ComfortDelGro Cabcharge
Encyclopedia
ComfortDelGro Cabcharge Pty Ltd (CDC) is a major Australia
n operator of commuter buses. The company is the second-largest commuter bus operator in New South Wales
, with small operations in Victoria
. The company is a joint venture between Singapore
-based ComfortDelGro Corporation and Cabcharge Australia Limited
. ComfortDelGro owns a 51% stake in the business, Cabcharge 49%. CDC operates services as part of the New South Wales metropolitan bus system under the Westbus, Hillsbus and Hunter Valley brands.
and the Bosnjak
family. The sale price was $106.7 million. The company traces its origins to 1955, with the Bosnjak family's establishment of a bus company in Western Sydney.
and Edensor Park
. The company grew through a series of acquisitions and, in 1983, was renamed Westbus after the region, Western Sydney
, in which it operated.
In 1986, Westbus established a small luxury coach service in the United Kingdom
. Westbus established a separate Hillsbus brand in 1996 to run express services from the Hills District to the city, first via the new Anzac Bridge
and later via the M2 Hills Motorway
.
In 1989, Britain
's National Express
took a controlling stake in Westbus. Members of the founding Bosnjak family continued to hold stakes. The company continued to grow by acquisition.
In January 2005, with debts of $90 million and a parent unwilling to provide further funding, the company was placed into voluntary administration. Westbus's problems threatened a major disruption to Sydney's transport network: the company ranked second only to government-owned State Transit
in the commuter bus industry. The company was acquired by ComfortDelGro Cabcharge in October 2005. The new owners pledged to honour the company's contractual obligations to customers and staff.
The change of ownership saw the company exchange one politically well-connected shareholder, the Bosnjak family
, for another, Cabcharge
's Reginald Kermode.
Westbus sponsor the former Sydney Spirit in the NBL.
region, including Willmot
. Throughout 2006-2007 there have been escalating levels of violent attacks against buses travelling through this suburb especially after dark. This has reached the level of an attack by a person using what was reported by the bus driver and passengers as a "home made rocket launcher". All bus services throughout Wilmot, except school bus services, have been suspended pending discussions between Westbus management, the Transport Workers Union
and police.
In the UK, Westbus operate the 710 commuter service between Maidenhead
and London
, as well as offering coach hire and airport transfers.
came as the depots of Northmead, Seven Hills and Dural were rebranded from Westbus and Glenorie Bus (Dural) to Hillsbus in December 2004. It is the sole contracted operator of Region 4 in Sydney's metropolitan bus network. Hillsbus operates services from depots in Northmead, Seven Hills, Dural and Foundry Road (Seven Hills).
Hillsbus operates the following services:
N.B. Fleet no. 9520 is sign-written as 2500th bus manufactured by Volgren Dandenong in conjunction with Hillsbus and Scania
Hillsbus is currently receiving more buses under the NSW Government's Growth Buses program.
region of New South Wales.
A core element of the company's charter operations is providing transport to the state's premier wine-growing region.
Established as Blue Ribbon Coaches Services in 1986, the company operated from depots at Wallsend
, Raymond Terrace
, Maitland
and Singleton
. In 1999, the Wallsend, Raymond Terrace and Maitland depots were consolidated at a new site in Thornton
. The following year, the company was sold to Westbus, the state's largest private bus operator. In 2005, Westbus and Blue Ribbon were purchased by ComfortDelGro Cabcharge resulting in Blue Ribbon being rebranded as Hunter Valley Buses.
Today Hunter Valley Buses operates a fleet of over 160 buses ranging from mini buses to luxury 5-star coaches and employs over 260 staff. Its commuter network carries 500,000 private passengers and 1 million Hunter school children annually.
. With a fleet of 328 buses and six depots, it was the fourth largest bus operator in the state of Victoria with a market share of 16 per cent. The bus still operates in the livery of Westrans, Eastrans, Benders Busways and Davis Bus Lines, but with a CDC Victoria sticker pasted on the sides of the bus, most notable below the driver's window in the front of the bus.
These Victorian operations are based in depots operating from Altona (trading as Westrans Altona), Oakleigh (trading as Eastrans), Sunshine (trading as Westrans Sunshine) and Werribee (trading as Westrans Werribee) in metropolitan Melbourne and in the major regional centres of Geelong (trading as Benders Busways) and Ballarat (trading as Davis Bus Lines).
