The business was founded as Transports Dumont in 1925 at Frévent by
Georges Dumont, the great-grandfather of the present patron Vincent
Dumont. The very first route is believed to have between Frévent and
Hesdin; the headquarters of the firm relocated to rue de la Breche in Hesdin in 1930, and has remained there since.
A
significant longer distance route was introduced from the
coast at Berck-Plage through Hesdin to the major city of Lille,
continuing on to
nearby Tourcoing and Roubaix. There was competition over the greater
part of this route for many years between Lille and Berck from
Transports Citroen (ligne 11). Citroen also had a second route from
Lille to Berck via Aire-sur-la-Lys (ligne 10). The Dumont service to
Roubaix was to be operated for some seventy
years until it was cut back to St Pol sur Ternoise in 2001 following a
decision made by the regional council. The loss of this 'flagship'
route was a sad
blow to the firm.
Other
routes along the
coast to the south of Etaples had been developed over the years through
Le Touquet to Berck. There was also a regular link from Berck to the
rail station at Rang-du-Fliers. The coastal routes were to expand
further in 1966 when the
business of Transports Pieffer of Boulogne was aquired, leading to the
extension of the coastal routes northwards from Etaples to Boulogne
(see timetable illustration), as well as a route to Hardelot from
Boulogne. Other expansion in later years saw the takeover of the
operations of competitors Courtin of Hesdin (who operated from there to
Abbeville) and Fourcroy of
Beaurainville.
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