Editing London General

{{Short description|Bus operator in London, England}}
{{About|a bus company|the accent spoken in south-eastern England|Estuary English}}
{{multiple issues|
{{original research|date=February 2019}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2019}}
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox Bus transit
|name            = London General
|logo            =
|logo_size       = 150
|image           = LHR Go-Ahead London General LT59 LTZ1059 11 2023-11-16.jpg
|image_size      = 250
|image_caption   = [[New Routemaster]] on [[London Buses route 11|route 11]] at [[London Waterloo station|Waterloo station]] in November 2023
|company_slogan  =
|parent          = [[Go-Ahead London]]
|founded         = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1989|4|1}}
|headquarters    = [[London Borough of Merton|Merton]]
|locale          =
|service_area    = [[Greater London]]
|service_type    = Bus services
|hubs            =
|stations        =
|depots          = 9
|lounge          =
|fleet           =
|ridership       =
|fuel_type       =
|operator        =
|ceo             =
|website         = [https://www.goaheadlondon.com/ www.goaheadlondon.com]}}
'''London General Transport Services Limited''', [[trading as]] '''Go-Ahead London''', is a bus company operating in [[Greater London]]. The London General brand is a subsidiary of [[Go-Ahead London]] and operates services under contract to [[Transport for London]]. The company is named after the [[London General Omnibus Company]], the principal operator of [[buses in London]] between 1855 and 1933.
{{TOClimit}}

==History==
[[File:Routemaster2 Juni 93.jpg|thumb|left|[[AEC Routemaster]] operating [[London Buses route 11|route 11]] in June 1993]]
In April 1989, London Buses was divided into 11 separate [[Privatisation of London bus services#Break-up of London Buses|business units]], one of which revived the [[London General Omnibus Company]] name as London General Transport Services;<ref>{{cite news |title=LRT launches 11 fleets for dereg |url=https://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/6th-april-1989/20/lrt-launches-11-fleets-for-dereg |access-date=7 November 2024 |work=[[Commercial Motor]] |volume=170 |issue=4313 |location=Sutton |publisher=Reed Business Publishing |date=6 April 1989 |page=20}}</ref> the new London General's original logo featured a representation of a [[LGOC B-type]] bus in reflection of the name's history.

In November 1994, London General was sold in a [[management buyout]] for £28&nbsp;million ({{Inflation|UK|28,000,000|1993|fmt=eq|r=-3|cursign=£}}),<ref>{{cite news |last1=Eadie |first1=Alison |title=Sold: the Clapham omnibus |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-independent-sold-the-clapham-omnibu/158608558/ |access-date=7 November 2024 |work=The Independent |date=4 November 1994 |location=London |page=33 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=LBL companies sold |date=12 November 1994 |magazine=[[Coach & Bus Week]] |issue=142 |page=6 |location=Peterborough |publisher=Emap}}</ref> before being sold to the [[Go-Ahead Group]] for £46&nbsp;million ({{Inflation|UK|46,000,000|1994|fmt=eq|r=-3|cursign=£}}) in May 1996.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|url=https://archive.org/details/bus-coach-buyer-31-may-1996-issue-360/page/n3/mode/1up |title=London General sell to Go-Ahead |date=31 May 1996 |magazine=Bus & Coach Buyer |issue=360 |page=2|location=Spalding |publisher=Glen-Holland Limited |access-date=6 November 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.go-ahead.com/~/media/Files/G/Go-Ahead/ir/presentations/archive_pres/1996pres/ar1996.pdf|title=Annual Report year ended 29 June 1996|date=19 September 1996 |access-date=4 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121123165203/http://go-ahead.com/~/media/Files/G/Go-Ahead/ir/presentations/archive_pres/1996pres/ar1996.pdf|archive-date=23 November 2012|publisher=Go-Ahead Group}}</ref>

Having previously been based at London General House in Mitcham, Surrey, the company moved its offices to an address in [[London Borough of Merton|Merton]], adjacent to the Merton bus garage. In August 2008, Go-Ahead's London bus operations all adopted the [[Go-Ahead London]] trading name, although the individual company names are still applied beneath the logo on most buses.

