Plymouth Citybus
Encyclopedia
Plymouth Citybus is one of the principal bus operators serving the City of Plymouth
, England
, and the surrounding area. Plymouth Citybus's route network serves almost exclusively the boroughs and inner-city areas of Plymouth, with the majority of rural services handled by First Devon and Cornwall.
and Stonehouse
in October 1914 the Plymouth Tramways Department took control of the tramways in these places too. The Devonport and District Tramways Company was sold to the Corporation in 1914 (although the tracks of the two networks were not connected until October 1915) but the Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport Tramways Company, which dated back to 1872, remained an independent company until 1922 when it too was sold to the Corporation. The various depots of the old companies were slowly closed and the equipment and rolling stock concentrated at the old Devonport and District depot at Milehouse. Some new tramcars were constructed at the depot, and many more were completely stripped down and rebuilt. In 1923 new administrative offices were built there; that year saw the tram network at its greatest extent.
From 1920 the Corporation also operated motor buses on routes beyond the tram tracks. The first four bus routes were operated by a fleet of twenty single-deck 31-seat vehicles with solid tyres. By 1927 this had expanded to ten routes and 57 buses, some of which were one-man operated. Plymouth was granted city status in 1928 and the buses started to carry the city's coat of arms
and the 'Plymouth City Transport' name. By 1930 it was becoming necessary to renew much of the tramway rolling stock. Consideration was given to converting to trolleybus
es, but instead it was decided to implement a ten-year programme of bus replacement. The first line to be converted was the Devonport to St Budeaux line which was closed in October 1930 when six new double-deck buses replaced the trams. The line to West Hoe closed in 1931, the line to Compton closed in 1932, and regular services to the Royal Naval Barracks
withdrawn in 1934. Further new buses were brought for these routes, and a few second hand tramcars from the now closed Exeter Tramways and Torquay Tramways
allowed the oldest of the Plymouth cars to be withdrawn. In 1935 the Milehouse to Devonport line closed following the delivery of the city's first diesel-engined buses. More were needed in 1936 to allow the closure of the line to Prince Rock and in 1937 to allow the withdrawal of the two long circular routes. It was at this time that the bus routes were first numbered. The plan to close the remaining tram lines was put on hold because of the outbreak of World War II
in 1939; they were powered by electricity generated by British coal, whereas the buses relied on imported fuel. The one remaining route, from Theatre to Peverell, kept running but following city centre bomb damage in April 1941 (when car 133 was destroyed) the service was only operated between Drake's Circus to Peverell until the final tram ran in September 1945.
A large part of the population of Plymouth moved out to the relative safety of the countryside during the war which meant that the Corporation's buses and trams were carrying fewer passengers, but rival Western National
was under increasing pressure. Both operators had suffered damage to their depots and fleet – Milehouse was bombed in April 1941 – and so the two companies decided to pool resources under a Plymouth Joint Services agreement. This took effect from 1 October 1942 and resulted in 80% of mileage in and around the city were to be operated by the Corporation and 20% by Western National; the receipts were also divided in the same proportion, irrespective of which company operated which routes. This allowed Plymouth buses to operate beyond the city boundary to places such as Yelverton
, Plympton
and Wembury
, while Western National were now allowed to pick up local passengers within the city where they had previously been restricted to only those travelling beyond the boundary. The Plymouth Joint Services agreement remained in place after the war, enabling both the Corporation and Western National to serve new housing estates that sprang up around the edge of the city. The routes in the Joint Services area, including those of Western National, were renumbered in a single sequence from 1 to 57 in 1957.
Buses with front entrances were delivered to Plymouth City Transport from 1960 which paved the way to conversion of routes to one man operation from 1968, the first operator in the South West of England to do so. To help speed boarding times the fares were restructured to multiples of 3d
. Fare stages at regular 0.85 miles (1.4 km) intervals were introduced in December 1975 to further simplify the fare structure. In 1982 the fare stages were revised to one-mile intervals outside the city centre and promoted as 'Easyfare'; a journey in one zone cost 25p and increased in 10p stages to a maximum of 45p.
