The latest arrival with Voel is YN06OPH Irisbus 397E.12.31 Z / Plaxton Paragon C70F
New in April 2006 to Johnson, Hodthorpe; in January 2022 it was with Austin, Earlston, Stockton-on-Tees.
It has been converted to 70 seats before arriving with Voel
Being withdrawn soon is X915ERA Volvo B10M-62 Plaxton Premiere 350 which came to Voel from P and O Lloyd in December 2014.
The firm are now working from their new depot in Bagillt.
New to the fleet is FD54DHN a Volvo B12B / Plaxton Panther C70F
New in Dec 2004 to Dunn-Line, Nottingham; been with Flights Hallmark London, Diamond; West Midlands, Green Triangle, West Midlands; Newbury & District, Berkshire and latterly with Peyton Travel, Bridgend. It was converted to C70F in 2/2019
It is not clear yet where it will be based or what livery it will receive.
As reported previously Pats Coaches have acquired N400BRA a Scania K410EB6 / Irizar I6 (C53Ft) with part of the business of Bradshaws Quality Travel. The coach normally operates tours for Ledger working from the Bradshaw premises which is near Blackpool but it is down in Wrexham for a week. Today it has had to be utilised on a run to Deeside College and tomorrow it is likely to be conveying Wrexham football supporters.
Joining the fleet in the last few days is RV22DMO an Iveco Daily 70C21 / Ilesbus I-City MAX (C29FL). It was new to ALM Travel, Hemel Hempstead in March 2023.
The service bus PD23PAT (Iveco Daily 70C21 / Ilesbus I-City MAX) is again receiving attention under warranty and demonstrator RJ73FXT Iveco Daily 70C21H / Ilesbus I-City Max (B33F) is back on loan working the 146 service.
Volvo B12B / Transbus (C70F) has received a re-paint and has been re-registered from KX04HTE to 6709PO.
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Pats Coaches have taken over part of the business of the firm Bradshaws Quality Travel which have premises in Clay Gap Lane, Out Rawcliffe, Preston. Despite its postal address the location is nearer Blackpool than Preston.
One vehicle is being taken over - N400BRA a Scania K410EB6 / Irizar I6 (C53Ft) It was new in May 2017 as YN17OMF to City Circle,Hayes [142] and has been with Bradshaws since April 2022.
The Operators Licence in respect of the Wrexham premises has recently been increased and 26 vehicles are now authorised to be used at these premises.
SSV269 the Van Hool TX17A / Acron TX has just received the new Leger Silver livery. This work was undertaken by the two lads trading as KC Bodywork who's premises are within Pat's depot. Anotyher excellent piece of work.
The loan / demonstrator from Ilesbus RJ73FXT Iveco Daily 70C21H / Ilesbus I-City Max has now left Pats and PC71PAT is now back at work with the firm.
Go Goodwins are about to move their depot from Mostyn to the the Deebank Industrial Estate in Bagillt. They have purchased property formerly used by GTR Aggregates. It is a 2.5 acre site full of potential.
B = area planned for MoT testing station
C = Workshops
D = Will be demolished
E = Main Parking area for local fleet
A area planned for offices and storage of heritage fleet
B = area planned for MoT testing station
C = Workshops
D = Being demolished
Straffords' Coaches have sold 403BGO Scania K114IB4 / Irizar (C55F) to Pats Coaches.
It was new in June 2003 as YN03DDK to Mayne, Warrington [30], It was purchased by Pats Coaches in July 2019 but not used. It was sold on shortly afterwards to Straffords Minera who gave it the name 'Frank'.
It has reverted to a white livery.
VX51RBY the Dennis Dart SLF / Alexander ALX200 has been sold to a currently unidentified operator in England. It may be used for Rail Replacement in the future.
Most of the fleet is being given a very smart new livery.
At least seven of the fleet will receive this livery which makes a very nice change from the previous all white colour.
Arrived today (29 August) is DD08OXF a Volvo B12B / Plaxton Panther (C70FL)
It was new in March 2008 to City of Oxford [94] and from August 2015 it was with Shaw, (Travellers Choice), Carnforth. It is a sibling of JJ08OXF which arrived with Davies in May of this year.
Left the fleet is YX03FCN the Transbus (Dennis) Javelin / Profile which having donated its seats has gone to Davies Motors presumably for scrap.
Joining the fleet is HN66UDW a Ford Transit (M16). New in December 2016 to Dawson Rentals, it has been with PP Travel, Knottingley; Need, Alnwick and more recently with British Aerospace in Broughton.
It has been given the firm's new very smart livery:-
On loan here from Ilesbus is RJ73FXT an Iveco Daily 70C21H / Illesbus I-City Max (B33F).
It is from Ilesbus and is here while PC71PAT receives attention.