In August 2009, Go-Ahead purchased [[East Thames Buses]] from [[Transport for London]] for £5&nbsp;million, incorporating the business, consisting of two small bus garages, 133 buses and 460 employees, into London General. Although Transport for London's normal practice is to put routes out for tender, London General began a new five-year contract for all East Thames Buses routes without going through the tendering process.<ref>{{cite news |title=Go-Ahead buys East Thames Buses |url=http://www.busandcoach.com/newspage.aspx?id=2688&categoryid=0 |access-date=7 November 2024 |work=Bus & Coach Professional |date=3 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140524003953/http://www.busandcoach.com/newspage.aspx?id=2688&categoryid=0 |archive-date=24 May 2014}}</ref>

In March 2012, [[First London]]'s [[Northumberland Park, London|Northumberland Park]] garage was purchased by the Go-Ahead Group for £14&nbsp;million and integrated into London Central's operations.<ref name="NPBuyout">{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s)/no by-line.--> |date=20 March 2012|title=Go-Ahead to buy First's Northumberland Park Depot |url=https://cbwmagazine.com/go-ahead-to-buy-firsts-northumberland-park-depot/ |work=Coach & Bus Week |location=Peterborough |access-date=13 December 2022}}</ref> On 1 April 2014, the London operations of [[Metrobus (South East England)|Metrobus]], based at two garages in [[Croydon]] and [[Orpington]], were integrated into London General. On 25 April 2014, the [[Vehicle and Operator Services Agency]] formally increased London General's licence to accommodate the Metrobus buses.<ref name=BusTalkApr14>{{cite magazine|url=http://issuu.com/goaheadlondon/docs/bus_talk_-_issue_27_-_april_2014 |title=Go-Ahead London welcomes Metrobus garages into fold |magazine=Bus Talk |issue=27 |page=2 |date=April 2014 |publisher=Go-Ahead London |access-date=4 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Metrobus within Go-Ahead London |magazine=The London Bus |issue=598 |date=June 2014 |page=7 |publisher=[[London Omnibus Traction Society]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Go-Ahead London |date=August 2014 |magazine=[[Buses (magazine)|Buses]] |issue=713 |page=71 |location=Stamford |publisher=Key Publishing}}</ref>

==Garages==
London General operates nine bus garages.

===Goat Road (GM)===
As of March 2024, Goat Road garage operates routes [[London Buses route 80|80]] (hybrid allocation only), [[London Buses route 280|280]] and [[London Buses route 470|470]]. Buses are regularly shared with Merton garage.

Goat Road was opened on 25 March 2023 as a replacement for Waterside Way (PL) garage, acquired from [[East Thames Buses]] in 2009, with routes, staff and vehicles transferring from Waterside Way after London General's lease on the site expired.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.goaheadlondon.com/application/files/5616/8812/3091/Spring_Bus_Talk_2023_-_Standard.pdf |title=Welcome to the family |magazine=Bus Talk |issue=74 |page=25 |date=Spring 2023 |publisher=Go-Ahead London |access-date=7 November 2024}}</ref> The depot uses the code 'GM', last used for the operator's [[Victoria, London|Victoria]] garage on Gillingham Street.

===Merton (AL)===
[[File:Merton High Street at Merton Bus Garage - geograph.org.uk - 5837268.jpg|thumb|[[Merton, London (parish)|Merton]] bus garage entrance from [[A238 road|Merton High Street]], July 2018]]
As of March 2024, [[Merton, London (parish)|Merton]] garage operates routes [[London Buses route 57|57]], [[London Buses route 131|131]], [[London Buses route 152|152]], [[London Buses route 157|157]], [[London Buses route 163|163]], [[London Buses route 164|164]], [[London Buses route 200|200]], [[London Buses route 219|219]], [[London Buses route 413|413]], [[London Buses route 485|485]] and [[London Buses route 493|493]]. Some buses are regularly shared with Goat Road garage. This garage also runs the [[St. Bede's School]] private bus services 514 and 519, which run between the [[Caterham]] area and the school, on behalf of [[Surrey County Council]].

