DORSET TRANSIT
A solution to the somewhat vexing problem of having the registration for your prime bus route cancelled |
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Please note - this is a site of historical record and does not contain current service information |
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Dorset Transit is best known as the innovative solution that was adopted by the Southern National company when their route registration for their prime Weymouth to Portland route was revoked by the Traffic Commissioner in 1996 following a period of intense and somewhat hostile competition with local independent operator Weybus. This revocation of the right to operate on this main route at the start of the summer holiday season could have been extremely damaging to the viability of the Weymouth network. But the penalty was imposed only on the Southern National company and this left the way open for another associated company within the then Cawlett group - Dorchester Coachways (West Dorset Coaches) - to proceed to register the route from June 1st. This still meant three operators on the route, the third being Smiths, the Portland independent. The new operation was given a high profile and adopted the new Dorset Transit fleet name. Under the able management of Henry Frier, and with benefit of his many years experience in running buses, the operations on the Portland route proved very successful with increased clock face frequencies operated by midibuses in an eyecatching new livery, supported by skilful marketing and attractive publicity. The services continue to this day but now as part of First Bus which acquired the Cawlett group of companies in April 1999, trading originally as First Dorset Transit. Subsequently the erstwhile Dorset Transit operations were merged into the Weymouth Metro network of First Bus (see below). In the new bright livery of white and grey with orange roofs and stripes, the Dorset Transit services were provided by 29-seater Mercedes 709 midibuses with Carlyle bodies. Ten of these were transferred from the Southern National fleet, and worked on the main route 1 from Weymouth to Portland. Route 2 to Wyke Regis was normally operated by an Iveco F588 OOU and there were several Ford Transits as well. The only big bus in Dorset Transit livery was Leyland National 2882 FDV 778V, transferred from the Atlantic Blue operation in North Devon. The daily express coach service to London, started originally by the Bere Regis & District company in June 1983, and then later operated by Dorchester Coachways, was subsequently operated under the First Dorset Transit banner. In 2002 First dispensed with booking agents for the service and relied only on on-bus issue. This may have contributed to the demise of the service the following year, and it ceased on 22nd November. However the operation was taken over on a daily basis from Monday 24th November 2003 by Bluebird Coaches, another long established Weymouth coach operator, and ran by them for several years. |
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A Dorset Transit Mercedes midibus picks up passengers at the Kings Statue departure point in Weymouth. |
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The map below shows the development
of the Dorset Transit routes
between
Weymouth, Wyke Regis and Portland.
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Mercedes 709/Carlyle
29-seater H914 WYB in 1996, nearing
Fortuneswell
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Dorset Transit's only big bus
at the start of operations in 1996, Leyland National FDV
778V, climbs to the top of Portland
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The picture below was taken at
West Stafford on the day of inauguration
of the 102 / 103
group of routes |
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Dorset Transit climbing from the
heathlands over the hill to East Chaldon - T828AFX again (photo by
Keith Newton) |
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