During the early part of the 1980s the National Bus Company (of which Western National was a subsidiary) undertook Market Alanalysis Projects in many areas to match services with demand. This resulted in most Plymouth Joint Services cross-city routes being split into two that terminated in the city centre from 24 October 1982, as the survey revealed that few passengers travelled across the city without changing buses. The revision saw annual mileage reduced from more than 5.4 million miles to around 4.5 million, and the fleet from 185 to 160 vehicles. Buses were repainted and given 'Plymouth Citybus' branding.
For some time the Citybus services had been operated to break even so that no financial support was needed from the city council, but the Transport Act 1985
required all council-owned bus operations to be established as limited companies
. As a result Plymouth Citybus Limited was formed on 26 October 1986. It was entirely owned by Plymouth City Council. The Transport Act was designed to increase competition and reduce subsidies; in Plymouth it resulted in a 'bus war' between Plymouth Citybus and Western National, its former partner in the Joint Services. Strategies included minibus
es operating higher frequencies, and fare reductions. After a while direct competition between the two companies ceased and they largely returned to operating their old routes. At the end of the century Citybus operated about 75% of routes in Plymouth along with a few routes beyond the city boundaries.
was revealed on 23 November 2009 and the city council approved the sale to them one week later. The sale was referred to the Office of Fair Trading
but it decided it was not a merger which required a statutory investigation.
vehicles with solid tyres. By 1927 the fleet included Burford, Shelvoke and Drewry
, Guy
and AEC models and totalled 57 buses; The tram replacement scheme of 1930 saw the introduction of double-deck buses, initially Leyland TD1s. by 1929 it had expanded to 83. As well as more Leylands, some Dennis Lancet buses were brought for later route conversions. In 1935 the city's first diesel-engined double-deck buses were delivered (more Leylands); some as tram replacements and others so that older single-deck buses could be replaced. During the war a mixture of buses were acquired as few new buses were being built. Further Leyland Titan PD1 buses were delivered once production resumed after the war, but the spread of suburbs onto the hilly hinterland saw more powerful Leyland PD2s entering service from 1948.
Leyland Atlantean
s were introduced from 1960. These had rear-engines and front entrances which eventually paved the way to conversion to one man operation from 1968. Single-deck buses reappeared in the fleet in 1975 in the shape of Leyland National
s. In October 1986 85 Renault/Dodge S56A minibuses was introduced, which represented 70% of the Citybus fleet at the time. These allowed narrow housing estate roads to be served and service frequencies to be increased on existing routes. They were replaced by Mercedes-Benz 709D
minibuses. Mid-size single deck buses replaced most double-deck vehicles on busier routes to give high service frequencies, principally Dennis Dart
s.
A new image (designed by Ososki Graphics of Exmouth
) was introduced to coincide with the revised Plymouth Joint Services network in 1982. Plymouth's red and cream colours were retained, but the cream area was extended below the lower deck windows and also added around the upper deck windows; the red skirt was upswept at the rear. The new 'Plymouth City bus' logo was placed on the cream below the windows near the centre of each side; 'city' was red and the other words black. Western National buses used on Plymouth Joint Services carried the same 'Plymouth City bus' logos on a broad white panel around the lower deck on their otherwise green buses. Six Bristol LH
s that operated beyond the city boundaries were given a matching 'Country bus' logo, and a Leyland National with a wheelchair lift was branded as 'Mobility bus'. The Minibuses introduced in 1986 were painted in cream with red and orange bands and branded 'City shuttle'.
A few years later a black, red and white livery was adopted for all buses, but the black was eventually replaced by grey. When low floor buses were introduced they were given 'Super Rider' branding. Park and ride
services were introduced using Mercedes-Benz minibuses in a mid-grey scheme but the Dennis Dart MPDs that replaced them were given special green and yellow livery.
The red, white and grey livery later became red and white, but since the takeover by the Go-Ahead group, a largely red livery has started to appear.