====History====
Merton was, for many years, the largest of the London General Omnibus Company's garages and continued to boast high allocations in the early days of London Transport. The garage was modernised in 1960, and again in 1991 when a new roof was fitted and various stores and welfare areas were moved to provide a larger, unobstructed parking area, which had previously been long and narrow. 

Merton garage was responsible for the maintenance of vehicles for [[London Buses route 200|route 200]] between 1988 and 1989 after the withdrawal of the Cityrama sightseeing company, whilst the route was operated from Sutton garage.

The garage has become [[Go-Ahead London]]'s head office, following the sale of Raleigh House, [[Mitcham]] and the acquisition of the former pub ([[King's Head, Merton]]) next door.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}

=== Northumberland Park (NP) ===
As of March 2025, Northumberland Park garage operates routes [[London Buses route 67|67]], [[London Buses route 91|91]], [[London Buses route 106|106]], [[London Buses route 184|184]], [[London Buses route 212|212]], [[London Buses route 217|217]], [[London Buses route 230|230]], [[London Buses route 232|232]], [[London Buses route 299|299]], [[London Buses route 357|357]], [[London Buses route 389|389]], [[London Buses route 399|399]], [[London Buses route 444|444]], [[London Buses route 456|456]], [[London Buses route 476|476]], [[London Buses route N91|N91]] and [[London Buses route W15|W15]].

==== History ====
Located adjacent to the [[Northumberland Park railway station]] and the [[Victoria line]] depot, Northumberland Park bus garage was opened in 1991 to house the [[Walthamstow]] Citybus operation, a subsidiary of [[Capital Citybus]] formed when the operator acquired tenders for routes operated by the collapsed [[London Forest]] LRT business unit. Capital Citybus was bought out by a management team in late 1995, and subsequently by [[FirstGroup]] in 1998, becoming [[First London|First Capital]].<ref name="LyonsNP">{{cite magazine|last=Lyons|first=Mark|title=London bus garages: Northumberland Park|magazine=The London Bus|volume=7|date=2020|pages=36–40|location=Stamford|publisher=Key Publishing}}</ref>

In March 2012, the FirstGroup sold Northumberland Park garage, together with its 13 Transport for London route contracts, fleet of 130 buses vehicles and around 400 staff members, to the Go-Ahead Group for £12&nbsp;million, with the garage's operations integrated into London General.<ref name="NPBuyout" />

===Putney (AF)===
[[File:Putney Bus Garage (geograph 7388686).jpg|thumb|Forecourt of [[Putney]] bus garage from Chelverton Road, January 2023]]
As of July 2023, [[Putney]] garage operates routes [[London Buses route 14|14]], [[London Buses route 22|22]], [[London Buses route 39|39]], [[London Buses route 74|74]], [[London Buses route 209|209]], [[London Buses route 265|265]], [[London Buses route 378|378]], [[London Buses route 430|430]], [[London Buses route 533|533]], [[London Buses route N22|N22]], [[London Buses route N74|N74]] and [[London Buses route N97|N97]].

====History====
With its ancestry going back to the horse bus days of the 1880s, Chelverton Road Garage was converted to a motor-bus garage in 1912. The garage is well hidden in a side road with a modest frontage, yet it has an allocation of 112. It has been modernised twice, firstly in 1935 and then again in 1985. The garage was well known for being allocated the pre-war RTs in 1940, which displaced the STLs. During the war the garage was under-utilised and was used to store de-licensed buses. Renamed Putney, in 1963, after the closure of [[Putney Bridge]] Garage (F), it started to receive both short and long wheelbase [[AEC Routemaster]]s for its Central London routes. The Routemasters remained at the garage until July 2005, when both the 14 and 22 were converted to low floor one-person-operated buses.