ComfortDelgro Cabcharge Victoria (CDC Victoria) operate metropolitan route bus services in the Altona, Caroline Springs, East Keilor, Footscray, Oakleigh, St Albans, Sunshine, Taylors Hill, Werribee and Williamstown Areas.
CDC Victoria operates a regional service in Ballarat covering, Alfredton, Black Hill, Brown Hill, Buninyong, Canandian, Creswick, Delacombe, Eureka, Invermay, Lake Gardens , Miners Rest, Mount Pleasant, Sebastopol, Webbcona and Wendouree.
CDC Victoria operates a regional service in Geelong covering, Belmont, Corio, Grovedale, Hamlyn Heights, Herne Hill, Lara, Newcomb, Newtown, North Shore, Rosewall and Waurn Ponds.
Kefford operated a number of different brands across metropolitan Melbourne
, as well as in the provincial cities of Geelong
and Ballarat
. The take over was completed on 23 February 2009.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n operator of commuter buses. The company is the second-largest commuter bus operator in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, with small operations in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. The company is a joint venture between Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
-based ComfortDelGro Corporation and Cabcharge Australia Limited
Cabcharge
The Cabcharge account payment system was established in 1976 by Mr. Reginald Kermode to provide a convenient way to pay for taxi fares throughout Australia and certain participating companies. It listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in December 1999 and is now an ASX 200 company...
. ComfortDelGro owns a 51% stake in the business, Cabcharge 49%. CDC operates services as part of the New South Wales metropolitan bus system under the Westbus, Hillsbus and Hunter Valley brands.
History
The venture was established on 3 October 2005 to purchase loss-making bus company Westbus from National ExpressNational Express
National Express Coaches, more commonly known as National Express, is a brand and company, owned by the National Express Group, under which the majority of long distance bus and coach services in Great Britain are operated,...
and the Bosnjak
Jim Bosnjak
Jim Bosnjak is an Croatian-Australian businessman who rose to prominence as the chairman of Westbus, Australia's largest privately-owned bus operator...
family. The sale price was $106.7 million. The company traces its origins to 1955, with the Bosnjak family's establishment of a bus company in Western Sydney.
Westbus
Westbus was established in 1955 by the Bosnjak family. The company, known as Bosnjak's Bus Service, operated a fleet of five buses on a route connecting the Sydney suburbs of Canley ValeCanley Vale, New South Wales
Canley Vale is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Canley Vale is located 30 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Fairfield and is part of the South-western Sydney region.-History:Aboriginal people...
and Edensor Park
Edensor Park, New South Wales
Edensor Park is a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Edensor Park is located 38 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Fairfield. It is mainly a residential area, which mainly consists of the middle social class...
. The company grew through a series of acquisitions and, in 1983, was renamed Westbus after the region, Western Sydney
Greater Western Sydney
Greater Western Sydney is a term used to describe the western region of the metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia. The University of Western Sydney defines Greater Western Sydney as comprising 14 local government areas...
, in which it operated.
In 1986, Westbus established a small luxury coach service in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Westbus established a separate Hillsbus brand in 1996 to run express services from the Hills District to the city, first via the new Anzac Bridge
ANZAC Bridge
The ANZAC Bridge or Anzac Bridge , replacing the earlier Glebe Island Bridge, is a large cable-stayed bridge spanning Johnstons Bay between Pyrmont and Glebe Island in proximity to the central business district of Sydney, Australia...
and later via the M2 Hills Motorway
M2 Hills Motorway
The M2 Hills Motorway is a motorway in north-western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It forms part of Sydney Metroad 2 and the 110 km Sydney Orbital Network. West of Pennant Hills Road, the M2 is also part of the National Highway.-History:Previously, Sydney's western suburbs were poorly served...
.
In 1989, Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's National Express
National Express
National Express Coaches, more commonly known as National Express, is a brand and company, owned by the National Express Group, under which the majority of long distance bus and coach services in Great Britain are operated,...
took a controlling stake in Westbus. Members of the founding Bosnjak family continued to hold stakes. The company continued to grow by acquisition.
