YEOVILIAN
Competitive operations in and around Yeovil in the late 1980s
With deregulation of buses following the 1985 Transport Act, Kingston Coaches (Coleman) of Yeovil introduced local bus services using the name Yeovilian. The Coleman family had been in the hire car business in Yeovil since 1966 and grew - like many firms - into coaching. The original three country routes all ran from Yeovil to South Petherton but by different roads, competing with Safeway from Yeovil both via Crewkerne (service 001) and via Montacute (service 002); and also with Southern National from Yeovil via Martock (service 003). A probably unexpected and definitely unwelcome surprise for Safeway after having the South Petherton road to themselves for ten years after National had withdrawn from there in 1978! Yeovilian operations commenced on 11th January 1988 and continued for just over two years, ceasing in February 1990.
In March 1989 route 001 to South Petherton via Crewkerne was cut back to terminate at Merriott and route 003 was withdrawn altogether. Several second-hand Leyland Nationals and Bedfords were used and very low fares were charged by Yeovilian in an attempt to gain customers from the incumbent operators, but ultimately this was not to prove successful. The all day vehicle commitment for the country routes was three, one on each of the three routes. In the morning peak five were needed (one extra each on Crewkerne and Martock), and in the evening peak four buses (one extra on Crewkerne). Also starting later, at least by the summer of 1988, several town services were attempted in Yeovil (routes 010 and 030).
In 1988 Kingston Coaches of Yeovil had a go at running local bus services under the name of Yeovilian, initially via three separate routes to South Petherton and later on Yeovil town services. The latter only lasted a few months, but the country services survived in reduced form until 1990. However the taxi and wedding and executive car business continues until this day.
| Known
vehicles used by Yeovilian include: |
||
| TAL971L PWR320M RBD108M GUG115N GUG129N NRD150M STM178R WHK81W |
Bedford YRQ / Plaxton Bedfrod YRT / Plaxton Bedford YRT / Willowbrook Leyland National Leyland National Leyland National Bedford YMT / Caetano Bova Europa |
new to Leah of Huthwaite
in 1973 new to Gibson of Barlestone in 1974 ex-United Counties ex-West Yorkshire ex-West Yorkshire ex-Alder Valley new to Tate, Markyate in 1977 new to Harris of Grays in 1981 |
Kingston Coaches' RBD 108M, former United
Counties Bedford YRT / Willowbrook, leaving Yeovil bus station on
service 002
to South Petherton via Montacute and Stoke-sub-Hamdon on 28th November 1988. (photo by Michael Wadman)
to South Petherton via Montacute and Stoke-sub-Hamdon on 28th November 1988. (photo by Michael Wadman)
(photo by Michael Wadman)
(photo by John Law)
(photo by John Law)
