Taff-Ely Transport Ltd.
1986-1988
Taff-Ely Transport Ltd was set up under the 1985 Transport Act to assume
control of the former municipal fleet of Taff-Ely District Council (see
Pontypridd UDC), which took
place on the 26th October 1986.
The new company was immediately beset by problems, including the loss of
schools and contract services and competition from the minibuses of a local
operator on some of its services. In an endeavour to rectify the situation the
company purchased a number of Optare CityPacers in 1987, but the company
remained in a perilous financial state. The larger vehicles that remained were
withdrawn by 1988 and the fleet size reduced to just 20 vehicles. This attracted
the attention of National Welsh, who accordingly increased its operations in the
area. Taff-Ely responded by commencing competitive services against National
Welsh, but to no avail and the Company quickly became insolvent. On the 5th
September 1988, Taff-Ely Transport Ltd became the first casualty of
de-regulation and was sold to National Welsh, bringing to an end over 83 years
of local authority transport in the area, although for a short while at least,
the buses used by National Welsh in the town were painted in a predominantly
blue livery and bore the fleetname 'Taff-Ely Bustler'.
This history covers the
period of operations of Taff-Ely Transport Ltd. an 'arms-length' limited
company, which effectively commenced trading on 26th October 1986 with the
enactment of the 1985 Transport Act (de-regulation).
In producing this history reference has been made to the following sources;
Taff-Ely Transport (Roy
Marshall, Buses No. 412, July 1989); Municipal Buses in Colour (Reg Wilson, Ian
Allan 1997); PSV Circle Fleet History PG3 (1980).
| History
1986-1988 | Bus Fleet List 1986-1988 |
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