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, 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 the surrounding area. Plymouth Citybus's route network serves almost exclusively the boroughs and inner-city areas of Plymouth, with the majority of rural services handled by First Devon and Cornwall.
Operations
As of 2 July 2011, Plymouth Citybus employs 462 people. It operates 169 buses and coaches, and carries about 14 million passengers annually. It has an annual turnover in excess of £18,000,000. In addition to its bus and coach operations, it also provides vehicle repairs and servicing for other commercial road operators and private car drivers through its Car and Commercial division. Its fleet is based at a depot at Milehouse, Plymouth.Plymouth Citycoach
Plymouth City Transport's first coach-seated vehicles was a Leyland National fitted with coach seats. Plymouth Citycoach was created as a separate unit within Citybus with its own management and a remit to produce a profit. It offered both advertised day trips and holiday tours, as well as hiring out its vehicles. They carry a version of the bus livery, but generally with more white.Plymouth City Transport
In 1892 Plymouth Corporation purchased the horse-powered tramways of the Plymouth Tramways Company and placed them in the care of a new Tramways Department. The network was expanded and the horses were replaced by new electric tramcars between 1899 and 1906. Following the union of the 'Three Towns' of Plymouth, DevonportDevonport
Devonport may mean:* Devonport, Devon, part of Plymouth, UK** HMNB Devonport, naval base/dockyard** Plymouth Devonport , parliamentary constituency formerly known as Devonport* Devonport, New Zealand, a suburb of Auckland...
and Stonehouse
Stonehouse
Stonehouse may refer to:*Stonehouse, Nova Scotia, a community in Nova Scotia, Canada*Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, a town now in Stroud District, England**Stonehouse railway station, currently open in the above town...
in October 1914 the Plymouth Tramways Department took control of the tramways in these places too. The Devonport and District Tramways Company was sold to the Corporation in 1914 (although the tracks of the two networks were not connected until October 1915) but the Plymouth, Stonehouse and Devonport Tramways Company, which dated back to 1872, remained an independent company until 1922 when it too was sold to the Corporation. The various depots of the old companies were slowly closed and the equipment and rolling stock concentrated at the old Devonport and District depot at Milehouse. Some new tramcars were constructed at the depot, and many more were completely stripped down and rebuilt. In 1923 new administrative offices were built there; that year saw the tram network at its greatest extent.
From 1920 the Corporation also operated motor buses on routes beyond the tram tracks. The first four bus routes were operated by a fleet of twenty single-deck 31-seat vehicles with solid tyres. By 1927 this had expanded to ten routes and 57 buses, some of which were one-man operated. Plymouth was granted city status in 1928 and the buses started to carry the city's coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
and the 'Plymouth City Transport' name. By 1930 it was becoming necessary to renew much of the tramway rolling stock. Consideration was given to converting to trolleybus
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
es, but instead it was decided to implement a ten-year programme of bus replacement. The first line to be converted was the Devonport to St Budeaux line which was closed in October 1930 when six new double-deck buses replaced the trams. The line to West Hoe closed in 1931, the line to Compton closed in 1932, and regular services to the Royal Naval Barracks
HMNB Devonport
Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...
withdrawn in 1934. Further new buses were brought for these routes, and a few second hand tramcars from the now closed Exeter Tramways and Torquay Tramways
Torquay Tramways
Torquay Tramways operated electric street trams in Torquay, Devon, England, from 1907. They were initially powered by the unusual Dolter stud-contact electrification, but in 1911 was converted to more conventional overhead-line supply...
allowed the oldest of the Plymouth cars to be withdrawn. In 1935 the Milehouse to Devonport line closed following the delivery of the city's first diesel-engined buses. More were needed in 1936 to allow the closure of the line to Prince Rock and in 1937 to allow the withdrawal of the two long circular routes. It was at this time that the bus routes were first numbered. The plan to close the remaining tram lines was put on hold because of the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1939; they were powered by electricity generated by British coal, whereas the buses relied on imported fuel. The one remaining route, from Theatre to Peverell, kept running but following city centre bomb damage in April 1941 (when car 133 was destroyed) the service was only operated between Drake's Circus to Peverell until the final tram ran in September 1945.
