Plaxton President
Encyclopedia
The Plaxton President was a double-decker bus
body built at Northern Counties plant in Wigan
, England
and branded as a Plaxton
product for its main production run. It was unveiled in 1997 and built between 1999 and 2005. When Plaxton became part of TransBus International, the body was sold under the TransBus name; then becoming the Alexander Dennis
President. The President was built on the Dennis/TransBus Trident
, the DAF DB250
and the Volvo B7TL
chassis.
body, and had neat rectangular front headlights below a large front windscreen. From the side, it can be easily recognised by the different depths of windows on the lower deck; however, this is less apparent with newer bonded-glazed models. Seating varied according to the chassis and specification. TfL
models were typically built with 41 seats upstairs, and 23 downstairs, with a centre exit door. Early TfL versions also had the staircase moved to the centre of the bus, although this was later changed to the standard position of just behind the driver.
, UK, with the result that if one bus was popular, they were built in big numbers.
London Central
/General
had 469 President-bodied buses, numbered PVL1-419/PDL1-50. However new deliveries have seen some Go-Ahead London Central/General Presidents being withdrawn and sold to a variety operators outside the capital - and outside the Go-Ahead Group
more generally. Metroline
have their TP, TPL, VP and VPL classes, all President-bodied, which number in excess of 550. Arriva London North
and London Sovereign have a batch on DAF
chassis, unusual given the numbers of Volvos and Tridents with President bodies.
Lothian Buses
were the largest operator of Presidents outside London with approximately 200 purchased from June 1999 to June 2004. Apart from seven examples on Volvo B7TL chassis Lothian's examples are all Dennis Tridents including some high capacity 11m examples. Since 2010 Lothian began withdrawing their earliest model Presidents from frontline service. Some have received an open top conversion for Lothian's sightseeing subsidiaries and others have been sold on for further service with various other bus operators. National Express West Midlands, formerly Travel West Midlands
, are the second largest operator of Presidents outside London with 102 examples new from Autumn 1999 to Summer 2000 all of which have Volvo B7TL chassis and were internally refurbished in 2007-08.
Go-Ahead Group companies outside London also have Presidents in substantial numbers. Brighton & Hove have the largest allocation with 36 on Dennis Trident chassis purchased in March/April 2001. This was followed by Go North East
who took 15 in November 2001 again on Dennis Trident chassis although 8 of these transferred to Go-Ahead's Oxford Bus Company
subsidiary in 2006. Finally Southern Vectis
purchased 7 Presidents on Volvo B7TL chassis in September/October 2002, albeit before they were takenover by Go-Ahead.
Stagecoach
took over 40 low-height Presidents on Dennis Trident chassis in the early/mid 2000s. These were originally allocated to the Cambus
, Manchester and Oxfordshire subsidiaries - although they've since been transferred to other subisidiaries within Stagecoach. They were originally intended to have had Alexander ALX400 bodies - Stagecoach's standard double deck body, but were switched to Presidents due to quicker build times.
East Yorkshire Motor Services
are another fairly major President fleet with 36 examples on Volvo B7TL chassis. 30 of these were for the main East Yorkshire fleet with the other 6 for their Finglands subsidiary in Manchester.
Smaller orders include Arriva
which purchased 20 on Volvo B7TL chassis for its Arriva Yorkshire
subsidiary, the Blazefield Group
who took 19, 16 for Burnley & Pendle
and 3 for Yorkshire Coastliner
, and independent based operators like Pete's Travel, The Mayne Group
, Blue Bus of Bolton
, Hedingham Omnibuses
, North Birmingham Busways
and Liverpool Motor Services, although with the exception of Hedingham these companies have since been taken over by larger groups within the British bus industry.
, the owner of the Stagecoach Group and was renamed Alexander Dennis
. A programme of restructuring began within Alexander Dennis which, at the time, saw the Plaxton coach division divested and the TransBus product range rationalised. In turn a decision was taken to close the former Northern Counties plant in Wigan and phase out the President in favour of the Falkirk
-built ALX400. The final Presidents were built at the Wigan plant in January 2005 and both it and the ALX400 would be phased out in favour of the semi-integral Alexander Dennis Enviro400 which took over from end of 2005. The Enviro400 has elements of the ALX400 and President in its design.
Double-decker bus
A double-decker bus is a bus that has two storeys or 'decks'. Global usage of this type of bus is more common in outer touring than in its intra-urban transportion role. Double-decker buses are also commonly found in certain parts of Europe, Asia, and former British colonies and protectorates...
body built at Northern Counties plant in Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and branded as a Plaxton
Plaxton
Plaxton is a builder of bus and coach vehicle bodies based in Scarborough, England.-History:The Plaxton of today is the successor to a business founded in Scarborough in 1907 by Frederick William Plaxton.-Beginnings:...
product for its main production run. It was unveiled in 1997 and built between 1999 and 2005. When Plaxton became part of TransBus International, the body was sold under the TransBus name; then becoming the Alexander Dennis
Alexander Dennis
Alexander Dennis Limited is the largest bus builder in the United Kingdom. It incorporated the three last surviving bus manufacturers which started bus production before World War II: Dennis, Alexander and Plaxton.- History :Alexander Dennis was formed as TransBus on 1 January 2001, after the...
