CBW’s latest Superfeature is on First West of England, a business doing its best to reinvent itself in fast changing times. Andy Izatt sets the scene
CBW’s Superfeature in this issue is on First West of England, selected because like First Kernow featured in CBW, September 7, 2017, it’s a business reinventing itself as it focuses on putting passengers centre stage. James Freeman was appointed Managing Director in October 2014 and as he outlines on p20, has a clear objective for the company. “I want it to be part of the community that we serve – a respected, valued part of the community,” he says.
With chronic congestion in the main population centre it serves, Bristol, and not much better in satellite cities and towns such as Bath and Weston-super-Mare, the challenges facing First West of England are not inconsiderable as James is the first to acknowledge. Service delivery hasn’t always been where it should be – a historic issue that for a variety of reasons has dogged the company for decades.
In last week’s issue (CBW, November 28, 2017), we set the stage by highlighting some of the steps that are being taken to turn that situation around. The message this week is that these are exciting times for a company that has had a significant number of new buses delivered, is reaping the rewards of embracing smartphone technology to reach its customers and is about to offer contactless after being reequipped with Ticketer ticket machines.
Significant developments to look forward to are the much anticipated opening of the first two stages of Bristol’s MetroBus BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) and the introduction of a fleet of gas-fuelled Scania Enviro400 City double-deckers that will contribute towards improving air quality in the east of Bristol. First West of England is in the spotlight.
More than 140 years of history
First West of England can trace its history back to the Bristol Tramways Company formed by George White in 1875. In 1887 it merged with the Bristol Cab Company to create the Bristol Tramways & Carriage Company.
Electric trams were introduced in 1895 and motor buses from 1906. Two years later it started building its own buses, selling them to other operators and what became Brislington-based Bristol Commercial Vehicles continued to manufacture chassis that were primarily bodied by Eastern Coach Works of Lowestoft until 1983 by which time it was part of Leyland.
Bristol Tramways’ operating territory was extended to Bath in 1909, Weston-super-Mare in 1910, Cheltenham in 1912 and Gloucester a year later – a process that continued after World War One with Swindon in 1921, Wells in 1922 and Coleford during 1924. Greyhound Motors of Bristol, which had started a coach service between its home city and London, was acquired in 1928.[wlm_nonmember][…]
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The White family’s controlling interest in Bristol Tramways was sold to the Great Western Railway (GWR) in 1929, which then passed it on to the Western National Omnibus Company three years later along with services it operated in Swindon, Weston-super-Mare and between Cheltenham and Oxford. Western National was half owned by GWR and the Tilling Group, the latter taking control of it.
In Bristol the Corporation had the power to purchase the city’s tramways, but the option was never exercised. Instead Bristol Joint Services was formed in 1937, which controlled the city’s trams until 1941 when they ceased and its buses until 1978.
The Tilling Group’s bus interests were nationalised in 1948 when Bristol Tramways became a subsidiary of the British Transport Commission. Rationalisation of the Stroud operations of Red & White and Western National saw them pass to Bristol in 1950. Bristol Tramways was also given control of what had been another Red & White operation, Cheltenham District Traction and relinquished its services in the Forest of Dean in return. Following the acquisition of Dundry Pioneer in 1950, the company had control of bus operations in Bristol, Bath, North Somerset and much of Gloucestershire. It changed its name to the Bristol Omnibus Company in 1957.
A colour ban that denied non-white employment at Bristol Omnibus resulted in a 60-day boycott by the public in 1963. Black and Asian bus crews were employed from September that year.
In 1963, Bristol Omnibus was transferred along with other British Transport Commission assets to the state-owned Transport Holding Company. Following the creation of the state-owned National Bus Company (NBC), which took them over in 1969, Western National’s operation in Trowbridge was transferred to Bristol Omnibus the following year.
NBC hived off the Cheltenham, Gloucester, Stroud and Swindon operations of Bristol Omnibus to create the Cheltenham & Gloucester Omnibus Company in 1983. What remained of Bristol Omnibus was split into two business units. Citybus was responsible for routes within Bristol while Bristol Country Bus took over services in Bath, Somerset and Wiltshire. Two years later, the latter was rebranded Badgerline, becoming a separate company that was privatised in a management buyout during 1986. That was the year that Cheltenham & Gloucester was also privatised in a management buyout, growing through acquisition to become Western Travel prior to sale to Stagecoach in 1993.
What was left of Bristol Omnibus was rebranded City Line in 1985, but two years later it was sold to Midland Red West, another NBC subsidiary that had been sold to its management the previous year. In 1988 Midland Red West sold to Badgerline which had grown into one of the major new privately-owned bus groups. Badgerline merged with GRT to form First Bus in 1995 and the original Badgerline company was merged with City Line the following year.
The legal entity that had been Badgerline Ltd was renamed First City Line Ltd in 2001 and became the operator of Bristol city services. The legal entity that had been First Bristol Buses Ltd, previously the Bristol Omnibus Company, was renamed First Somerset & Avon in 2003 after merging with the Somerset operations of First Southern National. However, Bridgewater and Taunton depots were transferred to First South West in 2014 and rebranded The Buses of Somerset.
In December 2016 all First City Line operated services were transferred to First Somerset & Avon and the company was renamed First West of England in June 2017. That means Bristol city routes are once more operated by the same legal entity that was created by George White in 1875.
As well as Managing Director James Freeman outlining his objectives, we have interviews with Engineering Director Rich Northey, MetroBus Project Manager Shalando Williams, Punctuality & Reliability Manager Matt Parker, Commercial Manager Simon Ford, External Business Relationship Manager Sue Arrowsmith and Staff Operations Manager at Weston-super-Mare and Wells Chris Hanson. As James emphasises, it’s all about the people.[/wlm_ismember]