A large part of the population of Plymouth moved out to the relative safety of the countryside during the war which meant that the Corporation's buses and trams were carrying fewer passengers, but rival Western National
Western National
Western National was a bus operating company in South West England from 1929 to the 1990s.-Early history:Western National Omnibus Company Ltd started in 1929 as a joint venture between the Great Western Railway and the National Omnibus & Transport Company...
was under increasing pressure. Both operators had suffered damage to their depots and fleet – Milehouse was bombed in April 1941 – and so the two companies decided to pool resources under a Plymouth Joint Services agreement. This took effect from 1 October 1942 and resulted in 80% of mileage in and around the city were to be operated by the Corporation and 20% by Western National; the receipts were also divided in the same proportion, irrespective of which company operated which routes. This allowed Plymouth buses to operate beyond the city boundary to places such as Yelverton
Yelverton, Devon
Yelverton is a large village on the south-western edge of Dartmoor, Devon, in England.When the village's railway station opened in the 19th century, the village became a popular residence for Plymouth commuters...
, Plympton
Plympton
Plympton, or Plympton Maurice or Plympton St Maurice or Plympton St Mary or Plympton Erle, in south-western Devon, England is an ancient stannary town: an important trading centre in the past for locally mined tin, and a former seaport...
and Wembury
Wembury
Wembury is a village on the south coast of Devon, very close to Plymouth Sound. Wembury is also the name of the peninsula in which the village is situated. The village lies in the administrative district of the South Hams within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty . The South West...
, while Western National were now allowed to pick up local passengers within the city where they had previously been restricted to only those travelling beyond the boundary. The Plymouth Joint Services agreement remained in place after the war, enabling both the Corporation and Western National to serve new housing estates that sprang up around the edge of the city. The routes in the Joint Services area, including those of Western National, were renumbered in a single sequence from 1 to 57 in 1957.
Buses with front entrances were delivered to Plymouth City Transport from 1960 which paved the way to conversion of routes to one man operation from 1968, the first operator in the South West of England to do so. To help speed boarding times the fares were restructured to multiples of 3d
Penny (British pre-decimal coin)
The penny of the Kingdom of Great Britain and later of the United Kingdom, was in circulation from the early 18th century until February 1971, Decimal Day....
. Fare stages at regular 0.85 miles (1.4 km) intervals were introduced in December 1975 to further simplify the fare structure. In 1982 the fare stages were revised to one-mile intervals outside the city centre and promoted as 'Easyfare'; a journey in one zone cost 25p and increased in 10p stages to a maximum of 45p.
Plymouth Citybus
The Joint Services network was revised on following a Market Analysis Project, a survey thatDuring the early part of the 1980s the National Bus Company (of which Western National was a subsidiary) undertook Market Alanalysis Projects in many areas to match services with demand. This resulted in most Plymouth Joint Services cross-city routes being split into two that terminated in the city centre from 24 October 1982, as the survey revealed that few passengers travelled across the city without changing buses. The revision saw annual mileage reduced from more than 5.4 million miles to around 4.5 million, and the fleet from 185 to 160 vehicles. Buses were repainted and given 'Plymouth Citybus' branding.
For some time the Citybus services had been operated to break even so that no financial support was needed from the city council, but the Transport Act 1985
Transport Act 1985
The Transport Act 1985 was a Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. It introduced deregulation of bus services throughout Great Britain, although a different system of franchised routes was applied in Greater London. It was introduced by the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher.Bus...
required all council-owned bus operations to be established as limited companies
Limited company
A limited company is a company in which the liability of the members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by shares or by guarantee. And the former of these, a limited company limited by shares, may be...