===Croydon (C)===
As of March 2024, Croydon garage operates routes [[London Buses route 119|119]], [[London Buses route 127|127]], [[London Buses route 264|264]], [[London Buses route 359|359]], [[London Buses route 403|403]], [[London Buses route 434|434]], [[London Buses route 439|439]], [[London Buses route 450|450]], [[London Buses route 463|463]], [[London Buses route 633|633]], [[London Buses route 663|663]], [[London Buses route S1|S1]] and [[London Buses route SL7|SL7]]. Some drivers for route [[London Buses route 157|157]] are based at this garage.

====History====
The Beddington Lane depot was opened by Metrobus in December 2005 to house route [[London Buses route 127|127]] which had been surrendered early by Centra. Work was completed on the garage buildings in February 2006. This garage took over the London routes that ran from Godstone with the exception of the 146 and 246 which moved to Orpington.
In April 2014, Go-Ahead London took over this garage (and Orpington) from Metrobus, however the garages are still in the same place.

=== Orpington (MB) ===
[[File:Open Day at Orpington Bus Garage (geograph 7642331).jpg|thumb|[[Orpington]] bus garage forecourt during an open day, September 2023]]
As of March 2025, [[Orpington]] garage operates routes [[London Buses route 126|126]], [[London Buses route 162|162]], [[London Buses route 208|208]], [[London Buses route 227|227]], [[London Buses route 233|233]], [[London Buses route 320|320]], [[London Buses route 352|352]], [[London Buses route 353|353]], [[London Buses route 354|354]], [[London Buses route 358|358]], [[London Buses route 654|654]], [[London Buses route 664|664]], [[London Buses route R1|R1]], [[London Buses route R2|R2]], [[London Buses route R3|R3]], [[London Buses route R4|R4]], [[London Buses route R5|R5]], [[London Buses route R7|R7]], [[London Buses route R8|R8]], [[London Buses route R9|R9]], [[London Buses route R10|R10]] and [[London Buses route R11|R11]].

==== History ====
Formerly the site of Oak Farm, which was purchased, built upon and used as the base of the independent Orpington and District bus company until its collapse in February 1981,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Millier|first1=Noel|title=Private operators who believe in service|url=https://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/26th-may-1984/61/private-operators-who-believe-in-service|access-date=7 November 2024|work=Commercial Motor|volume=160|issue=4069|location=Sutton|publisher=Transport Press|date=26 May 1984|page=61}}</ref> Orpington depot (also known as Green Street Green) was for many years the only garage for all of [[Metrobus (South East England)|Metrobus]]' London tendered routes since the award of [[London Buses route 61|route 61]] in 1986. The garage expanded during this period when Metrobus purchased their neighbours, Jasons Coaches. Orpington garage was one of eventually two Metrobus garages included in the sale of Metrobus to the Go-Ahead Group in September 1999, although the Metrobus brand was retained as a separate identity to London General.<ref name="LyonsMB">{{cite magazine|last=Lyons|first=Mark|title=London bus garages: Orpington|magazine=The London Bus|volume=10|date=2023|pages=94–99|location=Stamford|publisher=Key Publishing}}</ref> 

During mid-2005, major reconstruction started at Green Street Green to make improvements and provide an expansion. During these works, a temporary base to house 19 buses was constructed at [[Sevenoaks]] next to the base of what was the independent Southlands Travel.<ref name="LyonsMB" />