President. The President was built on the Dennis/TransBus Trident
Dennis Trident 2
Dennis Trident 2 is a 2-axle low-floor double-decker bus chassis originally built by Dennis in the United Kingdom, which was unveiled in 1997 and replaced the Dennis Arrow...
, the DAF DB250
VDL DB250
The VDL DB250 is a double-decker bus sold in the UK through VDL Bus International's UK dealer Arriva Bus & Coach. A small number of DB250s have also been exported to Istanbul, Turkey.-DB250:...
and the Volvo B7TL
Volvo B7TL
Volvo B7TL is a low-floor double-decker bus which was launched in 1999 and replaced the 2-axle version of Volvo Olympian...
chassis.
Features
The body was designed to compete with the Alexander ALX400Alexander ALX400
The Alexander ALX400 is a 2-axle double-decker bus body built by Walter Alexander Coachbuilders...
body, and had neat rectangular front headlights below a large front windscreen. From the side, it can be easily recognised by the different depths of windows on the lower deck; however, this is less apparent with newer bonded-glazed models. Seating varied according to the chassis and specification. TfL
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
models were typically built with 41 seats upstairs, and 23 downstairs, with a centre exit door. Early TfL versions also had the staircase moved to the centre of the bus, although this was later changed to the standard position of just behind the driver.
In London
There is an enormous fleet of buses serving LondonLondon
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...
, UK, with the result that if one bus was popular, they were built in big numbers.
London Central
London Central
London Central is one of many operators of London Buses. It was established in late 1988 as one of 12 operating subsidiaries of London Buses Limited , and was privatised to the Go-Ahead Group in September 1994...
/General
London General
London General is a bus company operating in Surrey ang Greater London. It is owned by the Go-Ahead Group and operates most buses under contract to London Buses...
had 469 President-bodied buses, numbered PVL1-419/PDL1-50. However new deliveries have seen some Go-Ahead London Central/General Presidents being withdrawn and sold to a variety operators outside the capital - and outside the Go-Ahead Group
Go-Ahead Group
The Go-Ahead Group plc is a rail and bus operating company that was created following the privatisation of the UK's train and bus industries. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-Early history:...
more generally. Metroline
Metroline
Metroline, owned by ComfortDelGro Corporation of Singapore, is one of many companies operating bus services in London under the management of London Buses.-Company history:...
have their TP, TPL, VP and VPL classes, all President-bodied, which number in excess of 550. Arriva London North
Arriva London
Arriva London is a division of Arriva which operates bus services in London, UK. It is made up of many previous bus operators including previously independent Grey Green...
and London Sovereign have a batch on DAF
VDL Bus International
VDL Bus Chassis is a Netherlands-based bus builder which originated from the bus-building business of DAF.Originally named DAF Bus International after being separated from the truck-building business of DAF, it joined the United Bus in 1990...
chassis, unusual given the numbers of Volvos and Tridents with President bodies.
Beyond London
Outside London the Presidents are less common, however some operators have built up substantial numbers of them.Lothian Buses
Lothian Buses
Lothian Buses Plc is the only municipal bus company in Scotland and the largest provider of bus services in Edinburgh, Scotland. City of Edinburgh Council own 91.01% of the company with the remainder being owned by East Lothian and Midlothian councils. As well as serving Edinburgh, Lothian Buses...
were the largest operator of Presidents outside London with approximately 200 purchased from June 1999 to June 2004. Apart from seven examples on Volvo B7TL chassis Lothian's examples are all Dennis Tridents including some high capacity 11m examples. Since 2010 Lothian began withdrawing their earliest model Presidents from frontline service. Some have received an open top conversion for Lothian's sightseeing subsidiaries and others have been sold on for further service with various other bus operators. National Express West Midlands, formerly Travel West Midlands
National Express West Midlands
National Express West Midlands , formerly known as Travel West Midlands , is the trade name of West Midlands Travel Ltd , a company which operates bus services from depots in the cities of Birmingham, and Wolverhampton, as well as the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall in the West...
, are the second largest operator of Presidents outside London with 102 examples new from Autumn 1999 to Summer 2000 all of which have Volvo B7TL chassis and were internally refurbished in 2007-08.
Go-Ahead Group companies outside London also have Presidents in substantial numbers. Brighton & Hove have the largest allocation with 36 on Dennis Trident chassis purchased in March/April 2001. This was followed by Go North East
Go North East
Go North East is the largest operator of bus services in North East England, United Kingdom. Go North East operates services in the counties of Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Northumberland...
who took 15 in November 2001 again on Dennis Trident chassis although 8 of these transferred to Go-Ahead's Oxford Bus Company
Oxford Bus Company
Oxford Bus Company is a bus operator serving the city and surrounding area of Oxford, England and is the trading name of City of Oxford Motor Services Ltd. It is now a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group...
subsidiary in 2006. Finally Southern Vectis
Southern Vectis
The Southern Vectis Omnibus Company Limited is the dominant bus operator on the Isle of Wight. It was purchased by the Go-Ahead Group in 2005 and is a part of the company's Go South Coast division. The firm employs 299 staff, with 105 single deck, double deck and open-top buses and coaches...
purchased 7 Presidents on Volvo B7TL chassis in September/October 2002, albeit before they were takenover by Go-Ahead.