In January 2005, with debts of $90 million and a parent unwilling to provide further funding, the company was placed into voluntary administration. Westbus's problems threatened a major disruption to Sydney's transport network: the company ranked second only to government-owned State Transit
State Transit Authority of New South Wales
The State Transit Authority of New South Wales is an agency of the Government of New South Wales based in Sydney, Australia operating bus and ferry services. The STA is part of transport minister Gladys Berejiklian's portfolio...
in the commuter bus industry. The company was acquired by ComfortDelGro Cabcharge in October 2005. The new owners pledged to honour the company's contractual obligations to customers and staff.
The change of ownership saw the company exchange one politically well-connected shareholder, the Bosnjak family
Jim Bosnjak
Jim Bosnjak is an Croatian-Australian businessman who rose to prominence as the chairman of Westbus, Australia's largest privately-owned bus operator...
, for another, Cabcharge
Cabcharge
The Cabcharge account payment system was established in 1976 by Mr. Reginald Kermode to provide a convenient way to pay for taxi fares throughout Australia and certain participating companies. It listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in December 1999 and is now an ASX 200 company...
's Reginald Kermode.
Westbus sponsor the former Sydney Spirit in the NBL.
Service disruptions
Westbus provide public transport through the Greater Western SydneyGreater Western Sydney
Greater Western Sydney is a term used to describe the western region of the metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia. The University of Western Sydney defines Greater Western Sydney as comprising 14 local government areas...
region, including Willmot
Willmot, New South Wales
Willmot is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Willmot is located 49 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Blacktown and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region....
. Throughout 2006-2007 there have been escalating levels of violent attacks against buses travelling through this suburb especially after dark. This has reached the level of an attack by a person using what was reported by the bus driver and passengers as a "home made rocket launcher". All bus services throughout Wilmot, except school bus services, have been suspended pending discussions between Westbus management, the Transport Workers Union
Transport Workers Union of Australia
The Transport Workers Union of Australia is a trade union with over 80,000 members throughout Australia. It has 5 main branches in Australia* Australian Capital Territory/New South Wales* Queensland* Victoria/Tasmania...
and police.
Network
Westbus operates services in the following areas:- 600 series bus routes in Sydney's north-western suburbs
- 700 series bus routes in Sydney's western suburbs
- 800 series bus routes in Sydney's outer south-western suburbs
In the UK, Westbus operate the 710 commuter service between Maidenhead
Maidenhead
Maidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, as well as offering coach hire and airport transfers.
Fleet
The Westbus fleet bears a distinctive sunflower-yellow livery like banana colour. The existing and planned fleet includes:- 25x MAN 12.220
- 3x Volvo B10BVolvo B10BThe Volvo B10B was a rear-engined high-floor bus chassis manufactured by Volvo Buses from 1990 to 2002. It superseded the Volvo B10R and its successor was the Volvo B12B....
- 50x Volvo B10M MK III
- 23x Volvo B10BLEVolvo B10BLEThe Volvo B10BLE is a low-entry city bus chassis which was popular in Scandinavia, the United Kingdom and Australia. It was launched around 1992 with the engine mounted on the rear overhang of the bus. It was the successor of the citybus version of Volvo B10B and is used as a base for single-deck...
- 15x Volvo B7RLEVolvo B7RLEVolvo B7RLE is a low-floor single-deck citybus launched initially in Australia in 2001, and then in the United Kingdom in 2003 to supplement the B7L single-decker, which was unsuccessful in both countries. It is similar to the B7L's predecessor, the B10BLE...
Wheelchair Accessible Bus (WAB) - 500x Scania K230UBScania K-seriesScania K-series is a series of bus with longitudinally, straight-up mounted Euro IV engine at the rear. For the 5- and 6-cylinder engines Scania is using exhaust gas recirculation system to fulfill the legal Euro IV emission standard...
12.5m - 300x Scania K280UBScania K-seriesScania K-series is a series of bus with longitudinally, straight-up mounted Euro IV engine at the rear. For the 5- and 6-cylinder engines Scania is using exhaust gas recirculation system to fulfill the legal Euro IV emission standard...
