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The Company |  |
The Fleet |  |
Our History |
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The Environment |  |
Part of the Local Community | ||
Wilts & Dorset runs buses in an area bounded by Weymouth, Dorchester, Shaftesbury, Devizes, Swindon, Andover, Stockbridge, Romsey and Southampton. Intensive urban bus networks are provided in the Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch conurbation and in Salisbury, while a system of interurban and rural routes provides vital links for our local communities. Managed locally by people who have a detailed knowledge of the travel needs of the area, Wilts & Dorset is part of the Go-Ahead Group and benefits from the back up and security of this large organisation.
Wilts & Dorset has a modern and comfortable fleet of buses. All buses bought new since 1998 have been wheelchair friendly, and that year Salisbury became the first place in the UK to achieve a city-wide network of easy access bus services. Considerable progress is being made to convert all routes to easy access operation; this should be achieved in the next few years.
The name Wilts & Dorset was first seen on the side of buses in 1915, when the Company started a route between Salisbury and Amesbury. A year later a bus company called Bournemouth & District was formed; the name of this undertaking was changed to Hants & Dorset in 1920 as operations expanded. The 1920s and 1930s were a period of growth for both companies and following the Second World War they were both taken into state ownership in 1948. The management of Salisbury based Wilts & Dorset and Bournemouth based Hants & Dorset was merged in 1965 and this paved the way for the temporary disappearance of the Wilts & Dorset name in 1972. However, Wilts & Dorset was re-born in 1983 when the huge National Bus Company was broken into smaller units ready for privatisation; Wilts & Dorset was bought by its local management team in 1987, and became part of the Go-Ahead Group in 2003.
All companies have a responsibility to work to alleviate climate change, but this responsibility is central to transport companies. Wilts & Dorset have invested millions of pounds in new buses powered by the latest fuel-efficient engines, and the Company uses Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel as the fuel of choice. A rigorous maintenance schedule includes regular emissions tests for all buses every five weeks. A training programme has recently been introduced to help staff drive in a more fuel efficient manner. And, very importantly, more people travelling by bus rather than by car will reduce carbon emissions as well as local pollution and congestion.
Vibrant and successful communities are in everybody’s interest. Wilts & Dorset have been pleased to provide support to the wider community in a number of ways. Especially worthy of mention are the specially liveried buses we have provided for the Salisbury Hospital Stars Appeal and for Julia’s House Children’s Hospice in Poole. A number of local schools have had a Wilts & Dorset open top bus as the basis for their entry into local carnivals. And in 2008 Wilts & Dorset were proud to sponsor the morebus Bournemouth Air Festival – by the sea and completely free; a fantastic show that was open to everyone to come and enjoy.
Wilts & Dorset Bus Company Ltd: Registered in England No. 1671355 Registered Office: 41-51 Grey Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6EE
