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Not to be confused with Stagecoach Bluebird, a bus operator in Aberdeen, or Blue Bird Corporation, an American manufacturer of buses.

Alexander Dennis Enviro 300 on route 112 in Manchester in July 2008
ParentMichael Dunstan
FoundedJuly 1988
Ceased operation3 March 2013
HeadquartersGreengate
Service areaGreater Manchester
Service typeBus operator
HubsMiddleton bus station
Depots1
Fleet49 (May 2012)
Websitewww.bluebirdbus.co.uk

Bluebird Bus & Coach was a bus operator based in Greengate in Chadderton, Greater Manchester between July 1988 and March 2013.

History

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Bluebird Bus & Coach was formed in July 1988[1] when Tom Dunstan, a former Greater Manchester PTE area manager, bought a small coach company called Bluebird of Middleton. Tom Dunstan died in 2004 and the company was taken over by his son Michael. The first route operated was commercial service 112, which was followed by a number of contracted routes. In 2006 and 2007, Bluebird expanded its operating area to Oldham introducing buses on routes 181, 182, 402, 410 and 411.[2]

In November 2008, Bluebird was the first operator to run the Bolton Metroshuttle service[3] before being replaced by Maytree Travel in January 2010, although the company would resume running a Metroshuttle service later that year, when they took the operation of the Stockport Metroshuttle service from Swan's Travel,[4] although their Metroshuttle operation ended in March 2011, when the Stockport Metroshuttle service was taken over by Stagecoach Manchester.[5]

On 7 November 2012, it was announced that Stagecoach Manchester had purchased the business, although the deal was subject to clearance from the Office of Fair Trading[1][6][7][8] and was approved on 22 February 2013.[9] The purchase included Bluebird's 40 vehicles, 80 staff members and its lease on the depot at Greengate and was completed on 3 March 2013.[10]

Fleet

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As at May 2012, the fleet consisted of 49 buses.[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Stagecoach Group to make swoop for Bluebird". Manchester Evening News. 7 November 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
  2. ^ Lidstone, John G (April 2009). "Fleet in Focus: Bluebird Bus & Coach". Buses (649): 55.
  3. ^ "Bolton Metroshuttle takes off, Stockport's due by Christmas". Manchester Buses. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  4. ^ "GMITA - Metroshuttle Patronage and Performance". GMITA. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  5. ^ "GMPTE - Buses - Latest Changes". GMPTE. Archived from the original on 13 January 2010. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  6. ^ "Acquisition of bus operations in North Manchester". Stagecoach Group. 7 November 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
  7. ^ Stagecoach agrees £2m Bluebird deal Herald Scotland 8 November 2012
  8. ^ Stagecoach buys Bluebird - if OfT agrees Archived 12 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine Bus & Coach Professional 9 November 2012
  9. ^ "Anticipated acquisition by Greater Manchester Buses (South) Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Stagecoach plc, of Bluebird Bus & Coach" (PDF). Office of Fair Trading. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
  10. ^ "ManchesterBluebird". Stagecoach Bus. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
  11. ^ Fleet Bluebird
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