Rossendale Transport

Infobox Bus transit
name = Rossendale Transport
Easyride Buses

logo_size = 180


image_caption = A Rossendale Transport EASYRIDE fully accessible bus
founded = 1907
headquarters = Knowsley Park Way, Haslingden, Lancashire. BB4 4RS
service_area = UK
service_type = Bus Services
destinations = Rawtenstall, Bacup, Haslingden, Whitworth; Rochdale, Bury, Shaw, Burnley, Blackburn, Todmorden
fleet = 108 Buses
operator = Rossendale Transport Limited
ceo = Edgar Oldham
website = [http://www.rossendalebus.co.uk/ Official Website]

Rossendale Transport (RT) is a bus operator running within the Borough of Rossendale (including the towns of Rawtenstall, Bacup and Haslingden) and into the surrounding area, including Rochdale, Bury, Burnley, Accrington and Blackburn. RT is a limited company wholly owned by Rossendale Borough Council, which makes it one of the few remaining municipal bus companies in the UK today.

History

Rossendale Transport can trace its history back to 1907 when both Rawtenstall and Haslingden Corporations (both independently) ran a motor bus within their boroughs. Both undertakings merged in 1968 to form Rossendale Joint Transport Committee and later in 1974 with the local government reorganisation which took place in that year the boroughs were merged, along with Bacup (which was already served by Rossendale buses; Bacup Borough not having its own bus company) and Whitworth to form the present Borough of Rossendale. The company then became the Transport department of the new Rossendale Borough Council.

On 26th October 1986 came the deregulation of bus services across the UK (outside London and not including Northern Ireland). As part of the 1985 Transport Act which empowered this deregulation, Rossendale Borough Council was required to set up an 'arms-length' company in order to continue operating buses. Rossendale Transport Limited, as the company is now known began trading on this date and over the last 20 years has expended greatly and now operates buses throughout Rossendale, Bury and Rochdale as well as operating into Burnley, Blackburn, Bolton & Todmorden. The company moved to new headquarters at Knowsley Park Way, Haslingden in early September 2008, following the sale of its current depot in Rawtenstall to a national supermarket chain. Demolition of the former Rawtenstall Corporation Motors building is now underway (9th September 2008).

Bus types

The company operates various types of bus, including:

Main fleet - fully accessible low floor buses

;Minibuses
* 4 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter / Koch
* 23 Optare Solo Slimline

;Single deckers
* 8 Volvo B7RLE / Wright Eclipse Urban
* 3 MAN 14.220 / MCV Sterling
* 8 Dennis 'Super' Dart / East Lancs Spryte
* 13 Dennis 'Super' Dart / Plaxton Pointer 2 (SPD)
* 4 Dennis 'Super' Dart / Alexander ALX200
* 3 Dennis Dart SLF / Plaxton Pointer
* 1 Dennis Dart SLF / Plaxton Pointer 2
* 14 Dennis Dart SLF / East Lancs Spryte

;Double deckers
* 2 Volvo B7TL / East Lancs Vyking
* 1 Volvo B7TL / East Lancs Myllennium Vyking

choolday only fleet

;Single deckers
* 2 Dennis Dart / Marshall C27
* 2 Dennis Dart / Marshall C37
* 2 Dennis Dart SLF / Marshall C39

;Double deckers
* 3 Leyland Olympian / Eastern Coachworks
* 2 Volvo Olympian / Alexander Royale
* 8 Volvo Olympian / Northern Counties Palatine

;Coaches
* 1 Dennis Javelin / Plaxton Premiere 350
* 2 Volvo B10M / Plaxton Premiere Expressliner 350

Training vehicle

* 1 Bova Futura Club

ervices

These are the bus services and its frequencies run by Rossendale Transport.

ervice Changes

The following service will change from the 4th May 2008:
*X46 - Route and times changed. Service will only operate between Rochdale and Manchester with connections available for service 464 to/from Bacup, Rawtenstall and Accrington. Service re-numbered 16.

The following service will change from the 27th July 2008:
*16 - Times changed.
*273 - Times changed.
*435 - Times changed.
*442 - Times and route changed.
*464 - Times changed.
*480/1 - Times changed.

ee also

*List of bus companies

External links

* [http://www.rossendalebus.co.uk/ Rossendale official website]
* [http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/rossendalebus/ Rossendale Yahoo! Group]
* [http://www.rossendaleonline.co.uk/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=2 Pictures of recent 100 years Centenary event]
* [http://www.haslingdencorporationtransport.org.uk Rossendale Transport Society website]