Parent | National Bus Company |
---|---|
Founded | 1 January 1970 |
Ceased operation | 22 April 1988 |
Service area | South East England |
Service type | Bus operator |
London Country Bus Services was a bus company that operated in South East England from 1970 until 1986, when it was split up and later sold as part of the bus deregulation programme.
London Country Bus Services Ltd was incorporated on 9 October 1968 as a subsidiary of the nationalised Transport Holding Company in anticipation of the Transport (London) Act 1969, which on 1 January 1970 transferred London Transport's green Country Area buses and Green Line cross-London express coaches to the National Bus Company (NBC), at the same time as the red Central Area buses passed from the London Transport Board to the Greater London Council.
The company had a nominal share capital of £100 of which only £2 was paid up. The original subscribers were J D Tattersall and E M Walker, both employees of the Transport Holding Company. The company's paid up capital remained the same throughout its existence.
Staff who were employed before 1 January 1970, retained free travel throughout the original London Transport area. This arrangement continues today, with free pass wording changed to account for bus deregulation.
London Country's territory was likened to a circle around London with a hole in the middle, operating in Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
The company was NBC's biggest subsidiary, starting life with 1,267 buses and coaches. The fleet was very elderly, being mainly 484 AEC Regent III RT double-deckers and 413 AEC Regal RF single-deckers, with eight Daimler Fleetlines, three Leyland Atlanteans, 209 AEC Routemasters, 14 AEC Reliances and 109 AEC Merlins.