Fleetline 6667

[Beano2211]

I'll have to try and find the date, wish I'd kept a better record of photos back then!

[karl724223]

Drove 897 regular at west brom as it was a manual and it was put on the 238 regular

[winston]

Thank you Tony, it seems the original caption on the photo had some elements of 6667 history confused, but the Stevensons part is understandable. On a different note, did any Stevensons vehicles (not former WM buses) run for WMT on takeover or was it just routes?

I think there was a Mercedes minibus taken on 897? Think it had a Glasgow registration plate, and think it ended up at WB

I think only one Stevensons vehicle actually got painted
https://www.flickr.com/photos/44483738@N05/4385386343/
although AG had a 'D' reg Merc in Yellow for a time

@Tony Does  your photo collection cover the early-mid 1990's era of WMT takeovers i.e. Yourbus, Metrowest, Stevensons (WM Ops), Merry Hill Minibuses (TMH) etc?

[busfan2847]

Thanks Beano2211! Looks like the side advert is still the same on the Wolverhampton photo.

It will be sometime between 1/94 and 5/94, after Merseyside and before returning to Perry Barr. That is the only non-definate bit I have in it's history, and would also tie in with the advert and fleetnumber. definately left for Merseyside 1/94 and didn't leave the West Midlands after 7/94. Darlington must have been in that gap

Found another photo in Darlington with a date of 26th Mar 1994 ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/56225636@N05/6642843229 ).

[j789]

It certainly seems 6667 got around the country. Was Darlington an employee owned company too back then? Did they borrow any other Fleetlines?

[Beano2211]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/74298013@N05/7337004964/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/74298013@N05/7337004168/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/74298013@N05/7337004436/

Some more I took, don't know how many they had in total. They had some from Nottingham as well.

[winston]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/74298013@N05/7337004964/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/74298013@N05/7337004168/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/74298013@N05/7337004436/

Some more I took, don't know how many they had in total. They had some from Nottingham as well.

Did DTC loan those buses before the Stagecoach onslaught running free buses?

Was it also pre- the WMT acquisition of North East Bus Group?

[busfan2847]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/74298013@N05/7337004964/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/74298013@N05/7337004168/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/74298013@N05/7337004436/

Some more I took, don't know how many they had in total. They had some from Nottingham as well.

Did DTC loan those buses before the Stagecoach onslaught running free buses?

Was it also pre- the WMT acquisition of North East Bus Group?

Answering your questions the other way round! Yes it was pre WMT acquisition of North-East Bus which took place on 24th November 1994. After the National Express takeover of WMT (25th April 1995) the peripheral businesses were sold. North East bus being sold 30th June 1996

Yes it was before the Stagecoach onslaught (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darlington_Bus_War )

"According to government rules, DBC were obliged to sell DTC by competitive tender. After initial enquiries, from 11 initial interested parties, 3 were short listed as preferred bidders for DTC on 14 October 1994:

    Yorkshire Traction: £1.5m
    Busways: £1,033,333
    Badgerline: £825,000

As United were already a competitor in the town, they were barred from the bid process on competition grounds. Accordingly, on 24 October 1994 DBC selected Yorkshire Traction as the preferred bidder.

On learning of the successful bid by Yorkshire Traction, the drivers union of DTC made representations to Busways that Yorkshire Traction were not their preferred bidder, and the majority of drivers would probably be interested in joining Busways' new operation. Accordingly, with worries over recruitment and training now reduced, Busways registered all of DTC's commercial routes, and commenced a recruitment drive.

Busways quickly recruited over 60% of DTC's drivers by 7 November. Amid concerns that DTC would not be able to fulfil its services due to driver shortage, and with concerns over United having a free hand in Darlington if DTC collapsed, Busways requested an advance on their registration date. This was refused. Busways exploited a loophole in the regulations, and began operating free buses on their Darlington network. Busways called in several vehicles from its other subsidiaries, and repainted several of its surplus Atlanteans into Stagecoach stripes, notable because none of Busways Atlanteans were ever painted in Stagecoach livery.

In response to Busways initial route network, and on commencement of driver recruitment, Yorkshire Traction withdrew their bid for DTC on 2 November. DBC were unable to reach a sale with any other buyer, and Busways declined a new approach.

With no other buyers, with difficulty running their services due to driver shortage, and ongoing concern at the financial viability of DTC in the long term, DTC was placed into administration on 9 November 1994, with all services withdrawn by 11 November. Due to DTC's collapse, Busways was then granted permission to start running revenue collecting services from 28 November.
Aftermath and inquiry conclusions

Your Bus ceased operations on 16 December, selling its vehicles to West Midlands Travel. This left just Busways and United operating in Darlington. On the instigation of DBC, still concerned at over-bussing and congestion, both companies agreed to reduce service levels by March 1995.

In the summary of the competition inquiry into the larger issues in bus services in the north east, concerning the collapse of DTC, the commission stated:

"It was the combination of Busways' actions in recruiting so many of DTC's drivers so quickly, registering services on all its routes and running free services which caused DTC's final collapse. We find these actions to be predatory, deplorable and against the public interest."

It stated that while registration of routes and recruitment of competitors drivers was not against the spirit of deregulation, it commented that the scale of Busways actions were unprecedented, and were attributable to Busways considerable dominance in the region, and ability to absorb losses due to free services."