Abus (bus operator)

Abus is an English bus company based in Bristol that operates school bus services in Bath and Sainsbury's shopper buses around South Bristol.

Abus
Abus Optare Spectra bodied DAF DB250 in Bristol in October 2019
ParentAlan Peters
FoundedMay 1991
HeadquartersSt Philip's Marsh, Bristol
Service areaSomerset
Service typeBus operator
Routes11 (including 6 shopper buses, 2 school buses) [1]
Depots1
Fleet4 (September 2022)
Websitewww.abus.co.uk

History

Abus was founded in May 1991 by former Badgerline manager Alan Peters with an Eastern Coach Works bodied Daimler Fleetline on route A49 from Bristol to Keynsham competing with Badgerline's 349. In February 1992, it began operating its first service under contract to Avon County Council. From 1997, it began operating route 349 in co-operation with Badgerline.[2][3][4]

In 1998, Abus operated the first low floor double deck bus in the world, an Optare Spectra bodied DAF DB250. In 1999, it began operating co-ordinated services from Castle Cary railway station to the Glastonbury Festival.[3][4] By 2016, it was operating route X9 from Bristol to Nailsea under contract to First West of England.[5]

In June 2016, Abus operated 24 buses.[5]

In November 2018, ten buses were destroyed in a fire at Abus' St Philip's Marsh depot.[6][7] With the pending introduction of a low-emission zone in Bristol that would require much of the fleet to be replaced, Peters decided to semi-retire with operations on service 349 ceasing on 28 August 2021.[3][4][8] Since ceasing operations on service 349, the company gained 6 shopper routes to and from Winterstoke Road Sainsbury's in South Bristol, and also operates school buses R2 & R3 to Ralph Allen School in Bath.

After First West of England started withdrawing routes owing to a driver shortage and commercial nonviability, it came to some of the smaller operators such as Abus to take some routes on. On September 27 Abus officially started running route 22 between the University of Bath and Twerton. Following this on October 10 Abus started running route 96 in South Bristol between Hengrove and Brislington. As well as this they operated route 178 between Brislington P&R and Paulton jointly with Citistar with Abus providing one journey in each direction daily. Both the 96 and 178 were withdrawn on April 2nd.

Fleet

As of September 2023, Abus operate five buses:

  • DAF DB250 Optare Spectra - AP04 BUS
  • Scania N94UD OmniDekka - 704 BYL
  • Scania N94UD OmniDekka - YN54 AEY
  • Scania N94UD OmniDekka - YN54 AEZ
  • Volvo B7TL East Lancs Myllennium Vyking - PA04 CYF

References
  1. "Abus - Bristol's Independent Bus Services".
  2. Standing the Test of Time Coach & Bus Week issue 1429 28 January 2020 pages 16-21
  3. Abus closes after 30 years Buses issue 799 October 2021 pages 14/15
  4. Abus Farewell Bus & Coach Preservation November 2021 page 19
  5. Fleet in Focus Buses issue 736 July 2016 page 81
  6. Buses torched at Bristol depot overnight BBC News 5 November 2018
  7. Fire at Abus thought to be deliberate Coach & Bus Week issue 1367 6 November 2018 page 11
  8. Service changes September 2021 Abus
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