Euro V 12.5m - 100x Scania K270UBScania K-seriesScania K-series is a series of bus with longitudinally, straight-up mounted Euro IV engine at the rear. For the 5- and 6-cylinder engines Scania is using exhaust gas recirculation system to fulfill the legal Euro IV emission standard...
14.5m (3-axle)
Hillsbus
Hillsbus, named for the Sydney's Hills DistrictHills District (Sydney)
Hills District or The Hills is a general term for the north-western suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Hills District is also referred to as The Sydney Hills and The Hills Shire...
came as the depots of Northmead, Seven Hills and Dural were rebranded from Westbus and Glenorie Bus (Dural) to Hillsbus in December 2004. It is the sole contracted operator of Region 4 in Sydney's metropolitan bus network. Hillsbus operates services from depots in Northmead, Seven Hills, Dural and Foundry Road (Seven Hills).
Hillsbus operates the following services:
- 60 series metrobusMetrobus (Sydney)Metrobus is a high frequency, high capacity public transportation network in Sydney that links key employment and growth centres. Metrobuses run every 10 minutes during peak periods, 15 minutes during off-peak weekday periods, and 20 minutes on weekends, with the intention of making timetables...
routes - 60 series T-Way routes in Sydney's north-western suburbs.
- 600 series bus routes in Sydney's north-western suburbs, including express services along the M2 Hills MotorwayM2 Hills MotorwayThe M2 Hills Motorway is a motorway in north-western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It forms part of Sydney Metroad 2 and the 110 km Sydney Orbital Network. West of Pennant Hills Road, the M2 is also part of the National Highway.-History:Previously, Sydney's western suburbs were poorly served...
to Macquarie Park and Railway Square, SydneyRailway Square, SydneyThe area is not a true square but is a confluence of Broadway, Lee Street, Pitt Street and George Street. The University of Technology, Central railway station and the now closed Kent Brewery are adjacent to Railway Square.-History:... - 700 series bus routes in Sydney's western suburbs
Fleet
- 89x Volvo B10M (MkI, II & III)/ CC "Euro II" & "Mk88" (All MkIII and some MkIs and IIs have undergone refurbishment)
- 6x Volvo B10B / Custom Coaches Bodywork
- 21x Volvo B10BLE / CC "CB60"
- 49x Mercedes Benz O405 MkII / CC "510" (undergoing refurbishment)
- 28x Mercedes Benz O405NH / CC "550"
- 16x MAN 12.220 / CC "CB30"
- 5x Volvo B10MA MkIV Articulated "Bendy" Bus / CC "CB50"
- 20x Scania L94UB 14.5m / Volgren "CR228L"
- 14x Scania L94UB / Volgren "CR228L"
- 62x Scania K94UB / Volgren "CR228L"
- 30x Scania K310UB 14.5m / Volgren "CR228L"
N.B. Fleet no. 9520 is sign-written as 2500th bus manufactured by Volgren Dandenong in conjunction with Hillsbus and Scania
- 16x Scania K280UB 14.5m / CC "CB60 EvoII"
- 38x Scania K280UB 14.5m / Volgren "CR228L"
- 54x Scania K230UB / Volgren "CR228L"
- 6x Volvo B7RLE / CC "CB60 Evo II"
- 58x Volvo B7RLE / Volgren "CR228L FutureBus"
Hillsbus is currently receiving more buses under the NSW Government's Growth Buses program.
Hunter Valley Buses
Hunter Valley Buses Pty Ltd, trading as Hunter Valley Buses, provides commuter bus, school bus, coach and charter services in the Hunter ValleyHunter Valley
The Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney with an approximate population of 645,395 people. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within of the coast, with 55% of the entire...
region of New South Wales.
A core element of the company's charter operations is providing transport to the state's premier wine-growing region.
Established as Blue Ribbon Coaches Services in 1986, the company operated from depots at Wallsend
Wallsend, New South Wales
Wallsend is a western suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located from Newcastle's central business district. It is part of the City of Newcastle local government area.- Origins :...
, Raymond Terrace
Raymond Terrace, New South Wales
Raymond Terrace is a town in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, about by road north of Newcastle on the Pacific Highway. Established in 1837 it is situated at the confluence of the Hunter and Williams rivers and has about 12,600 residents. It is the administrative centre of the Port...
