Bus Wars (Facing South, 1987) 

I was a driver in those days ,drivers lost all benefits they had before deregulation,

Unforeseen consequences of deregulation. Cut-throat competition, aggressive behaviour and poor employment conditions for workers

Not sure why I chose to sit through this 36 years after it was filmed (mainly to see the old buses I suppose), but it was very interesting.

Back in 1990 we had 16 seater Transits in favour of former Leyland Atlanteans. I started senior school in 1992 and had to catch those 16 seaters to and from school and what joys they were as they often were filled to capacity after as little as a few stops. Getting to school wasn't a problem as I lived at the start of the route, but getting home was a nightmare as I often had to wait for three buses to pass as they were often full and with that came punch ups amongst other school kids trying to squeeze on. Then in 1994 a rival firm, using mk1 Leyland Nationals started to compete on the same route and getting home was no longer a problem, nor was getting a seat. Then in late 1995, First Bus bought out both firms and by early 1996 all the Transits disappeared and sadly come mid 1996, most of the early mk1 Nationals disappeared, although they were replaced by mk2 Nationals and then later next year, more mk1s went and were replaced by Dennis Darts and Wright Volvo B10BLEs with the odd few mk1s remaining for the next couple of years thereafter.

It was the end of the road for bus services in this country. So many rural services have been lost as a service now becomes a business.

Jump forward 30+ years and the whole country has four major operators, Stagecoach, Go-Ahead, Arriva and First bus and none of competition that deregulation was meant to give. I no longer travel because the fares are now a rip off.

7:40 bluestar the modern day version of Solent blue line recently named a bus after him because of his passing

Came for the bus wars, stayed for the intro.

deregulation screwed up bus industry...poor poor conditions 4 driver & crew...

The deregulation of buses was, long term an absolute disaster for everyone involved. Drivers has terms and wages cut. Customers on non profitable route lost their services. And municipal companies who heavily invested in new fleets and drivers benefits ended up going bust.

Excellent programme, thank you so, so much for uploading/sharing: it is very much appreciated. Of course, this programme dates from a time when we still had Local Independent Television in the UK. Sadly, that is no longer the case. ITV in the 21stC is just lightweight fluff; soaps, quizes, and chat shows. That 1990 Act has a lot to answer for. A lot. Meridian started with lofty ideas of 'serving the South, SouthEast & Thames Valley. It very quickly turned into serving just its shareholders, by cutting and cutting and cutting. Within a few years it had quietly negotiated a substantial reduction in its financial franchise fee to the ITC, before starting the downfall of Local ITV by purchasing Anglia TV. Almost immediately the cutting started there as well, by moving Anglia Master Control and Playout to Southampton. Always found it weird when walking round the former TVS So'ton Studios, and seeing 'Anglia Control Room' on one of the Cons... And it wouldn't be too long before Carlton 'TV' (it was alleged by some that Carlton ran a TV Network, I think that it was a scurrilous rumour!), and Granada knocked all the Dominos over and purchased every Franchise barring Scotland. They even got hold of Channel Television eventually. Sorry, rant over folks. Got a bit carried away there. It just rankles a bit. Come back TVS - all is forgiven. TV South made some mistakes, no denying, but they made great programmes, and showed a real commitment to the Region throughout their tenure. 'Perchance it is not dead, but only sleepeth' ....well, one can hope and dream. Best Wishes, & Thanjs Again, You brought back some lovely memories there, my friend. Zac. Zac

Still a fascinating watch and still quite relevant. Having grown up in Poole n Bournemouth in the 2000's, I'm well used to having a choice 2, sometimes 3 (when Shamrock buses still existed) bus companies to travel on for various routes. Must admit, I've always preferred and tried to travel with Wilts and Dorset (now Morebus) over Bournemouth Yellow Buses.

I used to get exact change buses as a sixteen year old. I made sure I had the correct fare night before. It's not difficult.