. As a result Plymouth Citybus Limited was formed on 26 October 1986. It was entirely owned by Plymouth City Council. The Transport Act was designed to increase competition and reduce subsidies; in Plymouth it resulted in a 'bus war' between Plymouth Citybus and Western National, its former partner in the Joint Services. Strategies included minibus
Minibus
A minibus or minicoach is a passenger carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, the word "minibus" is used to describe any full-sized passenger carrying van. Minibuses have a...
es operating higher frequencies, and fare reductions. After a while direct competition between the two companies ceased and they largely returned to operating their old routes. At the end of the century Citybus operated about 75% of routes in Plymouth along with a few routes beyond the city boundaries.
Go-Ahead Group
In May 2009 Plymouth City Council announced that it was interested in selling the company. Early interest came from First Devon and Cornwall (the former Western National) and local taxi owner John Preece who had been behind the privatisation of Western National and had made previous attempts to purchase Citybus. The proposed sale led to increased competition in the city but First Group withdrew its interest. It was debated in the House of Commons in October 2009. A £20 million bid by the Go-Ahead GroupGo-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:...
was revealed on 23 November 2009 and the city council approved the sale to them one week later. The sale was referred to the Office of Fair Trading
Office of Fair Trading
The Office of Fair Trading is a not-for-profit and non-ministerial government department of the United Kingdom, established by the Fair Trading Act 1973, which enforces both consumer protection and competition law, acting as the UK's economic regulator...
but it decided it was not a merger which required a statutory investigation.
Current bus routes
This table shows the route number, the destination shown on the bus, and details of the route.| Number | Destination displayed | Route |
|---|---|---|
| 5/5A | Staddiscombe | City Centre - Billacombe – Pomphlett – Elburton – Plymstock - Staddiscombe - Goosewell - Oreston – City Centre |
| 8 | Efford | City Centre - Lipson Vale - Laira - Efford - City Centre |
| 9 | Efford | City Centre - Efford - Laira - Lipson Vale - City Centre |
| 13 | Saltash Passage | Saltash Passage - Weston Mill - Plymouth (Mon - Fri only) |
| 14D | Torpoint Ferry | Peverell - Torpoint Ferry - Devonport - City Centre |
| 16/16B | Kings Tamerton | City Centre - Milehouse - Lower Ham - Kings Tamerton - Lower Ham - Milehouse - City Centre |
| 20 | Plympton Central | City Centre - Prince Rock - Marsh Mills - Woodford - Plympton - Mudge Way |
| 21 | Steer Park | City Centre - Prince Rock - Plympton - Mudge Way - Chaddlewood - Steer Park |
| 22 | St Maurice | City Centre - Lipson Vale - Mudge Way - St Maurice - Hillcrest Drive - Chaddlewood - Sandy Road |
| 23 | Mount Gould | City Centre - Greenbank - Mount Gould - City Centre |
| 24 | Mount Gould | City Centre - Mount Gould - Greenbank - City Centre |
| 25 | West Hoe | City Centre - Barbican - West Hoe - City Centre - Drake Circus - Mayflower Street |
| 26 | Barne Barton | City Centre - Devonport - St Budeaux - Barne Barton |
| 27 | Deer Park | Deer Park - Mutley Plain - City Centre - Stoke - Torpoint Ferry |
| 28/28A/28B | Derriford | City Centre - Mutley Plain - Eggbuckland - Crownhill - Derriford Hospital |
| 29 | Derriford Hospital | City Centre - Milehouse - St Budeaux - West Park - Transit Way - Derriford Hospital |
| 31 | Beacon Park | Mayflower Street - Mutley Plain - Ford Park - Beacon Park |
| 34 | Derriford | City Centre - Royal William Yard - Stonehouse -Torpoint Ferry - Stoke - Crownhill - Derriford |
| 35 | North Prospect | City Centre - Mutley Plain - Peverell - Ham - North Prospect |
| 36 | City College | City Centre - Rail Station - City College Kings Road - City College Goschen Centre |
| 40/41 | Southway | City Centre - Mutley Plain - Crownhill - Southway |
| 42 | Tamerton Foliot | City Centre - Mutley Plain - Crownhill - Derriford Hospital - Southway - Tamerton Foliot |
| 43 | Ernesettle | City Centre - Milehouse - St Budeaux - Ernesettle |
| 43A | Saltash | City Centre - Milehouse - St Budeaux - Saltash |
| 43B | Holly Park | City Centre - Milehouse - St Budeaux - West Park - Whitleigh - Holly Park |
| 44/44A | Whitleigh | City Centre - Mutley Plain - Crownhill - Whitleigh |
| 49 | Heybrook Bay | City Centre - Plymstock - Staddiscombe - Down Thomas - Heybrook Bay |
| 50 | Derriford Hospital | City Centre - Prince Rock - Marsh Mills Retail Park - Leigham - ASDA - Estover - Derriford Hospital |
| 61/62 | Transit Way | City Centre - Mutley Plain - Peverell - Transit Way - Crownhill - Derriford |
| 152 | Saltash | Saltash - St Budeaux - West Park - Crownhill - Derriford |
Fleet
The first buses delivered in 1920 were twenty 31-seat Straker-SquireStraker-Squire
Straker-Squire was a British automobile manufacturer based in Bristol, and later Edmonton in North London....
