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Scottish Bus Group

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Template:Short description Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox Bus transit

File:Scottish Bus Group Alexander Y-Types, SVBM, 17 August 2014.jpg
Coaches showing the unified "Midland Scottish" (blue), "Northern Scottish" (yellow) and "Eastern Scottish" (green) livery and branding styles introduced in the late 1970s.

The Scottish Bus Group (SBG) was a state-owned group of bus operators covering the whole of mainland Scotland.

The origin of the grouping was the operators owned by and including the Scottish Motor Traction company, which were transferred to Scottish Omnibuses after nationalisation in 1948 under control of the British Transport Commission. Highland Omnibuses was added to the group in 1952.

A new holding company, Scottish Omnibuses Group (Holdings) was formed in 1961, and this was renamed Scottish Bus Group<ref name=CompanySC13181>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> in 1963. Meanwhile, the group had come under control of the Transport Holding Company in 1962 when the British Transport Commission was wound up. It went on to become part of the Scottish Transport Group on 1 January 1969 along with David MacBrayne. At the time it operated 4,700 buses.<ref>Scottish Transport Group Commercial Motor 3 January 1969</ref>

Member companiesEdit

  • Central S.M.T. Company Ltd.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }} --- Central SMT Company Limited</ref>(branded as Central Scottish from 1978)

  • Highland Omnibuses Ltd.<ref name=CompanySC15912>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }} --- Highland Scottish Omnibuses Limited formerly Highland Omnibuses Limited</ref>(branded as Highland Scottish from 1978)

|CitationClass=web }} --- Eastern Scottish Omnibuses Limited formerly Scottish Omnibuses Limited</ref> (branded as Eastern Scottish from 1964)

|CitationClass=web }} --- Fife Scottish Omnibuses Limited formerly W Alexander & Sons (Fife) Limited</ref> (branded as Fife Scottish from 1978)

|CitationClass=web }} --- Midland Bluebird Limited formerly Midland Scottish Omnibuses Limited formerly W Alexander & Sons (Midland) Limited</ref> (branded as Midland Scottish from 1978)

|CitationClass=web }} --- Bluebird Buses Limited formerly Bluebird Northern Limited formerly Northern Scottish Omnibuses Limited formerly W Alexander & Sons (Northern) Limited</ref> (branded as Northern Scottish from 1978)

|CitationClass=web }} --- Western Buses Limited formerly Western Scottish Buses Limited formerly Western Scottish Limited formerly Western SMT Company Limited</ref> (branded as Western Scottish from 1978)

In 1970, SBG took over all the routes of David MacBrayne.<ref>SBG absorbs McBrayne Commercial Motor 5 June 1970</ref>

In 1985, SBG was restructured as follows in preparation for deregulation:<ref>SBG dereg plans Commercial Motor 15 September 1984</ref><ref>Coach and Bus News Commercial Motor 3 November 1984</ref>

|CitationClass=web }} --- KCB Limited formerly Kelvin Central Buses Limited formerly Central Scottish Omnibuses Limited formerly Central SMT Company Limited</ref>

|CitationClass=web }} --- Schoolbus Limited formerly Stagecoach Western Scottish Limited formerly Western Engineering Limited formerly Clydesdale Scottish Omnibuses Limited</ref>

|CitationClass=web }} --- Kelvin Scottish Omnibuses Limited</ref>

|CitationClass=web }} --- First Scotland East Limited formerly First Edinburgh Limited formerly Lowland Omnibuses Limited formerly Lowland Scottish Omnibuses Limited</ref>

|CitationClass=web }} --- Scottish Citylink Coaches Limited</ref>

|CitationClass=web }} --- Strathtay Scottish Omnibuses Limited</ref>

In May 1988, it was decided to privatise the operating companies with this occurring in 1990/91.<ref>SBGs split decision Commercial Motor 2 June 1988</ref> Central Scottish and Kelvin Scottish were merged as Kelvin Central Buses,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} --- First Glasgow (No 2) Limited formerly Kelvin Central Buses Limited</ref> while Clydeside Scottish was merged into Western Scottish so as to provide a healthier prospect for potential buyers, both companies ended up being sold as separate entities.<ref>All clear for SBG sale Commercial Motor 3 August 1989</ref><ref>SBG sale rules prepared Commercial Motor 8 February 1990</ref>

SBG Engineering had been formed to operate the central repair workshops inherited from six of the original seven operating subsidiaries (Alexander (Northern) not having had a separate engineering works). The company undertook heavy overhauls, refurbishment and accident repairs on behalf of the operating subsidiaries, and also offered these services commercially to other operators. Latterly it also owned a small fleet of rental buses. The Larbert works was transferred to Midland Scottish in 1988<ref>SBG's bus repair unit transferred Commercial Motor 22 September 1988</ref> and the rest of the company was dissolved in March 1990 as a prelude to privatisation. Edinburgh and Motherwell works were closed, while Inverness, Kilmarnock and Kirkcaldy works were transferred to Highland Scottish, Western Scottish and Fife Scottish respectively<ref>Workshop shutdown Commercial Motor 25 January 1990</ref>

The holding company, Scottish Bus Group Limited, was dissolved in 2006.<ref name=CompanySC13181/>

ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

Template:Defunct British Bus Companies Template:History of bus transport in the United Kingdom Template:Authority control

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