Stagecoach
Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
took over 40 low-height Presidents on Dennis Trident chassis in the early/mid 2000s. These were originally allocated to the Cambus
Stagecoach Cambridgeshire
Stagecoach Cambridgeshire is a bus company in England, which is part of the Stagecoach Group.Its headquarters are in Cambridge, and it operates services under the following brand names:—...
, Manchester and Oxfordshire subsidiaries - although they've since been transferred to other subisidiaries within Stagecoach. They were originally intended to have had Alexander ALX400 bodies - Stagecoach's standard double deck body, but were switched to Presidents due to quicker build times.
East Yorkshire Motor Services
East Yorkshire Motor Services
East Yorkshire Motor Services is a large bus and coach operator which operates throughout Kingston upon Hull, the East Riding of Yorkshire, the North Yorkshire coast and the North York Moors. In and around Scarborough, EYMS operates as Scarborough & District Motor Services...
are another fairly major President fleet with 36 examples on Volvo B7TL chassis. 30 of these were for the main East Yorkshire fleet with the other 6 for their Finglands subsidiary in Manchester.
Smaller orders include Arriva
Arriva
Arriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
which purchased 20 on Volvo B7TL chassis for its Arriva Yorkshire
Arriva Yorkshire
Arriva Yorkshire is a division of Arriva which operates bus services around West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire and the southern areas of North Yorkshire in England.-History:Arriva Yorkshire was formed as a combination of mergers of previous...
subsidiary, the Blazefield Group
Blazefield Group
Transdev Blazefield is one of the main bus groups in England. Owner of several bus companies around the Yorkshire and Lancashire regions, since 2006 it has been part of the international transport company Transdev.-History:...
who took 19, 16 for Burnley & Pendle
Burnley & Pendle
Transdev Burnley & Pendle is a bus operator running within the boroughs of Burnley and Pendle, and into the surrounding areas including Accrington, Keighley and the high profile express service to Manchester...
and 3 for Yorkshire Coastliner
Yorkshire Coastliner
Yorkshire Coastliner is a bus operator based in Malton in North Yorkshire, England. It is owned by the Blazefield Group who also own, amongst others, Harrogate & District and Keighley & District in Yorkshire....
, and independent based operators like Pete's Travel, The Mayne Group
A Mayne & Son Ltd
The Mayne Group, is a coach operator based in the north west of England, trading as Mayne Coaches, owned by Stephen Mayne. Coach services are operated from Warrington and Manchester...
, Blue Bus of Bolton
Blue Bus of Bolton
Blue Bus and Coach Services Ltd was a large independent bus company serving the area of Greater Manchester. The company operated within the area covered by the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive, as well as areas of Lancashire and Merseyside...
, Hedingham Omnibuses
Hedingham Omnibuses
Hedingham Omnibuses is an Essex bus company founded by Aubrey Ernest Letch shortly after serving in World War I, with his parents' help and trading under his own name. It started as a coach hire company, but gradually expanded as Letch started running bus services to Braintree and Sudbury on...
, North Birmingham Busways
North Birmingham Busways
North Birmingham Busways was a small bus operator established in the mid 1990s, and based near Erdington, in Birmingham. Its services operated throughout North Birmingham, using, in the main, a distinctive livery of green and cream....
and Liverpool Motor Services, although with the exception of Hedingham these companies have since been taken over by larger groups within the British bus industry.
Replacement
The Mayflower Group, the parent company of TransBus International, went into administration in March 2004. It was bought out in May 2004 by a consortium including Brian SouterBrian Souter
Sir Brian Souter , is a Scottish businessman. He is the co-founder of the Stagecoach Group, along with his sister, Ann Gloag. He is also widely known for his controversial public statements and for his attempt to keep Section 28 in law, which led to widespread accusations of homophobia...
, the owner of the Stagecoach Group and was renamed Alexander Dennis
Alexander Dennis
Alexander Dennis Limited is the largest bus builder in the United Kingdom. It incorporated the three last surviving bus manufacturers which started bus production before World War II: Dennis, Alexander and Plaxton.- History :Alexander Dennis was formed as TransBus on 1 January 2001, after the...
. A programme of restructuring began within Alexander Dennis which, at the time, saw the Plaxton coach division divested and the TransBus product range rationalised. In turn a decision was taken to close the former Northern Counties plant in Wigan and phase out the President in favour of the Falkirk
Falkirk
Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
-built ALX400. The final Presidents were built at the Wigan plant in January 2005 and both it and the ALX400 would be phased out in favour of the semi-integral Alexander Dennis Enviro400 which took over from end of 2005. The Enviro400 has elements of the ALX400 and President in its design.