vehicles with solid tyres. By 1927 the fleet included Burford, Shelvoke and Drewry
Shelvoke and Drewry
Shelvoke & Drewry was a British manufacturer of specialised commercial vehicles, now defunct. It was best known for its innovative waste collection vehicles, which were once the preferred choice of municipal authorities in the UK...
, Guy
Guy Motors
Guy Motors was a British company based in Fallings Park, Wolverhampton that made cars, lorries, buses, and trolleybuses.-History:Guy Motors Ltd was founded in 1914 by Sydney Guy who had been the Works Manager of nearby Sunbeam. A factory was built on the site at Fallings Park, Wolverhampton...
and AEC models and totalled 57 buses; The tram replacement scheme of 1930 saw the introduction of double-deck buses, initially Leyland TD1s. by 1929 it had expanded to 83. As well as more Leylands, some Dennis Lancet buses were brought for later route conversions. In 1935 the city's first diesel-engined double-deck buses were delivered (more Leylands); some as tram replacements and others so that older single-deck buses could be replaced. During the war a mixture of buses were acquired as few new buses were being built. Further Leyland Titan PD1 buses were delivered once production resumed after the war, but the spread of suburbs onto the hilly hinterland saw more powerful Leyland PD2s entering service from 1948.
Leyland Atlantean
Leyland Atlantean
The Leyland Atlantean is a model of double-decker bus built by Leyland in the United Kingdom from 1958 to 1986....
s were introduced from 1960. These had rear-engines and front entrances which eventually paved the way to conversion to one man operation from 1968. Single-deck buses reappeared in the fleet in 1975 in the shape of Leyland National
Leyland National
The Leyland National is a British single-deck bus built in large quantities between 1972 and 1985. It was developed as a joint project between two UK nationalised industries - the National Bus Company and British Leyland. Buses were constructed at a specially built factory at the Lillyhall...
s. In October 1986 85 Renault/Dodge S56A minibuses was introduced, which represented 70% of the Citybus fleet at the time. These allowed narrow housing estate roads to be served and service frequencies to be increased on existing routes. They were replaced by Mercedes-Benz 709D
Mercedes-Benz buses
Mercedes-Benz has been making buses since 1895 in Mannheim in Germany. Since 1995, the brand of Mercedes-Benz buses and coaches is under the umbrella of EvoBus GmbH, belonging 100 % to the Daimler AG.-Heritage:...
minibuses. Mid-size single deck buses replaced most double-deck vehicles on busier routes to give high service frequencies, principally Dennis Dart
Dennis Dart
The Dennis Dart is a rear-engined midibus built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. More than 11,000 were built during 18 years of production....
s.