On the evening of 21–22 November 2018, eleven buses were destroyed and several other buses were damaged in a fire that broke out at Orpington garage, requiring the callout of 60 [[London Fire Brigade]] firefighters to bring the fire under control. No injuries were reported and Orpington garage maintained a full service on the morning of 22 November, with numerous buses saved by being driven out onto [[A21 road (England)|Farnborough Way]] and surrounding roads.<ref>{{cite news|title=Orpington fire: 'huge' explosions heard at London bus garage|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/nov/22/orpington-fire-london-bus-garage-explosions|access-date=7 November 2024|work=The Guardian|date=22 November 2018|location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Orpington bus depot fire destroys vehicles|url=https://cbwmagazine.com/orpington-bus-depot-fire-destroys-vehicles/|access-date=7 November 2024|work=Coach & Bus Week|date=27 November 2018|location=Peterborough}}</ref>

===Stockwell (SW)===
[[File:Stockwell Bus Garage 1, London, UK - Diliff.jpg|thumb|A panoramic view of the interior of [[Stockwell garage]], October 2013]]
{{main|Stockwell Garage}}
As of November 2023, Stockwell garage operates routes [[London Buses route 11|11]], [[London Buses route 44|44]], [[London Buses route 77|77]], [[London Buses route 87|87]], [[London Buses route 88|88]], [[London Buses route 155|155]], [[London Buses route 170|170]], [[London Buses route 333|333]], [[London Buses route 337|337]], [[London Buses route 424|424]], [[London Buses route 690|690]], [[London Buses route G1|G1]], [[London Buses route N11|N11]], [[London Buses route N44|N44]], [[London Buses route N87|N87]] and [[London Buses route N155|N155]].

====History====
Stockwell garage opened in 1952 as part of London Transport's tram replacement programme after nearly four years of planning and building, with many construction materials short of supply in the aftermath of [[World War II]] and problems rehousing residents of the houses that stood on the site. Stockwell garage is a [[Grade II listed building]], and when built was a masterpiece of architectural design incorporating a new roof structure that did not need supports which enabled for a {{convert|73350|sqft|m2|adj=on}} unobstructed parking space. The offices and workshops are on the edges of the garage but do not take up any of the parking spaces.<ref>{{cite news |title=New Garage for 200 Buses |url=https://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/23rd-october-1953/66/new-garage-for-200-buses |access-date=7 November 2024 |work=The Commercial Motor |volume=98 |issue=2528 |location=London |publisher=Temple Press |date=23 October 1953 |page=66}}</ref><ref name="LyonsSW">{{cite magazine |last=Lyons |first=Mark |title=London bus garages: Stockwell |magazine=The London Bus |volume=9 |date=2022 |pages=16–21 |location=Stamford |publisher=Key Publishing}}</ref>

In the first few days of operation, Stockwell garage ran just 11 buses on route 178 which had moved from Rye Lane (Peckham), but then gained more work from the next stage of the tram replacement programme for which it had been designed, but it was still well short of capacity. More work arrived in late 1953 and early 1954 when routes 77 and 77A (now 87) moved from Victoria garage due to recruitment problems, and the closure of Nunhead garage which increased the peak vehicle requirement of Stockwell to 110 buses. In the early 1970s, the Round London Sightseeing Tours moved to Stockwell.<ref name="LyonsSW" />

Between spring 1984 and August 1986, Stockwell operated a varied fleet of double-decker buses on [[London Buses route 170|route 170]] as part of London Transport's Alternative Vehicle Evaluation comparative trial, aimed at finding a new standard double-decker bus type. The vehicles trialled included a pair of [[MCW Metrobus]] Mk2s, one of which was built with a Maxwell transmission while the other had a [[Cummins]] L10 transmission, three [[Eastern Coach Works|ECW]]-bodied [[Leyland Olympian]]s, three [[Northern Counties (bus manufacturer)|Northern Counties]]-bodied [[Dennis Dominator]]s and three [[Walter Alexander Coachbuilders|Alexander]]-bodied [[Volvo Ailsa]]s,<ref>{{cite magazine |date=30 July 1983 |title=LT's off-the-peg buses |url=https://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/30th-july-1983/16/lts-off-the-peg-buses |magazine=Commercial Motor |volume=158 |issue=4027 |page=16 |location=Sutton |publisher=Transport Press |access-date=7 November 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=16 June 1984 |title=Volvo deckers arrive in London |url=https://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/16th-june-1984/19/volvo-deckers-arrive-in-london |magazine=Commercial Motor |volume=160 |issue=4072 |location=Sutton |publisher=Transport Press|access-date=7 November 2024}}</ref> the latter being the first front-engined buses delivered to London Transport since the last Routemasters were delivered in 1968. The trial ultimately concluded in favour of the ECW-bodied Leyland Olympian, with London Transport taking delivery of a further 260 between 1986 and 1987.<ref name="LyonsSW" />

