User:Hullian111/sandbox/Kingston upon Hull City Transport

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Kingston upon Hull City Transport
Kingston upon Hull City Transport Scania Metropolitan on Anlaby Road in April 1979
ParentKingston upon Hull City Council
Founded1909
DefunctNovember 1994
HeadquartersKingston upon Hull
Service areaCottingham
Hedon
Kingston upon Hull
Wawne
Service typeBus and Coach
HubsHull Paragon Interchange
Depots3
Fleet228 (December 1985)[1]

Kingston upon Hull City Transport (KHCT) was a formerly municipally-owned bus operator providing services in the city of Kingston upon Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Founded in 1909 as part of the Hull Corporation's Transport Department, shortened to Hull Corporation Transport, KHCT was owned and operated by Kingston upon Hull City Council until bus deregulation in October 1986. The company today trades as Stagecoach in Hull.

History[edit]

Roe bodied Sunbeam trolleybuses along King Edward Street in July 1963

The Hull Corporation's first trams commenced operations in 1899, subsequently followed by the commencement of motorbus operations in 1909, using a fleet of six buses. Operations would later restart in 1921, expanding alongside the city's trolleybus network. During the Hull Blitz on the night of 7-8 May 1941, Hull Corporation's Central garage, close in proximity to Hull Paragon Interchange and several other city centre targets, was severely damaged by bombing from the Luftwaffe. 44 motorbuses stored in the depot were destroyed, with another 21 damaged, forcing the Corporation to disperse its bus fleet across the city's various parks.[2][3]

The trolleybus network was officially abandoned on 31 October 1964, having been gradually replaced by fleets of Leyland Atlantean motorbuses.[4] Hull Corporation Transport was one of the quickest operators of one-person operated buses,[5] and on 10 November 1972, became the first bus operator in the United Kingdom to fully phase out the use of conductors.[6][7] Earlier in the same year, Hull Corporation Transport was renamed to Kingston upon Hull City Transport (KHCT), coinciding with the introduction of a new fleet livery and uniform.[8]

Prior to deregulation, KHCT shared Hull's bus network with then-National Bus Company subsidiary East Yorkshire Motor Services (EYMS), which had been split into three fare zones following a co-ordination agreement in 1934, in which both companies could gain a share of bus fares around the city. KHCT's operating area would expand throughout the 1970s with the construction of both the Bransholme and Orchard Park housing estates,[2] and in 1980, KHCT entered into the Crown Card weekly ticket scheme with East Yorkshire.[9]

Deregulation[edit]

East Lancs E Type bodied Dennis Dominator in Cleveland Transit-era livery in May 1995

To comply with the Transport Act 1985 and ensuing deregulation of the bus industry, on 27 July 1986, the assets of KHCT were transferred to a new legal entity, Kingston upon Hull City Transport Ltd.,[10] which was soon followed by the closure of bus garages on Cottingham Road and Holderness Road, resulting in a significant downsizing of KHCT's bus fleet.[2]

Following deregulation taking effect on 26 October 1986, the co-ordination agreement between KHCT and EYMS, which was now owned by its management,[11] was abolished, and the two operators became engaged in competition from the late 1980s until 1994. Both companies began operating competitively on each other's network of services,[12] while KHCT was challenged by smaller independent operators entering Hull's bus network, including City Traveller, Connor & Graham, Metro Citybus and Pride of the Road/North Bank Travel.[13][14][15][16] These operators would eventually go bankrupt or were taken over by either KHCT or EYMS, with the former Citilink brand retained as a low-cost subsidiary of KHCT until it was wound up in 1992.[2][17][16] The company also diversified its core business to bring in additional income, forming a vehicle engineering firm named 'The Garage' at the company's former Liverpool Street central works and separate car and taxi hire franchises in Hull and Anlaby respectively.[18]

As a consequence of competition on its core bus network, however, KHCT incurred heavy losses, losing £2 million and incurring £782,000 in debts in 1993.[19][20] KHCT's external ventures would be progressively sold or dissolved throughout 1992,[18][21] with KHCT's finance director being denied compensation by an industrial tribunal for unfair dismissal after 'The Garage' was found to have suffered from serious financial irregularities,[22] and the company were removed from the Crown Card ticket scheme amid sustained competition with EYMS.[23]

