Having been purchased by Hulleys to form a combined business in December 2023, the Kent-based Go-Coach operation returned to the ownership of former owner Austin Blackburn at the end of February following the completion of a management buy-out which will see Austin remain in his role as Engineering Director. The business operates 40 routes in North and West Kent, serving over 3,000 customers daily and linking many destinations, covering the Dartford, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells areas.
Austin ran the business until the December 2023 sale, and completed a management buyout on 28 February this year. A new Managing Director and other Senior management members will join the business in the coming months to ensure stability for all staff and customers. The business says its core focus will continue to be providing quality, reliable, and sustainable services and further building on its excellent relationship with Kent County Council and other authorities.
Go-Coach will continue to serve passengers in North and West Kent from its historic art deco Swanley depot, which will celebrate 100 years of operation in August. To celebrate this, Go-Coach will host an open day on 23 August, with many historic and current vehicles attending to celebrate the history of the depot In addition to operating buses, Go-Coach also operates a commercial workshop that provides bus servicing and repairs to external customers and undertakes full vehicle refurbishment and accident repairs. The business says it is progressing an exciting future. It has recently invested in the latest EV technology and infrastructure and will become the first operator to invest in the newly launched Wrightbus Rightech RB6 vehicles. The six metre electric buses will operate on its demand responsive Go2 service, which will operate around the Ebbsfleet area in North Kent.
Austin said: “We are absolutely delighted to bring Go-Coach back under local management and ownership and very excited about the future. We are building an expert team who will expand our innovative operational approach and ensure that we strengthen and grow the business for our customers, staff and communities. We are open for business and look forward to growing our business to provide more commercial, contracted and rail replacement services for the future as well as seeking new areas to grow. We are also very excited about expanding our innovative demand responsive transit service, bringing brand new electric vehicles to the Go2 service in Ebbsfleet in the coming months”
