Pete's Travel

[HTA844N]

^{For those people who knew Pete, he unfortunately passed away this week.}

[Solo1]

http://www.myfamilyannouncements.co.uk/expressandstar/view/3876641/jones-peterp

[PM]

Sad news as he was undoubtedly a well liked guy popular with employees of both WMT and Petes alike. He built up a successful business, shame it hit the rocks after his involvement had ended.

Perhaps the most fitting tribute is after several changes of ownership Diamond buses are still running near where he will be laid to rest on the 4, 42, 43, and 401e with a couple of buses he bought equally still in service

R I P to a West Midlands bus industry legend, don't think we'll ever see an operator take on NXWM and build market share in the same way Petes did

[HTA844N]

Exactly my view, very successful in competing with WMT. It was only after Peter Jones' departure when the business started to dip. His son took charge of the business for a time who ended up in debt and decided to give up on the business. Fortunately the business was saved when it merged with Birmingham Coach and formed 'Diamond' part of the Go Ahead Group.

Today we see Diamond operating on routes such as 401, 402 & 404 which were the routes that Pete put the most money into. A thought to bare in mind is that 50% of Pete's successful business still trades today.

R.I.P Peter Jones. Founder of Pete's Travel

[Solo1]

Didn't he work 4 travel wm before he set up petes travel

[PM]

Didn't he work 4 travel wm before he set up petes travel

Yep, as a union man at WB I believe before WMT paid him off around the time WMT dipped quality wise, with strikes etc in 1994.

Agree with @HTA844N plus don't forget Pete's laid the foundations for competition in Redditch and partly in Kidderminster, became Church Lane depot, Go Ahead continued what Petes had built up allowing foundations for Rotala to compete and ultimately buy RH and KR.

Pete Jones clearly had a plan and competed by 2000 based on quality buses on a par with TWM matching them bus for bus, the only way to truly compete with a network extensive enough to partially negate travelcard, shame the op deteriorated.

[Steveminor]

He didn't just compete with buses on a par with wmt but mostly with buses better than wmt. He had the first low floors in birmingham. Ran the 451 with low floors while wmt had metros same on the 97 when wmt had to put your bus on to match him.
He also founded the United movement which saw several small operators get together to match wmt on the 50 bus for bus (no mean feat on a 4 min frequency) . He was the forerunner to how to compete with wmt in my opinion & was I believe the most successful operator the west midlands had & has seen.
A great man has gone & the sad thing is most people will never know.
Good bye Pete you were a great boss & a great man. May God keep you & look after you for eternity.