Carousel Buses

Carousel Buses

Irisbus Agora in High Wycombe in July 2009
Parent Go-Ahead Group
Founded 2000
Headquarters High Wycombe
Service area Buckinghamshire
Hertfordshire
Greater London
Service type Bus services
Routes 15
Fleet 38 (September 2013)
Website www.carouselbuses.co.uk

Carousel Buses[1] is a bus company based in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. It is a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group.

History

Northern Counties Palatine bodied Leyland Olympian in High Wycombe in July 2009
Mercedes-Benz Citaro in the original livery for route A40 in High Wycombe in July 2009

Carousel Buses was formed in 2000. It initially expanded by winning Buckinghamshire County Council contracts.[2]

In August 2003 route A40 High Wycombe to Heathrow Airport commenced, initially using second-hand Leyland Olympian double-deckers.[3] By April 2004 these had been replaced by new low-floor Mercedes-Benz Citaro single-deck buses, in a dedicated silver and red livery.[4] The route, which runs in partnership with Buckinghamshire County Council and Heathrow Airport Holdings, was formally introduced in January 2004.[5]

The company launched a new commercial route in June 2004, replacing services withdrawn by Arriva Shires & Essex between High Wycombe and Lane End.[6]

In March 2008 Carousel introduced routes 35 and 36, branded as Purple Route, to replace a withdrawn Arriva Shires & Essex service to Flackwell Heath.[7] The 35 was temporarily withdrawn in January 2010 because of road conditions, but was later restored.[8] In October 2008 the majority of services to Winchmore Hill were withdrawn, leaving the village with just one bus a day.[9]

In August 2009 route 336, which had previously run between Watford and Amersham, was extended to High Wycombe reinstating a through link for the first time in 30 years. The network of routes linking Chesham and Amersham, numbered 373, 374 and 375, were rationalised into two routes, the 71 and 73, running hourly between the two locations.[10]

In September 2009 two new routes were introduced, route 740 supplemented the A40 between High Wycombe and Uxbridge, increasing the overall frequency to every 30 minutes and route 730 from Chesham to Heathrow Airport.[11]

A further change saw the existing route to Lane End replaced by new circular routes 2A and 2C in April 2010.[12]

In March 2012 Carousel Buses was purchased by the Go-Ahead Group. Carousel retains its identity, with its management passing to the group's Oxford Bus Company operation.[13] Go-Ahead had previously operated services in the High Wycombe area under the Wycombe Bus name, but sold this operation to Arriva in December 2000.[14][15]

Fleet

As at September 2013 the fleet consisted of 38 buses.[16] The fleet is numbered in the Oxford Bus Company series.[17]

References

  1. ↑ Companies House extract company no 4062073 Carousel Buses Limited
  2. ↑ Bus service competition Oxford & Chiltern Bus Page February 2006
  3. ↑ Aldridge, John (November 2003). "In London: A40 begins operation". Buses (584): 13.
  4. ↑ Millar, Alan (June 2004). "Silver Citaros blush for real". Buses (591): 7.
  5. ↑ Five new bus services to be launched Bucks Free Press 6 January 2004
  6. ↑ Commuter criticses village bus service Bucks Free Press 17 June 2004
  7. ↑ Community spirit restores cancelled bus route Bucks Free Press 18 March 2008
  8. ↑ Bus firm pulls service following pothole damage (From Bucks Free Press)
  9. ↑ Residents left with one bus a day Bucks Free Press 31 October 2008
  10. ↑ High Wycombe to Watford bus to return Bucks Free Press 24 August 2009
  11. ↑ New bus to Heathrow launched This Is Local London 28 September 2009
  12. ↑ New look bus services for High Wycombe Bucks Free Press 13 April 2010
  13. ↑ Go-Ahead Acquires Carousel Buses Limited Go-Ahead Group 20 February 2012
  14. ↑ Go Ahead buys Carousel and eyes further bolt-on deals Transport Xtra 20 February 2012
  15. ↑ Go-Ahead annual results 30 June 2001 Go-Ahead Group plc
  16. ↑ Fleet List unofficialcarouselinfoblogspot 2 September 2013
  17. ↑ Renumbering of fleet Oxford & Chilterns Bus Page 19 April 2012
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