| Year | Double deck buses | Single deck buses | Open top buses | Single deck coaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | 144 Leyland TD1 7 Dennis Lancet 1 AEC Regent |
2 Leyland Cub | None | None |
| 1979 | 188 Leyland Atlantean | 41 Leyland National Leyland National The Leyland National is a British single-deck bus built in large quantities between 1972 and 1985. It was developed as a joint project between two UK nationalised industries - the National Bus Company and British Leyland. Buses were constructed at a specially built factory at the Lillyhall... |
1 Leyland Titan | None |
| 1992 | 48 Leyland Atlantean 2 Volvo B10M |
44 Mercedes-Benz 709D 41 Renault/Dodge S56 9 Dennis Dart |
1 Leyland Titan | None |
| 2002 | 10 Leyland Atlantean 21 Volvo Citybus |
51 Dennis Dart SLF Dennis Dart The Dennis Dart is a rear-engined midibus built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. More than 11,000 were built during 18 years of production.... 48 Mercedes-Benz 709D 30 Dennis Dart 3 Volvo B6 |
3 Leyland Atlantean 1 Leyland Titan |
None |
| 2011 | 24 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... 19 Volvo Citybus |
76 Dennis Dart SLF 21 Dennis Dart 15 Mercedes-Benz Citaro 14 Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart 3 Volvo B6 Volvo B6 The Volvo B6 is a midibus manufactured by Volvo between 1991 and 2000. Its low-floor variant, the Volvo B6LE, was first built in 1994.The Volvo B6/B6LE chassis was built to compete with the Dennis Dart/Dart SLF chassis. It could be fitted with Volvo TD63E/TD63ES engine... |
1 Leyland Titan | 9 Volvo B10M Volvo B10M The Volvo B10M is a popular mid-engined bus and coach chassis built by Volvo between 1978 and 2001. It was built as the successor of the B58 and was equipped with a 9.6-litre horizontally-mounted Volvo THD100/THD101/THD102/THD103/THD104/DH10A diesel engine mounted under the floor, near the middle... 2 Volvo B12M Volvo B12M The Volvo B12M is an underfloor-engined bus/coach chassis introduced by Volvo Buses in 2001 as a replacement for the Volvo B10M. It is available with a variety of bodies such as Van Hool, Sunsundegui Sideral and Plaxton Panther/Paragon. Large British users of the B12M include Wallace Arnold, Park's... |
Liveries and brands
Plymouth City Tramways initially used a maroon colour scheme but a yellow and white livery was introduced in 1922 although some had varnished teak bodies. A change to maroon and white was made in 1929. Buses later used a bright red and cream livery.A new image (designed by Ososki Graphics of Exmouth
Exmouth, Devon
Exmouth is a port town, civil parish and seaside resort in East Devon, England, sited on the east bank of the mouth of the River Exe. In 2001, it had a population of 32,972.-History:...
) was introduced to coincide with the revised Plymouth Joint Services network in 1982. Plymouth's red and cream colours were retained, but the cream area was extended below the lower deck windows and also added around the upper deck windows; the red skirt was upswept at the rear. The new 'Plymouth City bus' logo was placed on the cream below the windows near the centre of each side; 'city' was red and the other words black. Western National buses used on Plymouth Joint Services carried the same 'Plymouth City bus' logos on a broad white panel around the lower deck on their otherwise green buses. Six Bristol LH
Bristol LH
The Bristol LH was a bus chassis built by Bristol Commercial Vehicles in Bristol, England. Nearly 2,000 were built between 1967 and 1982 in a variety of sizes and body types, including some as goods vehicles.-Models:...
s that operated beyond the city boundaries were given a matching 'Country bus' logo, and a Leyland National with a wheelchair lift was branded as 'Mobility bus'. The Minibuses introduced in 1986 were painted in cream with red and orange bands and branded 'City shuttle'.
A few years later a black, red and white livery was adopted for all buses, but the black was eventually replaced by grey. When low floor buses were introduced they were given 'Super Rider' branding. Park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
services were introduced using Mercedes-Benz minibuses in a mid-grey scheme but the Dennis Dart MPDs that replaced them were given special green and yellow livery.
The red, white and grey livery later became red and white, but since the takeover by the Go-Ahead group, a largely red livery has started to appear.