CT Plus

CT Plus, or Hackney Community Transport, is one of many operators of London Buses. They are based in Ash Grove, and operate a number of services.

History

Hackney Community Transport is one of the UK's largest and most successful social enterprises. It provides a variety of local community transport services in East London and runs three major London bus routes applying the company's CT Plus brand. CT Plus is consistently rated as a top service provider on the routes it manages for Transport for London. HCT has recently expanded the provision of its services outside London to West Yorkshire and is actively looking to maintain this trend.

Garages

They have 7 depots acroos the UK.

Ash Grove

This garage holds 28 buses, and runs London bus routes 153, 388, 394 and W13.

History

One of three new garages opened in 1981 by London Buses at a cost of £3.5 million, it had space for 140 buses undercover and a further 30 in the yard. The roof was unusual in being carried by 10 35 ton triangular trusses, said to be the largest in the UK, supported on reinforced concrete columns. Although technically in Hackney, buses showed "CAMBRIDGE HEATH Ash Grove Garage" on their blinds. The garage on opening assumed Hackney's operation of Red Arrow routes 502 & 513 using brand new Leyland Nationals which had been stored at the garage, and also the entire Hackney and Dalston allocations. Unfortunately Ash Grove found itself in the London Forest operation, and also had a reputation for staff militancy and closed in 1991.

1990s

The garage re-opened in 1994 for use of Kentish Bus to house their Leyton area route gains, although they referred to it as Cambridge Heath. It was also used over the years to house stored vehicles for the London Transport Museum, and again in 2000 to store additional RM's that had been acquired to supplement shortages in London.

2000s

It also operationally re-opened again in 2000 for use by the London Buses company East Thames Buses which took over the former Harris Bus routes after that company ran into financial difficulties. Hackney Community Transport also moved into the garage yard in recent times to house its routes won in the London area although East Thames Buses have now moved to new premises at Mandela Way (SE1) and were replaced at the garage by Arriva London's new Citaro articulated buses for route 38 following the conversion from Routemasters in November 2005.

Bus types in use

* Dennis Dart SLF/Caetano Nimbus Slimbus (DCS)
* Dennis Dart SLF/Caetano Nimbus (HDC)
* Dennis Trident 2/East Lancs Myllennium Lolyne (HTL)
* Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart (DAS)
* Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart/East Lancs Esteem(DE)
* Alexander Dennis Enviro400/Darwen Olympus (EO)
* Transbus Trident 2 / Transbus President (TPL) - On-loan from Metroline due to route 388 being extended to Temple Stn. & iBus cover

Dalston

This garage is currently empty.

History

Bus types in use

ee also

External links

* [http://www.hctgroup.org Hackney Community Transport official website]