De-regulation of buses in Leeds

Loiner Paul · Post by **Loiner Paul** » Mon 15 Sep, 2008 12:12 pm

Does everyone remember when the buses in Leeds were de-regulated back in the early 1980's?We were told that dozens of new bus company's were going to flood the streets with buses all seeking out passengers and that it would be better for us the travelling public. Yorkshire Rider (post Leeds City Transport, pre First Group) at the time were concerned that the new rival company's would target the profitable and busiest routes. So in their wisdom they decided to run mini buses on these routes. Everyone packed in like sardines (about 16 passengers per bus), no room if you had more than 1 bag, heaven help you if you got sat next to a large person!!I remember them on the route I lived on at the time, no. 42 from Old Farnley to Gipton, but cannot remember them on any others. I'm sure they were on other routes. Does anyone remember how long they lasted on the streets?

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Mon 15 Sep, 2008 1:01 pm

De-regulation Day (or actually DEEESASTER DAY) was Ontober 26th 1986 when METRO (Leeds City Transport ceased on local g overnment reorganisation in 1974) stood down as you say for Yorkshire Rider. In view of the indecent haste and dodgy legislation with which De-regulation was introduced Yorkshire Rider actually did commendably well to retain some sort of sensible network from Day 1. Large numbers of leased vehicles were returned to the hirers as mileage was drastically reduced through West Yorkshire (not just Leeds). The minibus scheme was a reasonable and calculated (as far as they could in advance) idea to "test the water" in the strange new world. In the event it did turn out to be totally unsuitable but hindsight isd a wonderful thing. As well as the 42 route they also ran "In packs" on the number 6 to Halton Moor, and on the 38 from Wortley to Stanks. One could write a book about the pros (few) and cons(many) of the idea, especially the financial side, where it was hoped that the extra staff would be financed by lower purchasing and maintenace costs of the Transit and Sherpa converted vans - a fair amount of which were delivered ONLY just in time, or indeed not quite, in the mad rush.One of our other correspondents on here knows a lot more about this than me, but as far as I recall the little delivery vans, both types excellent and respected for their intended purpose, were not up to the heavy loadings and city stopping work into which they were thrown by an Industry which had robustly warned the unbending and "not for turning" Iron Lady and her sidekick Sir Nicholas Ridley and his sidekick Mr. David Mitchell. The latter famous for his gaff of a speech where he looked out of his room at the Queen's to see in City Square at 0845 am "all those empty double decker buses" - he just failed to notice the 80 plus workers who'd just got off each of them !!With certain few very creditable exceptions DeRegulation has been a abominable disaster and a real treat fro many "get rich quick" merchants who have chosen to ignore every aspect of the Road Traffic Acts - and have largely got away with it - since 1986 the Traffic Commisioners appear to have "had their teeth pulled" to a very large extent. During my last fourteen years a s a driver in the Pontefract/Doncaster/Hemsworth/ Barnsley areas I have had to run the job properly with a reputable firm while trying trying to beat the criminal and uncbelievable antics of some of the cowboys and their delapidated heaps. In case any friend on here thinks I'm exaggerating, I promise that I am understating to some tune !!

kierentc · Post by **kierentc** » Mon 15 Sep, 2008 1:52 pm

i used to live in the primley parks then, just down the road from where the 71 bus (think it was the 33 then) terminated. so i'd walk up PP mount and often see a bus waiting and had to leg it up the hill so it didn't leave before i got thereexcept on dereg day where i looked up the hill to see four buses all sat there at the stop, lol.

Fleetline · Post by **Fleetline** » Mon 15 Sep, 2008 6:10 pm

Well at Leeds wasn't inundated with too many operators unlike some other cities to mention. Names that have been and gone include;Black Prince (probably would still be going if Brian Crowther hadn't fallen ill)Muffit and Taylor (Leeds-Morley Service)Miramar (Leeds- Morley Services)Airebus (Leeds - Tyersall)Yelloway (Leeds-Huddersfield-Rochdale-Bury) Didn't last long!Angloblue (Pudsey-Crossgates)Four Seasons (Leeds-Castleford)White Rose (Leeds-Castleford) remember the Routemasters!Rhodes of Yeadon (Leeds-Otley)Pride of the Road (Leeds-Middleton)Abbeyways (Leeds-Huddersfield)SUT (Leeds to Sheffield)Any others?Fleet

edgey2001 · Post by **edgey2001** » Mon 15 Sep, 2008 7:58 pm

I do remember Black Prince very well, They had a couple of routemasters and some dodgey old double deckers, not an expert on buses so dont know the names of them, one of the drivers had a mohican haircut and used to drive like a man posessed, the bus was that old I thought it was going fall to bits, they also used to arrive 5 mins before the Yorkshire Rider buses and I did see altercations between the drivers from time to time.

