Arriva Yorkshire

Arriva Yorkshire

Parent Arriva
Founded 1905 (rebranded as Arriva 1997)
Headquarters Wakefield
Service area West Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
East Riding of Yorkshire and the southern areas of North Yorkshire
Depots 5
Fleet 313 (September 2015)
Website www.arrivabus.co.uk/Yorkshire

Arriva Yorkshire[1] is a bus operator providing services in West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire and the southern areas of North Yorkshire. It is a subsidiary of Arriva.

History

Preserved Leyland Lynx in West Riding Buses livery in July 2009
Eastern Coach Works bodied Leyland Olympian in Leeds in April 2006

Arriva Yorkshire was formed as a combination of mergers of previous companies based in West and North Yorkshire.

In 1904 Yorkshire (West Riding) Electric Tramways began operating tram services in Wakefield followed in 1906 by Castleford. In November 1923 the West Riding Automobile Company began operating bus services in West Riding.[2]

Yorkshire Woollen District Transport[3] operated services around Dewsbury[2]

Both companies were acquired by the National Bus Company, along with Selby & District[4] with the companies maintaining separate identities. In 1987 West Riding Automobile and Yorkshire Woollen District were sold in a management buyout to Caldaire,[5] under whose ownership they traded as West Riding Buses and Yorkshire Buses respectively. In 1994 South Yorkshire Road Transport, based in Pontefract, was purchased.[2][6] The four companies were taken over by British Bus in 1995[2] which itself was purchased by Cowie Group in August 1996.[7][8] All were rebranded under the Arriva brand in 1997.

Although Arriva Yorkshire trades as one entity, it is formed of three companies: Arriva Yorkshire West[3] (the former Yorkshire Woollen District company), Arriva Yorkshire[1] (the former West Riding and South Yorkshire Road Transport companies) and Arriva Yorkshire North[4] (the former Selby & District company).

Since May 2008 there has been a sister company in Huddersfield. Centrebus Holdings, in which Arriva held a 40% stake, was formed when the Huddersfield operations of Stagecoach Yorkshire was purchased along with the separate K-Line bus company.[9] In September 2013, Arriva took full ownership of Centrebus Holdings and K-Line with the former rebranded Yorkshire Tiger and the latter as Tiger Blue.[10][11][12]

Discrimination

A widely reported case concerned a gothic couple, Dani Graves and his fiancee Tasha Maltby, who wears a dog collar and lead.[13] A driver had refused them travel and made comments to them, allegedly saying "We don't let freaks and dogs like you on."

Arriva Yorkshire has said "We take any allegations of discrimination very seriously" and is investigating the claims and the couple's complaints.[14]

The company confirmed the couple were refused travel on two occasions due to "fears for passenger safety". In a statement the company addressed the issue, claiming that the dog lead was potentially dangerous. Arriva also said they would be writing to Mr Graves "to apologise for any distress caused by the way this matter was handled".[15]

Fleet

As at September 2015 the fleet consisted of 313 buses.[16]

Depots

Arriva Yorkshire operate five depots in Castleford, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike, Selby and Wakefield.[16]

References

  1. 1 2 Companies House extract company no 84167 Arriva Yorkshire Limited formerly West Riding Automobile Company Limited
  2. 1 2 3 4 Arriva Yorkshire History Arriva
  3. 1 2 Companies House extract company no 2284553 Arriva Yorkshire West Limited formerly Yorkshire Woollen District Transport Company Limited
  4. 1 2 Companies House extract company no 2225132 Arriva Yorkshire North Limited formerly Selby & District Bus Company Limited
  5. ↑ Companies House extract company no 2066896 Yorkshire Bus Holdings Limited formerly Caldaire Holdings Limited
  6. ↑ Companies House extract company no 1090790 Arriva Yorkshire South Limited formerly South Yorkshire Road Transport Limited
  7. ↑ Cowie Group plc and British Bus Group Limited: A report on the merger situation Competition Commission 31 October 1996
  8. ↑ Principal operating subsidiaries of British Bus Competition Commission 1997
  9. ↑ Stagecoach operation is sold - but not to Arriva Huddersfield Daily Examiner 3 May 2008
  10. ↑ Centrebus (Holdings) Limited Arriva 9 September 2013
  11. ↑ Arriva takes joint venture control Bus & Coach Professional 12 September 2013
  12. ↑ Arriva unleases its Yorkshire Tiger Bus & Coach Professional 9 October 2013
  13. ↑ Get off my bus - I'm sick of single mums, Mirfield Reporter, 31 May 2008
  14. ↑ "'I'm a human pet': The Goth teenager whose fiance walks her around on a dog lead". Daily Mail. 23 January 2008. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  15. ↑ "Dog-lead goths 'hounded off bus'". BBC News. 23 January 2008. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  16. 1 2 Arriva Yorkshire Sheffield Omnibus Enthusiasts Society 12 August 2015

External links

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