UK North

[Mayneway]

RE: UK North

(01/02/2019 20:23)djb Wrote:  A poster requested a detailing of UK Norths Wilmslow Road operations - I can't find a UKN thread, so I've started one.

As far as I remember

1995 - Recommenced operations as UKN (from Mybus). Initially on the 42 (Manchester - east Didsbury). Later, operating on the 46/47 as far as Southern Cemetery. Night time only (4-5pm - 3-4am). Fleet of atlanteans, often with the fuel for the night stored under the stairs.......

1999 - entry into daytime operations. Initially on the 42, then the 43 as far as West Didsbury. The 46/47 night service had been dropped by around this time, with the 43 running instead. Newer buses branded student shuttle, despite I think at the time not having a student fare, or a weekly ticket!

The 44 is also picked up under tender around this time, but doesn't last long as stagecoach eventually register commercially along Parrswood road.

2001 onwards- expansion including onto some non - wilmslow road routes, with introduction of secondhand titans and olympians .
- tender picked up for 43N in 2003? - at the time the 43 had no nightbus.
- various expansions of last buses. 42 to stockport, 41 to Altrincham (then running as an 11 nightbus)

2004 - licence reduced (or further expansion refused), GM Buses started operations early 2005.

2005 - massive expansion, weekly ticket £2

2006 - licence revoked

Pretty much right yes. They also picked up a large amount of gmpte tenders, mainly schools but one early contract I remember well was the 169 evening tender.
They also opetared some of the 2002 commenwealth games shuttles using the brand new DAFS and some hired in single deckers from Merseyside.

They had various run ins with the TC. An early one was when they were caught running buses on red diesel. They attempted various times to increase their VA but failed so in the end set up a new company GM Buses ltd and immediately doubled the number of disks they could use.