If no one else could help and they could find them, Gange Buses should have hired The A-Team

FirstBus are pulling out of Southampton. It's only taken about 35 years but Solent won the war!

I do remember for 6 months during the early / mid 1980s , the folk of villages in SW New Forest could catch a Marchwood Motorways bus throughout the evening to the glorious Friday & Saturday Lymington nightlife . Wilts & Dorset would traditionally have ceased around 19:00 in any direction for most villages so for once at least you could socialise or drink yourself silly or do both - so long as you were back at the High St Bus Station or route by 22:30 , the last one westwards. It lasted for about 6 months but it sure beat falling off your bike or paying for Taxis for a while but as for the companies & their employees , I wasn’t bothered because I was a young hedonist 😎

Thanks for uploading

Bring back Blakey and Reg!

Did you know that Solent Blue Line Ltd trades primarily under the name Bluestar?, and it’s still going strong in South Hampshire, and formed in 1987.

It's weird how bus generations carry on. My father was good pals with Dougie McColl 30 years ago on Solent bus services. 30 years later I'm good pals with Dougies son Jamie McColl. And we all live in the same road!

Southampton Citybus became First and Solent Blue Line became BlueStar part of Go-Ahead Group I’ve photographed some ex BlueStar vehicles in the past

The situation did get ridiculous soon after deregulation but calmed down after a few years Fare wars did nobody any favours

Everyone in the bus game seemed to have bad haircuts

That must be your relatives when they were battling Vectis ! 🐢

New Zealand had a very intresting system. Operators could operate any commercial routes they deemed profitable and then the council picked up what they didn't deem applicable. This caused spending to go up and up and patronage to stay the same.

Wilts & Dorset got split a good few years ago into Salisbury Reds and Morebus (Poole, Bournemouth Christchurch, Wareham, Swanage area. Badgerline went many years ago. Yellow Buses ceased trading last year (Morebus took over a good few of their former routes)

Nottingham still has a bus war

I Remember being on national Express coaches from Heathrow to Ringwood I'm those days and remember loads of buses excluding RMs.

I find the British bus industry extremely fascinating. In general, was deregulation eventually seen as a positive or a negative development? Maybe I'm wrong about this, but deregulation seems to be the opposite of the formation of NBC in the 1968-70 era. Also, with deregulation, I'm sure that a good number of unqualified or inadequate (especially in terms of safety) bus companies sprung up, only to disappear within a short period of time.

The livery on the bus driving away from the camera @0:02 is very similar to that of the old Manchester buses.

Little did they know what this would lead to, profit driven companies, not a public service so your citizens can move around without a car.

I well remember Badger Buses coming to Poole from the West Country, and the existing company Wilts & Dorset going apeshit and basically running buses covering every yard of road across the town. Felt like there was a bus-stop on every lamp-post for a while.

A low cost bus operator was tried in London in 1988 although still part of London transport. It was a disaster and was wound up in 1990

Another disaterous idea from Thatcher's government!

Back then it was small company’s now it’s the fight against 3big company’s ARRIVA. D&G. Stagecoach

I think the system we have now is the best, where companies bid on routes.

I love bus fights

I think that must be me driving the ‘ gangebuster’ at 15.46.

RIP Mr Chadwick

Well its over now...

Anyone know how much a scania solar was to buy back in the day ?

bus operator fights do entertainment me

Solent Blue line has now changed management and nee name to Bluestar owned by Go South Coast and Bluestar also owns Unilink all are owned by Go Ahead

In my city,Nottingham,the bus war still exists when back in 1983 there was 2:Nottingham Omnibusses and Nottingham City Transport where NCT was a small company and defeated NOB and then around the early 2000s was challenged by Trent Barton and then by Nottinghamshire County Council Fleet so the second bus war that has 3 companies battling each other is in Nottingham and that in itself means that the longest bus war is Nottingham

Happy days 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Gary Batchelor......you were naughty

No sign of any Robin Hood Ford Transits yet? This must be before SBL ran the 47+48 as well.

