South Gloucestershire Bus & Coach
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National Express liveried Caetano Levante bodied Volvo B9R at Birmingham Coach Station in February 2013
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| Founded | 1997 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Patchway |
| Service area |
Bristol South Gloucestershire |
| Service type | Bus & coach services |
| Chief executive | Jeffrey R Durbin |
South Gloucestershire Bus & Coach is a bus and coach operator operating school bus services under contract to Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire Council and coach services under contract to Megabus and Stagecoach West
South Gloucestershire can trace its history back to 1982 when Roger Durbin set up operations as Durbin’s Coaches. After steadily expanding over the years, in 1994 Durbin's Coaches was sold to Badgerline and incorporated into their Bristol Omnibus Company subsidiary, later being re-branded as First Durbin.
A non-compete clause in the contract of sale prevented Roger Durbin from operating bus services in the Bristol area for three years. Whilst Roger Durbin left the company, Tony Lavoie, the marketing manager stayed with the company, moving to City Line's Lawrence Hill depot as the general manager for the Durbin operations.
After a few months Lavoie left to start up his own bus company, Leisure Travel. By 1997, with a fleet of 24 vehicles, Roger Durbin joined as a partner in the business, and in 1998 the company began trading as South Gloucestershire Bus Company with a blue and white livery. Also during 1998 the pair purchased a local taxi firm which they renamed South Gloucestershire Taxi Company with a similar fleet name as the bus business. Durbin took on the bus side of the business while Lavoie looked after the running of the taxi company. During 1999 the original Durbin’s Coaches business was reacquired from First Bristol, who had continued to trade as Durbin’s Coaches and then First Durbin as a ‘low cost’ unit within First.
The company rapidly expanded over the next few years winning various tenders for supported services from Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire Council, at one point even operating route 620 from Bath to Stroud. During 2003 the goodwill and custom as well as the majority of the fleet of Eastville Coaches were bought from the proprietor Mr Phillips. A number of newer vehicles were brought in to update the fleet, however after 18 months the original Eastville Coaches began trading again and the coaches in the South Gloucestershire fleet with Eastville Coaches branding lost their fleet name and gained 'www.southgloucestershirebus.co.uk A Durbin Group Company’ fleetnames.
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