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Wilts & Dorset
Wilts & Dorset was a bus and coach operator providing services in East Dorset, South Wiltshire and West Hampshire. It was purchased by Go-Ahead Group in 2003 and was rebranded as Morebus in Dorset and Salisbury Reds in Wiltshire in 2012.
Wilts & Dorset Motor Services Limited was incorporated in 1915, with its head office in Amesbury, Wiltshire, moving to Salisbury in 1917. The company's first route was between Salisbury and Amesbury. The company grew rapidly in the Andover, Amesbury, Blandford Forum, Pewsey and Salisbury areas; despite the name, the company's operations were mainly in the southern part of Wiltshire and the northern part of Hampshire. The Southern Railway and Thomas Tilling obtained shares in 1931, with Wilts & Dorset being nationalised in 1948. It acquired Venture of Basingstoke in 1950, in a reorganisation following the nationalisation of Venture's parent, Red & White, and acquired Silver Star of Porton Down, Wiltshire in May 1963.
In 1963, the management of Wilts & Dorset passed to Hants & Dorset, a neighbouring state-owned bus company. In 1969, both companies became part of the National Bus Company (NBC) and, in October 1972, both companies were merged under the Hants & Dorset name, with the Wilts & Dorset name ceasing to be used.
The Transport Act 1985 led to the privatisation of the NBC, and in preparation for deregulation taking effect on 26 October 1986, Hants & Dorset was split into three operating companies in April 1983, one of which was the Wilts & Dorset Bus Company. The new Wilts & Dorset company's operating area was considerably larger than its older namesake, including Swanage, Poole, Bournemouth, Lymington, Devizes, Swindon and Salisbury, but not Basingstoke. Depots were located in Blandford Forum, Lymington, Pewsey, Poole, Ringwood, Salisbury and Swanage.
In June 1987, Wilts & Dorset was sold in a management buyout, beating a rival bid for the takeover of the company by Badger Vectis, a short-lived consortium between former NBC subsidiaries Badgerline and Isle of Wight bus operator Southern Vectis; following the buyout, bus wars endured between Wilts & Dorset and Badgerline within Salisbury.
Damory Coaches of Blandford Forum was purchased in May 1993, followed by Oakfield Travel and Stanbridge & Crichel Bus Company in November 1993, and by Blandford Bus Company in January 1994; all were combined under the Damory Coaches name. Tourist Coaches was also purchased by Wilts & Dorset during the 1990s, Independents coach company Levers and Thamesdown Transport coaching arm Kingston Coaches were purchased and consolidated under the Tourist Coaches name; independent Bell's Coaches was later added in 2003.
On 11 August 2003, Wilts & Dorset was sold to the Go-Ahead Group for £31.6 million (equivalent to £63,104,000 in 2023).
On 31 July 2008, a Wilts & Dorset open-top bus collided with two cars between Studland and the local chain ferry, injuring 30 people. The bus, a route 50 service travelling from Swanage to Bournemouth, collided with both a Volkswagen Golf and a Porsche; the latter was driving away from the chain ferry on Ferry Road and crashed head on with the bus and the other car. A number of passengers reported the bus travelled a distance on two wheels and the eventual toppling took place at low speed. The top-deck passengers were all thrown off onto soft ground in a ditch and six passengers were taken to Poole Hospital with minor injuries. The driver of the Porsche was later convicted of driving without due care and attention.
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Wilts & Dorset
Wilts & Dorset was a bus and coach operator providing services in East Dorset, South Wiltshire and West Hampshire. It was purchased by Go-Ahead Group in 2003 and was rebranded as Morebus in Dorset and Salisbury Reds in Wiltshire in 2012.
Wilts & Dorset Motor Services Limited was incorporated in 1915, with its head office in Amesbury, Wiltshire, moving to Salisbury in 1917. The company's first route was between Salisbury and Amesbury. The company grew rapidly in the Andover, Amesbury, Blandford Forum, Pewsey and Salisbury areas; despite the name, the company's operations were mainly in the southern part of Wiltshire and the northern part of Hampshire. The Southern Railway and Thomas Tilling obtained shares in 1931, with Wilts & Dorset being nationalised in 1948. It acquired Venture of Basingstoke in 1950, in a reorganisation following the nationalisation of Venture's parent, Red & White, and acquired Silver Star of Porton Down, Wiltshire in May 1963.
In 1963, the management of Wilts & Dorset passed to Hants & Dorset, a neighbouring state-owned bus company. In 1969, both companies became part of the National Bus Company (NBC) and, in October 1972, both companies were merged under the Hants & Dorset name, with the Wilts & Dorset name ceasing to be used.
The Transport Act 1985 led to the privatisation of the NBC, and in preparation for deregulation taking effect on 26 October 1986, Hants & Dorset was split into three operating companies in April 1983, one of which was the Wilts & Dorset Bus Company. The new Wilts & Dorset company's operating area was considerably larger than its older namesake, including Swanage, Poole, Bournemouth, Lymington, Devizes, Swindon and Salisbury, but not Basingstoke. Depots were located in Blandford Forum, Lymington, Pewsey, Poole, Ringwood, Salisbury and Swanage.
In June 1987, Wilts & Dorset was sold in a management buyout, beating a rival bid for the takeover of the company by Badger Vectis, a short-lived consortium between former NBC subsidiaries Badgerline and Isle of Wight bus operator Southern Vectis; following the buyout, bus wars endured between Wilts & Dorset and Badgerline within Salisbury.
Damory Coaches of Blandford Forum was purchased in May 1993, followed by Oakfield Travel and Stanbridge & Crichel Bus Company in November 1993, and by Blandford Bus Company in January 1994; all were combined under the Damory Coaches name. Tourist Coaches was also purchased by Wilts & Dorset during the 1990s, Independents coach company Levers and Thamesdown Transport coaching arm Kingston Coaches were purchased and consolidated under the Tourist Coaches name; independent Bell's Coaches was later added in 2003.
On 11 August 2003, Wilts & Dorset was sold to the Go-Ahead Group for £31.6 million (equivalent to £63,104,000 in 2023).
On 31 July 2008, a Wilts & Dorset open-top bus collided with two cars between Studland and the local chain ferry, injuring 30 people. The bus, a route 50 service travelling from Swanage to Bournemouth, collided with both a Volkswagen Golf and a Porsche; the latter was driving away from the chain ferry on Ferry Road and crashed head on with the bus and the other car. A number of passengers reported the bus travelled a distance on two wheels and the eventual toppling took place at low speed. The top-deck passengers were all thrown off onto soft ground in a ditch and six passengers were taken to Poole Hospital with minor injuries. The driver of the Porsche was later convicted of driving without due care and attention.