tour bus in The Circus, Bath
in 2015
ParentRATP Group
Founded1997
HeadquartersBath
Service areaBath
Cardiff
Windsor
Service typeBus services
Open top bus tours
Depots3
Fleet36 (October 2014)
Chief executiveMartin Curtis
Websitewww.bathbuscompany.com

Bath Bus Company[1] is an English open top bus operator operating in Bath, Cardiff, and Windsor. It is a subsidiary of the RATP Group.

History

Alexander ALX400-bodied Volvo B7TL on an 'Air Decker' service in Bath in 2015

Bath Bus Company was formed in May 1997 by Martin Curtis and three other former Badgerline managers. It commenced operating open top tours in Bath with Bristol VRTs and an AEC Routemaster. It diversified into the operation of tendered services. In 1999, Bath Bus Company became a City Sightseeing franchisee.[2]

In June 2004, the business was purchased by Ensignbus, who transferred its existing City Sightseeing operations in Cardiff, Eastbourne and Windsor to become part of Bath Bus Company.[3][4] In February 2011, the business was purchased by the RATP Group.[2][5][6]

On 21 November 2014, The UK's first bus powered entirely by human and food waste has gone into service between Bristol and Bath and is run by the company. The biomethane gas is generated at Bristol sewage treatment works in Avonmouth, which is run by GENeco, a subsidiary of Wessex Water.[7]

Services

As well as open top bus tours in Bath, Cardiff and Windsor, Bath Bus Company operates a service from Bath to Bristol Airport branded as Air Decker.[8] It also operates a service from Cardiff to St Fagans National History Museum.[2]

Fleet

As at October 2014, the fleet consisted of 36 buses.[2]

References

  1. ^ Companies House extract company no 329006 Bath Bus Company Limited
  2. ^ a b c d "In Focus: Bath Bus Company" Buses issue 716 November 2014 page 81
  3. ^ Martin Curtis: Top draw sightseeing in Bath Bus & Coach Professional 30 August 2006
  4. ^ The History of Ensignbus Ensignbus
  5. ^ Tour de France: city bus firm bought by European business Bath Chronicle 2 March 2011
  6. ^ RATP Dev announces the acquisition of the Original Tour RATP Group 11 September 2014
  7. ^ "UK's first 'poo bus' goes into service between Bristol and Bath". BBC News. 21 November 2014.
  8. ^ Airport Service Archived 16 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine Bath Bus Company