Faced with escalating financial losses and increased competition, Kingston upon Hull City Council sold KHCT to Stockton-on-Tees based Cleveland Transit in December 1993.[2][24][25] This deal saw KHCT's employees take a 49% stake in the company,[26] with a new livery of white and blue featuring a yellow band as well as a straplined logo reading "Employee Owners Working for You" similar to that of Cleveland's adopted,[27] and a year later, the deal led to KHCT's 'bus war' with EYMS ending after both companies agreed to co-ordinate their Hull timetables.[28] Half of the city council's £2.7 million profit from the sale, however, would be lost to a £1.4 million debt owned to Humberside County Council,[29] and immediately after the sale, 18 drivers and four managers were laid off by KHCT in an attempt by Cleveland Transit to make the company turn a profit.[30][31]

Acquisition by Stagecoach Holdings[edit]

In November 1994, Cleveland Transit was sold to Stagecoach Holdings for £7.7 million.[32] The Transit-era KHCT blue and white livery was initially maintained by Stagecoach, however on 1 January 1996, KHCT was formally renamed Stagecoach Kingston upon Hull, later shortened to Stagecoach in Hull, with the Stagecoach corporate livery being introduced by the spring of 1996.[33][34] Permission was granted by Hull City Council for Stagecoach to move operations from the former KHCT depot on Lombard Street to a new site on Foster Street, Stoneferry in November 1995, which was completed in 1996,[35][36] and the Kingstonian coaching arm was acquired by EYMS and integrated into its own coaching operations in March 1997.[37][38]

Operations[edit]

The Corporation Pier terminal of the Humber Ferry in July 1977, with a KHCT Leyland Atlantean standing outside the terminal

Prior to the opening of the Humber Bridge on 24 June 1981, KHCT operated a short bus service between Hull bus station and the Corporation Pier for travellers using the Humber Ferry. Initially, the pier was served by the city's tramways, running as route P until becoming the first tram route in Hull to be converted to motorbus operation in September 1931.[39]

Citilink[edit]

Citilink was a low-cost bus operation set up by KHCT in order to compete with rival bus operators around Kingston upon Hull and surrounding areas.

Kingstonian[edit]

KHCT founded the Kingstonian luxury hire coach operation in 1982, commencing operations with a fleet of three new Plaxton Supreme bodied Leyland coaches as well as the option to hire buses from the conventional double-decker fleet.[40] Kingstonian soon expanded into the inclusive touring market, launching the 'Coronet Tours' programme of holidays across the United Kingdom. Kingstonian directly competed with other tour operators in the Hull and Humberside area, and it was alleged in its early years that the operation was running at a heavy loss at the Hull taxpayer's expense.[41][42]

As well as its core operations across Hull and Humberside, the Kingstonian coaching arm also expanded into Continental Europe shortly after deregulation with KHCT's acquisition of the formerly Eastern National-owned Voyage National in France in 1988, followed by acquiring the family-owned Kivits Reizen in the Netherlands in 1990.[43] In the United Kingdom, KHCT would acquire the coaching operations of York Pullman in February 1990 and take on a National Express coach service from York to London in May 1991,[44][45]

…and the Coronet Tours programme was also wound up that same year.

Kingstonian was retained by KHCT following its acquisition by Stagecoach Holdings in 1994. However, Kingstonian would eventually be acquired by East Yorkshire Motor Services in March 1997 and integrated into the company's own coaching operations.[37][38]

The Garage[edit]

The Garage was set up by KHCT as an external venture following deregulation.[18][22]

Fleet[edit]

As of December 1985, KHCT was operating a fleet of 228 buses and coaches from three depots on Ferensway (Central), Cottingham Road and Holderness Road, with a central maintenance works also located on Liverpool Street near Hessle Road.[1] In 19XX, the company operated a peak fleet of [x] motorbuses and [x] trolleybuses.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, KHCT standardised on the Leyland Atlantean rear-engined double-decker bus, purchasing xx of the type, a majority with Roe bodywork. Atlanteans built to one-person configuration from 1969 would begin replacing elderly conductor-operated half-cab buses, gradually converting KHCT services to one-person operation.[46] Fleets of 30 Scania Metropolitans and 30 MCW Metrobuses were also acquired in the 1970s; further orders for fifteen more Metrobuses, as well as ten Leyland B15 Titans were cancelled due to production delays and build quality issues and respectively, with these buses replaced with further orders for Leyland Atlanteans.[47][48]

Between 1984 and 1990, KHCT purchased 51 Dennis Dominators, built with both Alexander and East Lancs bodywork, as well as sixteen Scania N113s built with East Lancs bodywork.[49][50] A small handful of Alexander and East Lancs-bodied Dominators were delivered with coach seating between 1984 and 1985 for use in the Kingstonian fleet as 'Superdeckers' and 'Turbodeckers' respectively,[51] and in 1988, six Scania N112 single decker coaches with East Lancs bodies, branded as 'City Slickers', were delivered as the first single-deckers bought new by KHCT for 23 years.[52][53] KHCT's final new double-decker buses were three Northern Counties Palatine bodied Volvo Olympians, identical in specification to five delivered to parent Cleveland Transit, which were delivered shortly after the acquisition by Stagecoach in 1994.[54]

