- First Essex
:"Eastern National Omnibus Company and Thamesway Buses redirect here"
First Essex Buses Limited is owned by
First Group . It operates bus routes in Essex and surrounding areas. It arose from an amalgamation of the Eastern National Omnibus Company (ENOC), which evolved from the National Bus Company, and Thamesway Buses, whose yellow/maroon livery has only recently disappeared.Garages
They have 6 bus garages in the towns of
Chelmsford ,Basildon ,Colchester and Hadleigh, and also smaller garages inClacton , andHarwich .Basildon
This garage runs bus routes 1/1A, 2, 5, 8/8A, 12, 22, 25A, 25B, 73, 81, 82, 100, 101 and 551.
History
Bus types in use
*
Dennis Dart mainly 1995/1996
*Scania L94UB /Wright Solar mainly 2001Chelmsford
Following the demolition of the old Duke Street bus station/depot in 2005, the main bus depot is in Westway in Chelmsford. The new bus station in Duke Street opened in March 2007.
This garage runs all of the routes that First Essex operate in Chelmsford. There are around 20 other competing companies operating services in Chelmsford.
History
Bus types in use
Colchester
History
Bus types in use
*
Scania L94UB /Wright Solar : 62406-62410, 65678-65679, 65685-65692 "'
**"Route 65-branded: 62409-10, 65678, 65685-92; route 64-branded 62406-7; unbranded 62408, 65679"
*Scania L94UB/Wright Axcess Floline : 65650-65654, "all route 64 Branded"
*Dennis Dart SLF /Alexander ALX200 : 43739-43744,
*Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer 2: 43715-43716,
*Dennis Dart /Alexander Dash : 47101-47106
*Dennis Dart/Plaxton Pointer: 46829-46830
*Dennis Lance /Northern Counties Paladin : 67001-67008, "route 67-branded: 67001-67003"
*Volvo Olympian /Alexander RL: 30560
*Volvo Olympian/Northern Counties Palatine : 34011-34014, 34018, 34056, 34301-34305, 34307-34310, 34315
*Mercedes-Benz/Plaxton Cheetah : 56001-56003, "all branded for X22 "Coachlink"
*Volvo B10M-62/Plaxton Premiere 320: 20102, 20110
*Volvo/Plaxton Panther : 20801-20805 "all branded for X30Stansted aircoach " [ [http://routemaster2217.fotopic.net/p52655915.html] ]Hadleigh
History
Bus types in use
*
Dennis Dart /Plaxton Pointer
*Dennis Dart SLF /Plaxton Pointer 2 43718-43721
*Dennis Dart SLF/East Lancs Spryte
*Volvo Olympian /AlexanderCriticism
It has been criticised by users and the Southend Area Bus Users' Group for withdrawing services which it considered no longer economically viable due to low passenger numbers even when parts of the route were profitable when Southend Borough Council withdrew bus subsidies of up to £6 per passenger as part of budget cuts in 2005. [cite web | url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/search/1973495.Pensioners_want_better_bus_services/ | title=Echo News: Pensioners want better bus services | author=Laura Smith | date=
January 17 ,2008 | accessdate=2008-07-23]See also
*
List of bus operators of the United Kingdom
*First London External links
* [http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/southeast/essex/home/index.php First Essex website]
References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
