Celebrating Silver—2

We can’t let 2008 slip by without again celebrating one of Dorset’s premier operators’ silver jubilee, 1983-2008. This year, ‘new’ Wilts & Dorset’s 25 years old... Here's part 2 of 2... Part 1 here

When ‘new’ Wilts & Dorset was formed in 1983, the old regime was almost ending. W&D managers busied themselves in preparing for the dual opportunities of deregulation and privatisation. Deregulation in October 1986 brought no initial issues other than a loss of some socially necessary services in Lymington and Fordingbridge. This situation didn’t last long, with Poole Bay Services, Verwood Transport and Maybury Coaches subsequently competing.

Among the contenders to buy W&D, the most interesting were second- and third-privatised former NBC bus subsidiaries, Badgerline & Southern Vectis. In the event, W&D passed to its management in June 1987, the last of the three former H&D companies to reach the private sector. Unlike many new privatisations, the obligatory livery change was traditional, continuing to feature red.

The retention of red was a smart move when considering the two major incursions to follow. One in June 1987 was in Salisbury from disgruntled bidder Badgerline; the other four months later in Poole, jointly by Badgerline and Southern Vectis. W&D engaged the opposition fully, including the adoption of ‘Skipper’ minibus services. Few people realise the 18-month competition almost weakened W&D fatally and, upon Badger Vectis’ unexpected retreat, the effects of the sustained attack took years to right.

What followed was therefore a much-needed period of consolidation and relative stability. From 1993, W&D felt confident enough to invest significantly in new conventional stock. During this period, the network changed relatively little and an observer in 2004 might well have noticed but few changes, such as the 105 Poole-Christchurch area.

Changes following the unexpected 2003 sale to Go Ahead were on the horizon. The view was that Go Ahead might best protect the former NBC team’s by now highly profitable business. It’s noteworthy that Go Ahead has failed to achieve the margins once enjoyed by the old W&D.

The first major network change was the relauch in December 2004 of the Poole-Christchurchs and Poole-Canford Heaths, as More bus. W&D extended the m1 Poole-Bournemouth to Castlepoint via Charminster, across ailing Yellow Buses’ territory, in 2005. Failure to buy Yellow Buses influenced the launch of other competitive strikes in the Bournemouth area, all bar More being unsustainable. There followed a general southern recasting in June 2006, setting aside much of the old network and route numbers. When the region’s other premier operator Transdev Yellow Buses embraced the Poole-Somerford corridor from 2006, some would say it relegating W&D to an equal status upon the truncation of W&D’s More at Boscombe, this year. W&D's remaining long-distance services also fell in 2008, owing to EU drvers' hours regulations.