===Sutton (A)===
[[File:Sutton Bus Garage - geograph.org.uk - 5842742.jpg|thumb|[[Sutton, London|Sutton]] bus garage from Bushey Road, April 2018]]
As of March 2024, [[Sutton, London|Sutton]] garage operates routes [[London Buses route 80|80]] (electric allocation only), [[London Buses route 93|93]], [[London Buses route 151|151]], [[London Buses route 154|154]], [[London Buses route 213|213]] and [[London Buses route S2|S2]].

====History====
Opened by the [[London General Omnibus Company]] in January 1924 at cost of £30,000, Sutton garage had a capacity for 100 buses. During its early years, less than half of the garage was put to use, holding only 40 buses by 1926. This would change somewhat by the extension of the [[London Underground|Underground]] to [[Morden]] and major house-building projects in the area. 

Between 1945 and 1953, it had an allocation of exactly 100 relaxed-Utility [[Daimler Company|Daimlers]] (classed as Ds) numbered from D182 - D281. By 1952, the garage had 128 buses allocated, achieved mainly by parking buses in surrounding streets. However, this would soon fall again, to 100 in 1966, 82 in 1976 and 62 in 1987. 

The garage passed to the reborn London General bus company in the run-up to privatisation in 1985. Sutton Garage also partly took control of [[London Buses route 200|route 200]] at a yard in [[Colliers Wood]] (AA) in 1989, after Cityrama withdrew from their contract. Sutton was responsible for providing drivers for the service, whilst Merton garage were contracted to do the maintenance. By 1994, the garage allocation had grown to 85 buses and again to 92 in 2001.

===Waterloo (RA)===
[[File:Superloop buses in Waterloo Bus Garage 2024-04-19.jpg|thumb|Buses for [[London Buses route SL6|route SL6]] at Waterloo garage, April 2024]]
As of July 2023, Waterloo garage operates routes [[London Buses route 153|153]] and [[London Buses route 214|214]]. After the morning services for route [[London Buses route SL6|SL6]], the buses for this route are taken to this garage, where they are cleaned for the evening services.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Lyons |first=Mark |url=https://www.keybuses.com/article/superloop-and-night-bus-expansion-suburbs-168-withdrawn |title=Superloop and night bus expansion in the suburbs but 168 withdrawn |magazine=Buses |issue=823 |date=October 2023 |page=20 |location=Stamford |publisher=Key Publishing |access-date=6 November 2024 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> The garage only operates Monday to Friday due to its proximity to residential properties.

====History====
The site was first used as a storage and servicing location for buses attending the [[Festival of Britain]] in 1951.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Dalrymple |first=Will |date=2018-05-08 |title=London's low-carbon electric bus garage |url=https://www.transportengineer.org.uk/content/features/londons-low-carbon-electric-bus-garage/ |access-date=2024-11-20 |website=Transport Engineer |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2019-11-15 |title=Waterloo bus garage wins international green energy award |url=https://newsroom.go-ahead.com/news/waterloo-bus-garage-wins-international-green-energy-award |access-date=2024-11-20 |website=Go Ahead News |language=en-GB}}</ref> The garage opened in the early 1980s as a [[Red Arrow (London Buses)|Red Arrow]] garage and in the 1990s had an allocation of [[AEC Routemaster]]s for [[London Buses route 11|route 11]]. In June 2002, the Red Arrow [[Leyland National]]s were replaced by London's first fleet of [[Mercedes-Benz Citaro]] articulated buses. Because of the extra space required to stable these, the route 11 Routemasters were transferred to Stockwell garage. In September 2009 the articulated fleet was replaced by [[Mercedes-Benz O530 Citaro]]s. In 2016, the garage was converted to become fully electric, the first bus depot in Europe to do so.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> On 29 April 2023, routes [[London Buses route 507|507]] and [[London Buses route 521|521]] were withdrawn.

