Fleet Buzz
| File:FleetBuzz.svg | |
 Optare Versa in Reading in April 2011 | |
| Parent | Stagecoach |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1995 |
| Defunct | December 2014 |
| Headquarters | Crondall |
| Service area | Berkshire Hampshire Surrey |
| Service type | Bus services |
| Routes | 11 (October 2013) |
| Fleet | 33 (September 2013) |
| Website | www.fleetbuzz.co.uk |
Fleet Buzz[1] was a bus company based in Crondall, Hampshire, England. It was a subsidiary of Stagecoach.
History[edit]
Countywide Travel was formed in 1995 as a coach and bus company, based on vehicles from Marchwood Motorways and a depot was established in Basingstoke. In 1998 the depot relocated to the site formerly used by Oakley Coaches in Oakley, Hampshire. Countywide took over many of the routes from Tillingbourne Bus Company when it ceased trading in 2001. On 1 October 2007 the coach business was sold to Weavaway Travel and the bus operation moved to Crondall.[2] Around this time, the bus company was renamed Fleet Buzz due to their large presence at Fleet, Hampshire.
In 2008/09 the company upgraded its fleet with the purchase of four new Optare Solos and four Optare Versas. The buses were painted in a livery of yellow (lower body) and black (upper body).
In December 2011 the business was sold to Stagecoach with 22 buses and 29 staff. It was run as a division of Stagecoach South.[2]
In September 2012 Surrey County Council's bus review phase 3 saw the historic route 92 renumbered to 72 to fit with routes 70 and 71.[3]
On 31 December 2014, three years after the Stagecoach takeover, the website was updated to announce the end of the Fleet Buzz name with operations being fully integrated into Stagecoach South from the date of some major network changes on Monday 5 January 2015.[4] The depot at Crondall closed on 23 May 2015, with staff transferred to Basingstoke and Aldershot, and remaining routes and vehicles to Aldershot.
Fleet[edit]
In September 2013 the fleet consisted of 33 buses.[5]
Mercedes Varios used to form the backbone of the fleet, but were eventually phased out by other Stagecoach-branded buses due to their step entrances.
Four Optare Versas, with branding for routes 72 and 82, two Caetano Nimbuses and four Optare Solos (for the majority of the routes) were purchased in 2008/9 as part of a fleet upgrade. Four Mini Pointer Darts and three Alexander ALX200s – one of which in plain white – were transferred from London upon Stagecoach's purchase of the bus company.
Services[edit]
Before services ended in 2015, Fleet Buzz operated 11 bus routes: numbers 11, 30, 31, 41, 42, 72, 77, 80, 82, 83 and 145.[6]
The company's regular routes operated were as follows:
| Number | From | To | Via | Monday-Friday Frequency | Saturday Frequency | Sunday Frequency | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Farnborough | Paddock Hill | Camberley | Hourly | Hourly | No service | [7] |
| 30 | Farnborough | Basingstoke | Cove, Fleet, Church Crookham, Odiham, Hook | Hourly through to Basingstoke (every 30 mins Farnborough-Church Crookham) | Hourly through to Basingstoke (every 30 mins Farnborough-Church Crookham) | No service | [8] |
| 31 | Farnborough | Frimley Park Hospital | Frimley High Street | Hourly | 3 journeys (1 extended to The Meadows) | No service | [9] |
| 41 | Farnborough | Ash | North Camp | Hourly | No service | No service | [10] |
| 42 | Farnborough | Southwood | Cove | Hourly | Hourly | No service | |
| 72 | Aldershot | Reading | Swallowfield, Hartley Wintney, Fleet | Hourly (every 30 mins between Reading-Swallowfield) | Hourly | No service | [11] |
| 77 | Fleet Station | Fleet Station | Circular service. Fleet town service | Hourly | No service | No service | [12] |
| 77A | Fleet Station | Fleet Station | Circular service. Variation to route 77 | Hourly | No service | No service | [13] |
| 82 | Farnborough | Yateley | Hawley | Hourly (2 journeys extended to Reading) | 2 journeys | No service | [14][15] |
| 145 | Three Mile Cross | Wokingham | Eversley | 1 journey (Tuesday only) | No service | No service | [16] |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/04974459
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Millar, Alan (January 2012). "Stagecoach South buys 22-vehicle Fleet Buzz". Buses (682): 8.
- ↑ Changes to bus service contracts October 2011 to September 2012 Surrey County Council
- ↑ Fleet Buzz Website Archived 21 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine Fleet Buzz Website
- ↑ Stagecoach South Fleet Buzz Fleet List Archived 7 December 2012 at the Wayback Machine Buszone 22 September 2013
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20140528060424/http://fleetbuzz.co.uk/bus-information2/
- ↑ "11 timetable" (PDF). Fleetbuzz. 1 September 2013.
- ↑ "30/31 timetable" (PDF). Fleetbuzz. 15 April 2013.
- ↑ "30/31 timetable" (PDF). Fleetbuzz. 15 April 2013.
- ↑ "41 timetable" (PDF). Fleetbuzz. 15 April 2013.
- ↑ "72 timetable" (PDF). Fleetbuzz. 1 September 2013.
- ↑ "77/77A timetable" (PDF). Fleetbuzz. 2 June 2013.
- ↑ "75/77/77A timetable" (PDF). Fleetbuzz. 2 June 2013.
- ↑ "82 timetable" (PDF). Fleetbuzz. 15 April 2013.
- ↑ "Travelling to Farnborough 6th Form College with Stagecoach (82 from Reading Yateley)" (PDF). The Sixth Form College Farnborough.
- ↑ "145 timetable" (PDF). fleetbuzz.co.uk. Fleetbuzz. 1 April 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 May 2015. Unknown parameter
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External links[edit]
- Fleetbuzz website (archived)
- Fleetbuzz enthusiast website (By Jase Wolf) Lots of useful information and links listed on there.
Media related to Fleet Buzz (bus company) at Wikimedia Commons
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