Incidents[edit]

A number of KHCT buses have been involved in major incidents. A woman was killed and 28 people were injured, eight seriously, when a KHCT Leyland Atlantean double-decker bus and a Dutch tanker truck collided at the junction of Leads Road and Sutton Road on 12 December 1975, with the bus also hitting a car and a set of traffic lights.[55][56][57]

On 8 February 1983, a KHCT double-decker running empty to Bransholme slipped on ice while trying to avoid a seven-car pileup and overturned off the Sutton Road Bridge down 30 feet (9.1 m) into an allotment garden, resulting in the driver being hospitalised.[58]

On 17 October 1986, a KHCT double-decker was stolen and taken on an hour-long joyride in the middle of the night through Hull city centre; the bus eventually broke down and collided with a tree on the Ings Road Estate. The driver was arrested after serious damage had been caused to the stolen bus by ramming three other buses, three police cars pursuing the stolen bus and numerous parked cars, as well as crashing into street furniture and pedestrianisation-related roadworks around the city centre.[59]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Bus fleet survey". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 7 December 1985. pp. 53–62. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e Wells, Malcolm; Morfitt, Paul (2017). Hull Corporation Buses. Amberley Publishing. pp. 4–6. ISBN 978-1-4456-6754-6. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  3. ^ Webb, Edwin; Duncan, John (1990). Blitz Over Britain. Spellmount. p. 136. ISBN 0946771898. Retrieved 10 January 2024. The Corporation bus depot was also set alight and a large number of vehicles destroyed.
  4. ^ "Hull 27-year trolleybus era ends". Hull Daily Mail. 2 November 1964. p. 5. Retrieved 10 January 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Fastest o-m-o in Hull". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 10 December 1971. p. 19. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  6. ^ "Hull first with 100 per cent o-m-o". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 24 November 1972. p. 29. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  7. ^ "Last of Hull bus conductors fade away quietly". Hull Daily Mail. 15 November 1972. p. 8. Retrieved 10 January 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "New uniform for Hull busmen". Hull Daily Mail. 15 April 1972. p. 1. Retrieved 10 January 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Hull card". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 25 October 1980. p. 28. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  10. ^ "All change on the Blue and Whites". Hull Daily Mail. 26 July 1986. p. 1. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "E Yorks snapped up". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 14 February 1987. p. 18. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  12. ^ Jarosz, Andrew (15 August 1992). "EYMS attacks Hull services". Coach & Bus Week. No. 26. Peterborough: Emap. p. 14.
  13. ^ "Metro tightens up Hull competition". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 15 June 1989. p. 19. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  14. ^ "Hull independent's KHCT complaint". Coach & Bus Week. No. 24. Peterborough: Emap. 1 August 1992. p. 3.
  15. ^ "KHCT ups the pace". Coach & Bus Week. No. 25. Peterborough: Emap. 8 August 1992. p. 6.
  16. ^ a b Jarosz, Andrew (26 September 1992). "Defence of KHCT starts". Coach & Bus Week. No. 32. Peterborough: Emap. p. 6.
  17. ^ "KHCT snaps up new Citylink". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 16 March 1989. p. 21. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  18. ^ a b c Jarosz, Andrew (29 August 1992). "Brand names to go next month". Coach & Bus Week. No. 28. Peterborough: Emap. p. 12.
  19. ^ Jarosz, Andrew (22 May 1993). "KHCT debt confirmed". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough: Emap. p. 10.
  20. ^ Jarosz, Andrew (5 March 1994). "Inquiry call as KHCT books show £2m loss". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough: Emap. p. 10.
  21. ^ Jarosz, Andrew (17 October 1992). "KHCT rundown to its core business goes on". Coach & Bus Week. No. 35. Peterborough: Emap. p. 12.
  22. ^ a b Jewell, Michael (8 May 1993). "Financial director was not unfairly dismissed". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough: Emap.
  23. ^ "Competition hotting up in Hull". Coach & Bus Week. No. 29. Peterborough: Emap. 5 September 1992. p. 9.
  24. ^ Jarosz, Andrew (18 December 1993). "Transit sews up the sale of KHCT and wields axe". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough: Emap. p. 3.
  25. ^ Hickman, Martin (20 November 1993). "Sell-off deal for Blue and Whites". Hull Daily Mail. p. 1. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ "Hull completion due". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough: Emap. 11 December 1993. p. 5.