==Former garages==
London General previously had four{{dubious|date=November 2024}} bus garages - Mandela Way (MW), Waterside Way (PL) and Belvedere (BV). Mandela Way and Belvedere were included in the 2009 [[East Thames Buses]] purchase. In 2017, these bus garages were closed.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.goaheadlondon.com/news/post/mandela-way-garage-has-closed-its-gates-after-almost-10-years |title=Mandela Way garage has closed its gates, after nearly 10 years |publisher=Go-Ahead London |date=August 2017 |access-date=2 August 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802205557/https://www.goaheadlondon.com/news/post/mandela-way-garage-has-closed-its-gates-after-almost-10-years |archive-date=2 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Lyons |first=Mark |title=New garage for Go-Ahead London |magazine=Buses |issue=750 |date=September 2017 |page=24 |location=Stamford |publisher=Key Publishing}}</ref> Waterside Way (PL) garage was temporarily closed from 25 March 2023 to 28 June 2023, but re-opened only for the commercial bus fleet and the [[University of Roehampton]] bus fleet.

===Victoria (GM)===
[[File:London Transport Victoria Garage – 1966 - geograph.org.uk - 6701011.jpg|thumb|[[Scottish Omnibuses|Eastern Scottish]] express coaches parked at [[Victoria, London|Victoria]] garage, April 1966]]
[[Victoria, London|Victoria]] bus garage, located on Gillingham Street, opened in March 1940.<ref>{{cite news |title=One hears |url=https://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/30th-march-1940/23/one-hears |access-date=7 November 2024 |work=The Commercial Motor |volume=71 |issue=1828 |location=London |publisher=Temple Press |date=30 March 1940 |page=23 |quote=That London Transport's first combined coach and bus garage in Inner London was opened last week in Gillingham Street, close to Victoria Station.}}</ref> As well as being used for regular bus services by London Transport and successor London General, serving as the only bus garage in central London, Victoria garage was also used by several express coach operators from across the United Kingdom to store their vehicles between services to and from the nearby [[Victoria Coach Station]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Garage space |url=https://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/4th-may-1985/21/garage-space |access-date=7 November 2024 |work=Commercial Motor |volume=161 |issue=4119 |location=Sutton |publisher=Transport Press |date=4 May 1985 |page=21}}</ref>

In May 1993, London General announced it was closing Victoria garage due to the financial impact of the loss of routes at the garage. At the time, Victoria garage operated [[London Buses route 11|routes 11]], [[London Buses route 22|22]], [[London Buses route 52|52]], [[London Buses route 344|344]], [[London Buses route N11|N11]] and [[London Buses route N19|N19]] with a fleet of 65 buses, having recently lost tenders for [[London Buses route 19|routes 19]] and [[London Buses route C2|C2]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dennard |first1=Lucy |title=Bus garage to close in financial shake-up |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/westminster-and-pimlico-news-bus-garage/158608506/ |access-date=7 November 2024 |work=Westminster and Pimlico News |date=5 May 1993 |page=5 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> The garage was eventually demolished for redevelopment in 1999.

==See also==
*[[List of bus operators of the United Kingdom]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{commons category-inline|London General Transport Services|London General}}
* [http://www.londongeneral.co.uk/ Company website]

{{London bus operators}}
{{Go-Ahead Bus Companies}}

[[Category:Go-Ahead Group London bus operators]]
[[Category:1989 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Putney]]