|
Courtney Buses〔(Companies House extract company no 1128598 ) Courtney Coaches Limited〕 is a bus company based in Finchampstead, Bracknell, England. Founded in 1973 it operates a network of commercial and contracted local bus services and school buses in Berkshire, north Hampshire and small sections of Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. The company is known for its use of alternative fuels, having been the first bus company in the United Kingdom to operate a bus run on 100% soya oil. ==History== The company was formed in 1973 as a taxi hire firm in Bracknell by Bill Courtney-Smith, who still manages the company, and moved into coach hire in the 1980s.〔(Courtney Buses - About Us ) Courtney Buses〕 In 2000 Courtney Coaches commenced its first local route, 53 (Wexham Park Hospital - Maidenhead - Bracknell). This was taken over by First Berkshire & The Thames Valley in 2003.〔(News ) Oxford & Chiltern Bus Page April 2003〕 The company expanded dramatically in January 2004 when all seven local routes in Maidenhead were taken over from First Berkshire.〔 In September 2006 Courtney Coaches had is license revoked by the Traffic Commissioner. An appeal was launched, operations continued and the decision overturned by the end of 2006. Between 2005 and 2007, a park & ride service was operated between Maidenhead town centre and a temporary site at Stafferton Way. The Stafferton Way site had been used to provide replacement parking during a period in which a town centre car park was shut.〔(Maidenhead & Windsor: New Maidenhead Hines Meadow Multi-Storey Takes Over from Temporary Park and Ride ) maidenhead-berkshire.co.uk〕 In October 2007 the company introduced a unique ticketing system, ETMSS, which uses mobile computer technology to replace fare charts and reporting software with one computerised system.〔(ETMSS Ltd )〕 Other features include the ability to modify fares from anywhere using the internet, GPS tracking of individual buses and reduced insurance costs as a result of this, and the ability to calculate fares, cash exchanges and refunds. The cost of installation was reportedly paid back within the first 12 months.〔〔 The routes in Maidenhead were changed significantly in early 2009. However, changes to the stopping pattern on route 6 (Maidenhead - Windsor) received criticism from some residents〔(Maidenhead and Windsor - Bus route 6 )〕 and were further changed in April 2009.〔(U-turn: Bus stops to be reinstated ) ''Maidenhead Advertiser'', 1 April 2009〕 Further expansion came in January 2009, when the shuttle service between Didcot Parkway station and Milton Park was expanded from one bus to two using a new low-floor double-deck vehicle at a cost of £175,000. Over 400 passes for the service were issued to workers prior to its introduction.〔(Bus link boosted (From Oxford Mail) )〕 In November 2009 a Courtney Coaches driver ejected a woman from a bus following a complaint from another passenger because of fears over swine flu.〔(Cough girl is booted off bus over swine flu - The Sun )〕 Courtney moved its depot from Bracknell to Finchampstead in late 2010.〔(Gymnastics club wants new home ) ''Reading Post'', 8 March 2011〕 The company announced a change of trading name to Courtney Buses in late 2011.〔(Courtney Buses to replace Courtney Coaches ) Courtney Buses〕 In November 2011 Courtney began operation of a new Christmas park & ride service in Windsor.〔(Park and ride scheme launched for Christmas shoppers ) ''Maidenhead Advertiser'', 22 November 2011〕 There was more expansion in early 2014, when four contracted routes in the Bracknell area were taken over by Courtney following the withdrawal of Thames Travel.〔(New bus providers to ring in the New Year ) ''Bracknell News'', 29 December 2013.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Courtney Buses」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|