Honestly if they wanted a private bus market. They needed to control what routes were registered. If the frequencies were justifiable etc.

I wonder if there were many odd passengers on the isle of wight??

A time when bus lanes were dominated by "Silkies" and "Kinnock Mobiles" !!

I didn't know the Routemaster reached Southampton.

So it's 2023,who won. Blue or city bus.

NICE TO SEE ANDY CHRROT WORKING,WHEN I KNEW STEVE EARLY HE WAS BIGGER AND BALD

When they deregulated the buses in North Essex, one company dared to take on Eastern National on their Colchester to Braintree and Colchester to Chelmsford routes. EN simply cut their fares by 50% and the opposition disappeared after 3 months. Meanwhile, in Colchester, the Borough Transport buses, still owned and operated by thr Council lasted until 2000, when, due to the greed of the staff, the Council had enough of bus drivers constantly wanting higher wages (as if £11 an hour wasn't enough) so sold the lot to British Bus for £1.

5.38 not a bird puller

Very Few Independent bus operators now most council run bus companies sold out to Big Groups when bus service were run by NBC Companies they were run for passengers not for making money for Shareholders who is to blame for decline of independent Operators Deregulation or Regulation

"it would have an unfair advantage", everything was about business owners, who cares about fitness for purpose, or the passengers.

another tory "market competition" disaster same as there gas,electricity,train,phone etc etc all fecked now

It's like ice cream wars but without the ice cream and murders

tv taxis got a tv in the bus

This was a graphic illustration of what happens when ideology results in politicians interfering in something they don't understand. The bus industry was already fighting a rearguard action against growing car ownership and ineptly-designed urban sprawl and out-of-town shopping which was difficult to serve effectively; the last thing it needed was internecine warfare, and as a result not only were rural and even suburban bus routes virtually eliminated over vast areas of Britain, all chance of road-rail coordination was lost. 35 years on most bus routes are in the hands of three or four major operators who have bought everyone else out, and now another Tory government thinks we should have more buses to save the environment. Sickening.

Southern Vectis is a lovely company also I’ve photographed some ex vehicles of there’s

Allegro @2.02

Notable how many respondents demonstrated an ignorance of the ethos of competition by claiming to have been there first - it's simply not relevant.

Gangebuster in action @ 15.00

Same thing happened to the taxi industry.... with companies like UBER saturating the place with cars

wouldn’t want to pressure test a new build now there such low quality in uk

city bus is automatically the best it has an RM

I'd avoid those buses like the plague, even if walking was the only option. If they're acting like that it probably wasn't even safe being a pedestrian

Looks like it's the 50s

Arriva and Stagecoach seemed to have taken over throughout england

Here in what has become 2020, me a reviled millennial will say; Driver only buses were a dumbass idea, a Clippy on every bus please!

Defensive driving! You are carrying the public ! Safety first ! Regardless wether you are in your lane !!! You can’t take people out !!

Now some area's don't have a bus service thanks theacher not

Bring back regulated bus services and provide through single and through return ticket options for multi mode journey and multiple bus journeys. How can with the trains you get a through single or through return tickets involving 3 trains each way, yet on the bus you can't do that as one way you need to buy single or return tickets when you board each bus you travel on one way?

Bus deregulation is wasteful competition, wasteful in fuel, and resources, confusing for passengers and potential users and inefficient in general. As an American living near Washington DC, I'm glad that the USA has not embraced this nonsense !

15 years old ?? I thought buses had to be mandatorily taken out of public service after 12 years?

The ruin started intentionally after WWII

باصات برستول ولايلند البريطانيه احسن باصات ليش ماترجعون اعاده صناعته بدل فولفو وسكانيه

Today's footage still reveal GB's a n c i e n t preference for single-door buses..makes their switch to exact fare over there all the queerer..oh well.