Van Hool TX17A Acron TX SSV269 is currently being repainted into the new Leger Silver livery and should be completed soon.
Added to the fleet is SV08DHU Volvo B7R / Plaxton Profile (C51FL). It was New in May 2008 to Stagecoach (Bluebird Buses) Scotland and from March 2022 with Langcake (Big Coach Company) Garston, Liverpool from where it has come.
The Neoplan Tourliner which until recently carried the number OY67DXO and the livery to celebrate the 70th Anniversary has been re-registered to 6499VC and is now in orange. It is shortly to receive the Voel new livery with an indication that the company is celebrating its 75th Anniversary.
Two vehicles have recently left the fleet:-
YJ24AYF Temsa Safari HD12 which was new to the firm in March 2024 has been sold to Walls of Wigan Limited (Grayway Coaches)
RX58HVJ AD Trident / Optare Olympus (H51/31F) which was recently purchased from Chester Coaches, Walkden last month has been sold on to Yelloway Chadderton.
The fflecsi bus service is a demand-responsive bus service administered by Transport for Wales (TfW) and local authorities, operated by local bus operators across Wales.
Normally the fflecsi service has replaced former timetabled services in rural areas. The idea being that passengers can have a more flexible means to make essential travel journeys at times more appropriate to their needs.
Passengers book and pay for journeys via an app (or telephone call), which then matches passengers travelling between similar points, calculating an ad hoc route to the destinations required within the route's service area. Payment is required and normally each area has a fixed fee although concessionary travel passes are accepted
Currently the service is provided in the following areas:-
In South Wales there a\re service based in Blaenau Gwent and Pembrokeshire
In Gwynedd - there is a service covering the Llŷn Peninsula and Lloyds Coaches have a fleet of four smartly fflecsi liveried Mercedes-Benz Sprinters that operate a service around Dolgellau and a separate service based at Machynlleth covering the Dyfi Valley
In the Conwy Valley - three smartly fflecsi liveried Sprinters operated by Alpine cover Llanrwst and the villages of Llangernyw, Dolwyddelan, Cwm Penmachno, Yspyty Ifan, Pentrefoelas and Cerrigydrudion.
In Denbighshire Llew Jones operates a fflecsi liveried Sprinter covering the immediate housing around the town. M and H Coaches operates a fflecsi liveried Sprinter which covers the area around Denbigh and Henllan. The Council themselves operate an all electric fflecsi liveried Sprinter that covers Ruthin and some of the nearby villages. They also operate a wheelchair-accessible Nissan Dynamo E-NV200 EV micro electric vehicle which operates around Denbigh and covers such villages as Tremeichion, Llanefydd, Prion, Nantglyn and Peniel. This latter vehicle also supplements the Henllan area when required.
In Flintshire the first fflecsi service is based on Holywell and operates around a number of the outlying villages to the town. It replaced a number of timetables services running from Holywell . Until recently it was operated by P and O Lloyd using one of the Flintshire Council liveried 16 seater buses. The most recent fflecsi service in this county covers the Buckley, Penyffordd, Kinnerton and Broughton area and replaced various timetabled services including the Buckley Town service and those passing through Kinnerton and Penyffordd. This service was until recently was operated by Wrexham Taxis and used two Flintshire Council liveried 16 seater buses.
The four vehicles purchased by Flintshire Council which carried a recognisable Flintshire Council livery and were used on the fflecsi services have now been sold through the Queensferry Auction. They have not been replaced. These were :-
FP18FEV and FP18FFN Mercedes Benz 516CDI
MX18AVR and MX18AWJ Peugeot Boxer 440
From 1st July the Flintshire fflecsi area services have passed to R Williams Services Limited of Flint. There is now only one vehicle working the Buckley service. Both of the vehicles now working in Flintshire, one based in Holywell and the other Buckley, are 8 seater minibuses and currently have no special livery or any indications on the exterior of the vehicles to indicate the nature of the service they are working.
Holywell fflecsi operated by R Williams - 1 August 2024
The question has to be posed - will the lack of any livery / indication on the vehicles failing to show that they are part of the fflecsi lead to further reductions in the service. This essential passenger facility for the rural areas is essential but for some reason there is very little effective marketing of the service undertaken. Is this a deliberate policy to further reduce the demand for the service leading to its withdrawal.
Some of the examples of other vehicles used in other areas.
Conwy Valley (Alpine)
Ruthin (Denbighshire County Council) - full electric
Denbigh (Denbighshire County Council ) fully electric
Denbigh and Henllan (M and H Coaches)
Two additions to the fleet are :-
W551DWY Volvo B10M-62 / Plaxton Panther (C70F) New in June 2000 to Brown, Helperby, North Yorkshire; (10/2008) Chester, Walkden
and
RX58HVJ AD Trident / Optare Olympus (H51/31F) New in Nov 2008 to Courtney, Bracknel, Bedfordshire; (5/19) Chester, Walkden
This firm is making steady progress and has recently increased its authorised number of vehicles to 10.
