D&G Bus

{{short description|English bus operator}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}

{{Infobox Bus transit

|name = D&G Bus

|logo = D-g bus logo (colour).jpg

|logo_size =

|image = Dg bus at knutsford 2023.png

|image_size =

|image_caption = Optare Solo SR at Knutsford Bus Station

|parent = Centrebus Group

|founded = {{start date and age|1998|p=yes}}

|headquarters = Longton, Stoke-on-Trent

|locale =

|service_area = Cheshire
Derbyshire
Greater Manchester
Shropshire
Staffordshire
Stoke-on-Trent

|hubs = Congleton
Crewe
Knutsford
Hanley
Longton
Macclesfield
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Nantwich
Northwich

|alliance =

|depots = 4

|routes = 59

|destinations =

|stops =

|stations =

|lounge =

|fleet = 126 (January 2025)

|ridership =

|fuel_type =

|operator =

|ceo = Julian Peddle

|website = [http://www.dgbus.co.uk/ www.dgbus.co.uk]}}

D&G Bus[http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/06918592 Companies House extract company no 6918592] D&G Bus Limited is a bus operator based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. It operates local and interurban bus services in Cheshire, Derbyshire, Greater Manchester, Shropshire, Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. D&G Bus is the largest bus operator in Cheshire and the second largest in North Staffordshire.

History

D&G Bus was formed by David Reeves and Gerald Henderson in April 1998, initially operating four buses on two routes under contract to Stoke-on-Trent City Council. It expanded with both route and school services in Cheshire and Staffordshire with 16 buses by the end of 1998.

In April 2005 D&G Bus purchased Wednesfield based Midland.[http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/02568750 Companies House extract company no 2568750] Liyell Limited[http://www.arriva.co.uk/media_centre/press_releases/2012/august/2012-08-10.aspx?sc_lang=en Arriva Midlands to expand operations in the West Midlands] Arriva 10 August 2012 In 2006 following Gerald Henderson's sudden death Julian Peddle purchased Henderson's shareholding in the business.[http://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/dg-bus/ D&G Bus] Bus & Coach Buyer 29 January 2015

In August 2011 the Staffordshire business was sold to Wardle Transport with 46 routes, 30 buses and the Adderley Green depot.[http://www.busandcoach.com/newspage.aspx?id=5485&categoryid=0 Arriva Midlands acquires D&G] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101202507/http://www.busandcoach.com/newspage.aspx?id=5485&categoryid=0 |date=1 November 2013 }} Bus & Coach Professional 10 June 2011[http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/D-G-Buses-bought-Arriva-owners-blame-subsidy-cuts/story-12754174-detail/story.html#axzz2iIqqLC5D D&G Buses bought by Arriva - owners blame subsidy cuts for sale] The Sentinel 11 June 2011 In September 2011 D&G Bus and Julian Peddle purchased South Lancs Travel in Atherton, Greater Manchester.[http://www.busandcoach.com/newspage.aspx?id=5998&categoryid=0 D&G buys South Lancs] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405195254/http://www.busandcoach.com/newspage.aspx?id=5998&categoryid=0 |date=5 April 2012}} Bus & Coach Professional 10 October 2011

File:D&GBus-OptareVersa161&Enviro200593.jpg

In August 2012 the Midland business was sold to Arriva Midlands with 61 buses. In December 2014, the route operations of BakerBus were purchased with nine buses.[http://www.route-one.net/industry/dg-buys-bakerbus/ D&G buys BakerBus] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150302042306/http://www.route-one.net/industry/dg-buys-bakerbus/ |date=2 March 2015 }} Route One 2 January 2015{{cite news |url=http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/25-jobs-saved-BakerBus-bought-Crewe-based-D-G-Bus/story-25813050-detail/story.html |title=25 jobs saved after BakerBus is bought by Crewe based D&G Bus |newspaper=The Sentinel |date=6 January 2015}}

In March 2015, D&G sold South Lancs Travel to Rotala{{cite web |url=http://www.rotalaplc.com/news/AcquisitioninGreaterManchester_7.html |title=Acquisition in Greater Manchester |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402113424/http://www.rotalaplc.com/news/AcquisitioninGreaterManchester_7.html |archive-date=2 April 2015 |publisher=Rotala |date=2 March 2015}} and in May 2015 purchased Wardle Transport back from Arriva Midlands with 19 buses.{{cite web |url=http://www.dgbus.co.uk/news.html |title=D&G Bus |website=www.dgbus.co.uk |access-date=21 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402172139/http://www.dgbus.co.uk/news.html |archive-date=2 April 2015 |url-status=dead}}{{cite news |url=http://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/dg-buys-wardle-transport/ |title=D&G buys Wardle Transport |website=Bus & Coach Buyer |date=18 March 2015}}{{cite journal |title=D&G Bus |journal=Buses |issue=723 |date=June 2015 |page=84}} In April 2016, D&G took over six routes from Routemaster Buses.[https://web.archive.org/web/20160504205945/http://www.dgbus.co.uk/news.html D&G Bus take over some services from Routemaster Buses] D&G Bus