, Maitland
Maitland, New South Wales
Maitland is a city in the Lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Maitland City Council, situated on the Hunter River approximately by road north of Sydney and north-west of Newcastle...
and Singleton
Singleton, New South Wales
-Industry & Commerce:Major industries near Singleton include coal mining, energy generation, light industry, vineyards, horse breeding and cattle production. Dairying was once a mainstay in the area, but has declined....
. In 1999, the Wallsend, Raymond Terrace and Maitland depots were consolidated at a new site in Thornton
Thornton, New South Wales
Thornton is a suburb in the City of Maitland, New South Wales, Australia. It has a station on CityRail's Hunter line. It is about 1 km north of the New England Highway....
. The following year, the company was sold to Westbus, the state's largest private bus operator. In 2005, Westbus and Blue Ribbon were purchased by ComfortDelGro Cabcharge resulting in Blue Ribbon being rebranded as Hunter Valley Buses.
Today Hunter Valley Buses operates a fleet of over 160 buses ranging from mini buses to luxury 5-star coaches and employs over 260 staff. Its commuter network carries 500,000 private passengers and 1 million Hunter school children annually.
Charterplus
Charterplus is CDC's bus charter division established in March 2008. It organises charters for the CDC group, CDC rail bus workings, as well as CDC's special event commitments. It has 19 buses in its own fleet, with access to CDC Group's other vehicles. All Charterplus vehicles operate from the Westbus Girraween depotFleet
- 1x Volvo B10M MkII 14.5m / CC "Mk88"
- 1x Volvo B10M MkIV 14.5m / CC "510"
- 4x Mercedes Benz O405 / CC "510"
- 2x Volvo B12BLE / Bustech "VST"
- 1x Denning Denair / Denning Bodywork
- 2x Volvo B10M MkIV / CC "510"
- 8x Volvo B10M MkII / Volgren Bodywork
CDC Victoria
In November 2008 it was announced that ComfortDelGro Cabcharge had entered into a $149.2 million contract to acquire Victorian bus operator Kefford CorporationKefford Corporation
-Early history:The Kefford Corporation was started in the early 1850s by Richard Papworth Kefford.-Recent history:* In January 1976, acquired Point Cook - Werribee Passenger Service Pty. Ltd.* In December 1981 acquired H. A. Davis Motor Service Pty. Ltd...
. With a fleet of 328 buses and six depots, it was the fourth largest bus operator in the state of Victoria with a market share of 16 per cent. The bus still operates in the livery of Westrans, Eastrans, Benders Busways and Davis Bus Lines, but with a CDC Victoria sticker pasted on the sides of the bus, most notable below the driver's window in the front of the bus.
These Victorian operations are based in depots operating from Altona (trading as Westrans Altona), Oakleigh (trading as Eastrans), Sunshine (trading as Westrans Sunshine) and Werribee (trading as Westrans Werribee) in metropolitan Melbourne and in the major regional centres of Geelong (trading as Benders Busways) and Ballarat (trading as Davis Bus Lines).
ComfortDelgro Cabcharge Victoria (CDC Victoria) operate metropolitan route bus services in the Altona, Caroline Springs, East Keilor, Footscray, Oakleigh, St Albans, Sunshine, Taylors Hill, Werribee and Williamstown Areas.
CDC Victoria operates a regional service in Ballarat covering, Alfredton, Black Hill, Brown Hill, Buninyong, Canandian, Creswick, Delacombe, Eureka, Invermay, Lake Gardens , Miners Rest, Mount Pleasant, Sebastopol, Webbcona and Wendouree.
CDC Victoria operates a regional service in Geelong covering, Belmont, Corio, Grovedale, Hamlyn Heights, Herne Hill, Lara, Newcomb, Newtown, North Shore, Rosewall and Waurn Ponds.
Kefford operated a number of different brands across metropolitan Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, as well as in the provincial cities of Geelong
Geelong, Victoria
Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia...
and Ballarat
Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
. The take over was completed on 23 February 2009.
External links
- CDC Bus - Company website
- Hillsbus - Hillsbus Homepage
- Westbus - Westbus Homepage
- 131500 Transport Info - 131500 Transport Info (Timetable and Fare information)
- CDC Victoria