The Operating Centre at Burley Hill Garage, Eryrys is now solely used by the firm. It is not only being used as the base for his expanding fleet but the owner Dan Keane is providing a repair service to a number of local bus firms and various visiting buses and coaches are regularly seen here.
The Scania K340EB4 / Caetano Levante (S70F) recently purchased from Davies of Leeswood has been re-registered from FJ07DWO to Y8KNE
SN57DWM the AD E200 Dart (B32D) which was owned by Keane and operated on a contract in Bootle for a while by Starcruiser Bussing Limited has been sold to OR Jones, Llanfaethlu.
SP07HHZ a Volvo B7R / Plaxton Profile which was once owned by Dale Travel before it returned to Keanes has also been sold. It went to a firm in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and it was quickly sold on to the Birmingham Coach Company and it appears they have also sold now sold it.
Following my blog on 7 July about the coach crash in South Africa I am pleased to report that my wife and I are making good progress to a full recovery - but as I constantly keep being reminded - age is a factor and therefore it is taking time.
We are both able to do most of what we did before - but are still suffering from some backache and a slight loss in our previous mobility.
Thank you to all who have kindly offered best wishes.
The full story of the crash can be found by scrolling down my blog to July 7th
David McAulay trading as Teithio Seren first obtained an Operating licence in June 2023. The operating centre was mainly at Bryn Rodyn, Colwyn Bay. His fleet at one stage comprised of :-
VX51RBY (fleet no. SDC51) Dennis Dart SLF Alexander ALX200 B38F
NX56HBK (fleet no. MDF56) Iveco 40C12 Daily Advanced Vehicle Builders M16
FJ09KMX (fleet no. MDF09) Iveco 45C15 Daily Excel M16
PN03OVM (fleet no. CPC03) Dennis R405 Plaxton Paragon C53F
In addition to private hire a school contract from Brynhyfryd, Ruthin was operated for a period.
JF09KMX and PN03OVM have subsequently been sold. The latter, Plaxton Paragon, is now with Big Wheelers Driver Training, Valley and is now BW51HGV.
However at the same hearing the Traffic Commissioner granted a new Operating Licence to the company GM Buses Limited. This company is jointly owned by David McAulay and David Banks both of whom are Directors. David Banks is also a Director of Llandudno Land Trains Limited that operates the Great Orme Express Tour from Llandudno Pier during the summer season.
The new company have newly acquired two vehicles as follows:-
SUI3825 [YN04AWH] MAN 18.310 / Noge N-4873 (C49Ft)
LIW1335 [YN54DDE] Mercedes Benz Vario O814D / Plaxton Cheetah (C33F)
They were both new to Hodson Coaches, Gisburn (SUI in 6/20024 and LIW in 9/2004)
The new company will also trade as Teithio Seren
The main office for GM Buses is now Unit 1A, The Factory, Builder Street West, Conwy, LL30 1HH although the current registered Operating Centre is Bryn Rodyn, Dolwen Road, Old Colwyn.
Dart VX51RBY will transfer over to GM Buses from Teithio Seren and possibly also Iveco FJ09KMX which is currently out of use in Llay.
Arrived this week is YX68TZO a Volvo B8R / Plaxton C72FL. It was new in September 2018 to Imperial Coaches, Slough and is now fully PSVR compliant with a lift.
<<Temp photo Link>>
The Volvo B12M Jonckheere JHV C53Ft which arrived in May has now been re-registered from CT10OUK to SIG2959
It can be confirmed that the five Solos SR's Optare M8570SR-SL (B28F) YJ68FSA/C/D/E/F which have been on loan from Flintshire County Council since they were new in November 2011 have left the fleet and returned to Flintshire County Council. They were soon entered into auction at Queensferry and it is understood that YJ68FSA and FSD are now with Nefyn Coaches and that YJ68FSC, FSE and FSF are currently being offered for sale by Stafford Bus Centre.
The firm now have two brand new Alexander Dennis A20D / Enviro 200 for work on the newly desiganted F1 and F2 Deeside Shuttle services. YX24OZM was reported in an earlier Blog when it arrived on 10th June. SK24CWJ arrived a little later. They are both currently retaining their original white livery but have received vinyls with the firm's name
The other Optare Solos thta have joined the fleet recently are all now in service and carry the fleet's smart service vehicle liveries :-KX64AFA,, YJ62FMO, YJ65EVK and YJ65EVL
The Solo MX07NTO which came from Go Goodwins in May 2023 and received initially a Flintshire council livery has now been the firm's standard service livery.