  27. ^ "Bus firm launches late night services". Hull Daily Mail. 8 January 1994. p. 3. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ Jarosz, Andrew (6 August 1994). "Peace breaks out after Hull bus war". Coach & Bus Week. No. 128. Peterborough: Emap. p. 9.
  29. ^ Jarosz, Andrew (19 February 1994). "Debt wipes out most of KHCT sale profit". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough: Emap. p. 19.
  30. ^ "Drivers' jobs are axed after bus company takeover deal". Hull Daily Mail. 13 December 1993. p. 1. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ Gray, Chris (15 December 1993). "Now managers' jobs go at the Blue and Whites". Hull Daily Mail. p. 7. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ Stewart, Rob (11 November 1994). "Shares bonanza in bus takeover". Hull Daily Mail. p. 5. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ^ "KHCT Renamed". Bus & Coach Buyer. No. 341. Spalding: Glen-Holland Limited. 19 January 1996. p. 5.
  34. ^ Young, Angus (16 March 1996). "Bus colours to go?". Hull Daily Mail. p. 5. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ^ Young, Angus (17 November 1995). "Bus operators seek new base". Hull Daily Mail. p. 16. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ^ "Car park plan sparks chaos fears". Hull Daily Mail. 13 November 1997. p. 7. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ^ a b "EYMS buy Kingstonian Travel and launch National Holidays". Bus & Coach Buyer. No. 400. Spalding: Glen-Holland Limited. 14 March 1997. p. 9.
  38. ^ a b "EYMS group buys coach operation". Hull Daily Mail. 4 March 1997. p. 5. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  39. ^ John Humber (18 June 1981). "End of an era". Hull Daily Mail. p. 12. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  40. ^ "Luxury travel by Kingstonian". Hull Daily Mail. 3 March 1982. p. 13. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  41. ^ "Fighting for our existence!". Hull Daily Mail. 21 June 1982. p. 3. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  42. ^ Hansford, Christopher (4 March 1983). "Kingstonian 'cover-up' row". Hull Daily Mail. p. 1. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  43. ^ Millar, Alan (31 May 1990). "KHCT confounds the critics". Coachmart. No. 590. Peterborough: Emap. pp. 24–25.
  44. ^ "...and Reynard Pullman moves in". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 8 March 1990. p. 21. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  45. ^ "KHCT gets first Nat-Ex service". Coachmart. No. 642. Peterborough: Emap. 6 June 1991. p. 9.
  46. ^ "New double-decker on Hull bus scene". Hull Daily Mail. 3 December 1969. p. 7. Retrieved 13 January 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  47. ^ "Hull to order more 'foreign' buses". Hull Daily Mail. 8 June 1975. p. 9. Retrieved 7 November 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  48. ^ "Hull to reject faulty buses". Hull Daily Mail. 5 March 1980. p. 1. Retrieved 7 November 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  49. ^ "Scania buses for Hull". Hull Daily Mail. 10 November 1989. p. 50. Retrieved 13 January 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  50. ^ "Lending a helping hand in Humberside". Coachmart. Peterborough. 30 August 1990.
  51. ^ "Catering for mini-breaker". Hull Daily Mail. 25 March 1987. p. 10. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  52. ^ Halstead, Ian (2 September 1988). "Slick new look to KHCT fleet". Hull Daily Mail. p. 25. Retrieved 13 January 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  53. ^ "East Lancs' new body". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 13 October 1988. p. 14. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  54. ^ "Important role for CT's deckers". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough: Emap. 15 July 1995. p. 6. An additional three similar vehicles have been allocated to the Kingston upon Hull subsidiary where Scania double deckers had been the favoured choice while under municipal ownership.
  55. ^ "Bus and tanker in Hull crash horror". Hull Daily Mail. 13 December 1975. p. 1. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  56. ^ "'It was all hell and no notion…'". Hull Daily Mail. 13 December 1975. p. 5. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  57. ^ "Double probe into bus horror crash". Hull Daily Mail. 15 December 1975. p. 1. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  58. ^ "Bus in ice crash". Hull Daily Mail. 8 February 1983. p. 1. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  59. ^ Young, Angus (17 October 1986). "Double-decker wreaks havoc in 1a.m. chase". Hull Daily Mail. p. 1. Retrieved 5 November 2023 – via Newspapers.com.

External links[edit]

Media related to Kingston upon Hull City Transport at Wikimedia Commons

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