Loiner Paul · Post by **Loiner Paul** » Mon 15 Sep, 2008 8:05 pm

White Rose (Leeds - Castleford), I'd forgotten about them. I remember people waiting for the Castleford buses outside Jacomelli's old pub on Boar Lane, letting the Arriva buses go just so they could travel on the Routemaster. I bet Arriva wished they'd come up with such a cunning plan!!!!

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Mon 15 Sep, 2008 10:15 pm

There was CityLink with yellow and red double deckers, who i don't think lasted long.Not sure where they ran from but I got one once from Wortley into Leeds after a job interview (1987?)Quite a bit later on (mid / late 90's?) there was Taylors who ran the 29 from Seacroft to Leeds, who were quite popular with many as they still had a smoking section on their buses! They also ran quite modern single deckers rather than the usual independents rubbish (such as knackered Nationals and the like). They were bought our by Arriva who soon discontinued the service - although the buses are still sometimes spotted in and around Halifax in Arriva colours.And weren't Quickstep an independent running elderly buses to St James' from Leeds before being swallowed up by YR?Pride of the Road operated in competition with half a dozen Yorkshire Rider services through south Leeds and were subject to all sorts of underhand shenanigans, from Yorkshire Rider staff selling YR only tickets at the city centre stops, to their buses being "accidentally" blocked in at the Corn Exchange for anything up to 15 minutes at a time. I was also on one that was rammed from behind by a YR bus just as you go over Leeds Bridge, accidentally I'm sure. We continued on our journey with no rear window in the our bus while the YR passengers were decanted onto a service following directly behind.Sadly they didn't last long.Those early days were madness though with the big operators throwing as many buses and staff as possible at the routes with competition, often at the expense of those routes where they had the monopoly.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Mon 15 Sep, 2008 11:14 pm

CITY LINK was a very tiny operation started up by Potteries Motor Traction of Stoke on Trent, with a view to expanding and poaching rapidly in this area. I got a driving job with them before turning it down when I found that I was expected to do cleaning and engineering checks as well as being "senior driver in charge" - which quite simply means being a mug on the end of the phone 24/7. To be fair though, it was properly run by a very reputable operator (PMT was a recently privatised former National Bus Company subsidiary). Proper servicing and garaging facilities had been arranged with British Road Services off Gelderd Road somwhere.Only three or four buses were allocated at Leeds, and the route was the 66 from Leeds to Leyshome and, I think, Pudsey.QUICKSTEP was another properly run outfit to be fair, although of course simply unnecessarily poaching passengers from the established operators. The vehicles were elderly but perfectly well maintained and smart Leyland Nationals, and proper servicing facilities were in place. It was started by an ex West Yorkshire Road Car Co. office man called Nigel Jolliffe.

Squatch_11 · Post by **Squatch_11** » Tue 16 Sep, 2008 1:53 pm

In terms of the minibuses that used to go around, I think I remember 2 routes (where they called micro-riders?) There was the 73 that went from the Gamecock pub in Farnley off towards Headingley (near the late great Kirkstall fisheries) where I used to get off to see my Grandad, The other one was one that we used to get home from school in Farnley that ran round the houses a bit. Think it came from the Beulah pub along Hall Lane, then down Butt Lane, up Tong Road and down Water Lane to the Ring Road roundabout. Could've been a 5 or 5a, think it was the wrong route for a 42.Anyway, with our half fare passes, it was a whole 5p fare in 1990 to my mates house!

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Tue 16 Sep, 2008 9:49 pm

I remember the 42 "MicroRiders". Initially the service ran through to Seacroft Centre, but was soon trimmed back to starting at Dib Lane. The minibuses then ran through the Fearnville estate on a revolutionary (at the time) "Hail and Ride" system, presumably to spare the expense of installing a load of new bus stops!Sadly this was occasionally abused by me and my mates who'd stand every 50 yards or so and flag the bus down as soon as it had set off...the things that amuse you as a child! On more than one occasion someone got left behind as the driver cottoned on to our game.I do remember though that they were almost always rammed full by the time they got to the top of Gipton, even more so by Harehills Lane and goodness knows how many people were left behind on the way to town. Simply put, 15 seats every 10 minutes was no replacement for 70 seats plus 15-20 standing every 30 minutes. I'm guessing thats why they didn't last that long?Weren't they all based at the Sovereign Street depot?