In September 2016 D&G Bus took over the rest of the routes which Routemaster Buses had operated. In October 2016 D&G were awarded new five-year contracts for eight Cheshire East routes which were operated by GHA Coaches prior to its collapse including the 88 Altrincham to Knutsford via Wilmslow service.{{cite web|url=http://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:374810-2016:TEXT:EN:HTML&src=0|title=Services - 374810-2016 - TED Tenders Electronic Daily|website=ted.europa.eu|access-date=21 April 2018}} However, most of these contracts were annulled 18 months later as part of Cheshire East council's bus review.{{Cite web|url=http://www.transportservicesolutions.co.uk/news/tss-helps-cheshire-east-council-implement-revised-bus-services.aspx|title = TSS helps Cheshire East Council implement revised Bus Services}}

In December 2019, Julian Peddle's Centrebus Group purchased David Reeves shareholding in D&G bus, at present it will continue to operate as a separate unit from Centrebus.[https://web.archive.org/web/20230404012859/https://www.route-one.net/operators/dg-bus-taken-over-by-centrebus-group/ D&G Bus taken over by Centrebus Group] Route One 18 December 2019

In March 2020, David Reeves died after suffering a heart attack, aged 61.

In February 2023, Arriva North West announced that they were closing their depots in Winsford & Macclesfield. In response to this, D&G registered replacement routes to cover some of the cancelled services, with some of these services being part-supported by Cheshire East Council.

Following the closure of Arriva North West, Centrebus Group helped out by supplying a few vehicles for the fleet in Crewe which were used on a wide variety of routes like the 38 and 37. These were used to cover the routes that Arriva did cover and these are now slowly being sent back to Centrebus as D&G Bus acquires more vehicles for the fleet.

In late 2024, D&G Bus have now bought 16 MCV Evora's for their Adderley Green and Crewe depot which are now going to be used on the 38s which is a route that only recently acquired new Alexander Dennis Enviro200 MMC's for the fleet. These new buses are now based on the 38s and the Enviro 200 MMC's are now mainly based on the 31/37 routes run by D&G Bus.

Depots

The company has depots in:

Past depots, now closed have included:

  • Crewe - Lockitt Street
  • Leek - Sunnyhills Road (shared with Aimee's Travel)
  • Northwich - Chapel Street, Wincham
  • Uttoxeter - The Wellington Pub (Old Headquarters)

Fleet

As of January 2025, the fleet consisted of 126 buses.[https://scottstransportsite.co.uk/fleetlist/northwest/dandg.html Fleet List] D&G Bus Fleet livery was originally cream and blue, it has since been replaced by a red with yellow signwriting scheme. During January 2024, the company revealed a new fleet livery.{{Citation |last=Cliff Beeton. |title=FIRST D&G BUS IN NEW RED YELLOW & BLUE LIVERY. |date=2024-02-02 |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/34487875@N07/53504935964/ |access-date=2024-04-08}} Red is the main colour dominating the majority of the vehicle, but now features a yellow diagonal stripe with the rear of the vehicle being dark blue. This scheme is similar to the newer livery of Centrebus vehicles.

As of April 2025, 30 buses in D&G’s fleet adorn the new livery.

The fleet mainly consists of Optare Solos, Enviro 200's & Wright Streetlites.

Since December 2023, D&G acquired a number of brand new and second-hand Enviro 200 MMCs, both the short and long wheel-base varieties.

As of August 2024, the firm acquired a number of brand new MCV eVoRa bodied Volvo B8RLEs, six of which feature ‘the nines’ livery.

Chaserider

{{main article|Chaserider}}

In November 2020, D&G announced they would be taking over the Cannock depot of Arriva Midlands from January 2021 with operations in Cannock and Stafford running under the Chaserider brand.{{Cite news|last=Dougall|first=Emily|date=2020-12-01|title=Arriva to sell Cannock bus depot as the Chaserider brand returns|url=https://cbwmagazine.com/arriva-to-sell-cannock-bus-depot-as-the-chaserider-brand-returns/|access-date=2022-02-12|website=CBW|language=en-GB}}

Chaserider operates as a subsidiary of D&G with different ticketing arrangements and operates a separate website,{{Cite web |title=Chaserider |url=http://www.chaserider.co.uk/ |access-date= |website=chaserider.co.uk}} similar to the way Arriva owned Yorkshire Tiger operated in West Yorkshire but unlike Yorkshire Tiger, Chaserider has a similar livery to its parent.

References

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