D&G Bus

News

Service 85 extended to serve Stoke and Hanley from 13 February 2012
From 13 February 2012, Monday to Saturday daytime journeys on service 85 will operate to and from Hanley, serving Hartshill, Stoke Town Centre, Stoke Station, College Road and Hanley Bus Station.

Existing times from all stops between Crewe and Newcastle will remain unchanged, but we've also added an extra early-morning Monday to Friday journey from Crewe to Hanley at 05:50.

This change will benefit many passengers who work or shop in the City Centre by restoring a direct link from Weston, Betley and Madeley, as well as offering a reliable alternative between Crewe and The Potteries. All buses on the service will, as usual, be of the latest low-floor design to allow wheelchairs and pushchairs on board.

D&G Day and Weekly Rover tickets will be valid throughout the route, giving passengers a quality service at a low price. Cheshire Travelcard will also be available throughout the route, offering bargain fares - for more information, click the link on our home page.

Timetable leaflets will be available from late January 2012. If you can't wait that long, click HERE to see the online copy.

Service changes from 3 January 2012
Due to low passenger numbers, service 81 will operate to a revised timetable. However, one journey a day will be extended to serve Crewe, Coppenhall, Warmingham and Middlewich. See the 'timetables' page for more information.

Service 130 is introduced on Monday to Saturday evenings serving Macclesfield, Alderley Edge, Wilmslow, Handforth and East Didsbury from 3 January 2012. This service will replace journeys operated by BakerBus - the route and timings will remain unchanged.

D&G Bus acquires South Lancs Travel
D&G Bus are pleased to announce that they, along with existing shareholder Julian Peddle, have purchased the remaining shares of Martin Bott and David Stewart of Green Triangle Buses Ltd trading as South Lancs Travel. This deal was completed on 30^th September 2011.

David Reeves, Managing Director of D&G Bus, and the new Managing Director of South Lancs Travel, commented that “South Lancs Travel have a fine pedigree and some excellent core work, along with a modern fleet. Many of their staff have been with the company for a number of years, and I am looking forward to getting to know them and working with them”.

Martin Bott and David Stewart will remain with the company in a consultancy role to help with the business going forward, as will Alan Scoles the Traffic Manager and Keith Marshall the Fleet Engineer. D&G plan to make few or no initial changes; it is Dave Reeves’ intention to “get to know the business, before we do anything”.

Martin Bott and David Stewart established Green Triangle in 1998 starting with 4 buses. Since that time they have grown the business to a 48 vehicle operation, with over 100 staff. Martin said “D&G’s offer gives us the opportunity to do other things with our lives; I with my bookshop and Dave with his golf; he tells me he’s playing Tiger Woods next week”.

Dave Stewart commented “seriously though, we will not have the pressure of control, but will have the benefit of still being involved within a business and industry that has formed a large part of our lives for so long”.

Service 78 - temporary timetable from 10th October 2011 until 29th October 2011
Due to roadworks in Ettiley Heath, service 78 will be diverted on Mondays to Fridays and will follow a temporary timetable between the dates above - see the timetables pages for details. The Saturday timetable is unchanged.

Service changes from 4th September 2011
D&G are pleased to announce a number of service changes in Cheshire from 4th September 2011 - visit our 'timetables' pages for full details.

Service 6A and 8 will operate up to every 30 minutes throughout the day Monday to Saturday.

New service 7 is introduced, serving Badger Avenue, Underwood Lane, Selworthy Drive, Bradfield Road, Parkers Road, Mablins Lane and Cliffe Road every hour Monday to Saturday.

Service 14 will benefit from buses every 30 minutes all day Monday to Saturday.

Service 16 will operate to a revised timetable to increase reliability.

New services 31X, 39A and 39B will operate on college days.

Sunday and Bank Holiday service 38 will be revised to increase reliability.

Service 42 will operate to a revised route and timetable to increase reliability. Crewe Green will no longer be served, and buses will operate via Earle Street and Macon Way between Crewe Bus Station and Crewe Railway Station, returning via Mill Street. Buses will no longer serve George VI Avenue or Moss Drive in Middlewich due to continued traffic issues - Warmingham Lane will be served instead.

Service 44 will be slightly revised to increase reliability.

Services 45 and 45A will offer a combined frequency of every 20 minutes throughout the middle of the day Monday to Saturday between Crewe and Marshfield. Service 45A will also call at Morrisons. Additional morning peak journeys will operate between Marshfield and Crewe.

Service 55 will operate between Bunbury and Crewe, offering new shopping opportunities to residents of Bunbury and Beeston.

Service 77 will be curtailed to operate between Congleton and Tunstall. The route will be amended to serve The Avenue and the Town Hall in Kidsgrove, and buses will then operate directly to Tunstall via Goldenhill and will serve both Tunstall High Street and Woodland Street (Asda). Staffordshire County Council will be providing an alternative service to Latebrook.

Minor changes on service 78 include an additional morning journey from Scholar Green to Alssager, Sandbach, Leighton Hosptial and Nantwich.

New service 81 is introduced linking Wharton, Winsford and Kelsall with Chester every hour Monday to Saturday.

Minor changes are introduced to service 85 to offer additional morning peak buses between Crewe and Newcastle Monday to Friday.

D&G Bus North Staffordshire operations acquired by Arriva Midlands
Arriva Midlands has acquired the North Staffordshire operations of D&G Coach and Bus Ltd.

With a fleet of 30 buses, D&G Bus employs 62 members of staff in Staffordshire. Core services include dedicated school buses as well as a range of local bus services. Following the acquisition, which will be completed in early August 2011, D&G's name in Staffordshire will be replaced by that of Wardle Transport, another local business that came under the wing of Arriva in late 2010.

David Reeves, Managing Director of D&G Bus, founded the company in 1998. He notes that the reductions in concessionary fare payments to bus operators, along with the Stoke-on-Trent City Council decision to withdraw subsidy to their supported bus services as part of the reason for the decision to sell. "As a small bus operator, our long term viability in Staffordshire and the Potteries was uncertain. Given these reductions, I see the Arriva offer as an opportunity to ensure the future for the excellent staff employed by the company."

D&G Bus will continue to operate as a separate business from its base in Crewe, which is not affected by the sale of the North Staffordshire operations to Arriva.