FIRST AGREES SALE OF SOUTH DEVON BUSINESS TO STAGECOACH
Bus operator, First South West, signed an agreement on the 10th July to sell its operations in South Devon to Stagecoach. On completion of the sale, expected to conclude on the 6th September, the Plymouth bus depot, outstations at Tavistock and Dartmouth and around 250 staff will transfer to Stagecoach.
Alex Carter, Managing Director of First South West, said: “Despite the focus on services and the hard work of everyone in South Devon, unfortunately the business has underperformed for a number of years. I’m pleased we’ve negotiated an agreement to sell and therefore help protect jobs and key services.
“The
sale does not, in any way, reflect the commitment of our employees in
the area who have worked tirelessly to provide the best possible service
to local communities. I’d like to thank them for their hard work and
loyalty over the years. We will be fully supporting them as they
transfer to their new employer.
“We’re proud to have served the South Devon community and would like to thank passengers for travelling with First South West over the years. I can assure our customers that we will continue to run services as normal up to and including 5 September and will ensure a smooth transition.”
AND IN AN EARLIER ANNOUNCEMENT:
The operations at Bracknell, Hereford and Newcastle-under-Lyme will close over the next few months.
Bracknell will close down from the end of service on the 28th August. Whilst some services will transfer to their Slough depot, others will just be withdrawn.
The Potteries operation at Newcastle-under-Lyme will also close at the end of August, but be merged with those out of the Adderley Green depot. As for Hereford, the depot will close down from the 6th September.
And finally it was also announced recently that the ftr bendibuses operated in Swansea will be withdrawn. See the earlier blog posting by clicking here
