A2Z Travel Bus route 303 - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

style="font-size: large;" | **303**
Management
Operated by	Diamond Bus Diamond Bus Diamond is a bus operator in the West Midlands, formed in 1986 as The Birmingham Coach Company.-Birmingham Coach Company:The company was created in 1986 as the Birmingham Coach Company operating a single route, 16, in competition with West Midlands Travel....
Garage	Tividale Tividale - History :The village was in the parish of St Michael named after the church built there. It was created in 1878 as an extension of the town of Tipton in the county of Staffordshire, England...
Vehicle	Dennis Dart Dennis Dart The Dennis Dart is a rear-engined midibus built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. More than 11,000 were built during 18 years of production.... or Optare Solo Optare Solo The Optare Solo is a low-floor midibus manufactured by Optare in Leeds, UK since 1997. The name "Solo" is a play on the low-floor status of the bus, the manufacturer believing its vehicle having an entrance that is "so low" from the floor, namely 200 mm with kneeling suspension.The innovative...
Peak vehicle requirement	1
Route
Start	Bilston Bus Station Bilston bus station Bilston bus station is a small bus interchange located in Bilston Town Centre, Wolverhampton . It opened in 1991 as a new bus station to serve the town of Bilston and became an interchange on 31 May 1999 when the Midland Metro service opened on the adjacent railway line that had been disused since...
Via	Willenhall Willenhall Willenhall is a town in the Black Country area of the West Midlands of England, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is situated between Wolverhampton and Walsall, historically in the county of Staffordshire... Town Centre
End	County Bridge Estate, Devon Road
Length	About ?? miles
Service
Level	Daytime 09:30 - 15:25 Monday - Saturday off peak, No Sunday Service
Frequency	every 60 minutes
Journey time	25 minutes
Night	No Service

The 303 is a bus route in the West Midlands area of England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. It is operated by Diamond Bus

Diamond Bus

Diamond is a bus operator in the West Midlands, formed in 1986 as The Birmingham Coach Company.-Birmingham Coach Company:The company was created in 1986 as the Birmingham Coach Company operating a single route, 16, in competition with West Midlands Travel....

under subsidy to Centro

West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive

The West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive , sometimes known as Centro, is a local government organisation responsible for certain transport services in the West Midlands county in England....

Present

The 303 is currently operated by Diamond Bus

Diamond Bus

using Dennis Dart

Dennis Dart

The Dennis Dart is a rear-engined midibus built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. More than 11,000 were built during 18 years of production....

s or Optare Solo

Optare Solo

The Optare Solo is a low-floor midibus manufactured by Optare in Leeds, UK since 1997. The name "Solo" is a play on the low-floor status of the bus, the manufacturer believing its vehicle having an entrance that is "so low" from the floor, namely 200 mm with kneeling suspension.The innovative...

s. It runs to an hourly off-peak Monday - Saturday frequency under subsidy to the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive

West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive

The West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive , sometimes known as Centro, is a local government organisation responsible for certain transport services in the West Midlands county in England....

, Centro.

History

Previously the 303 was operated by Pete's Travel on a commercial basis at a similar timetable to present. In 1999 it was known that National Express West Midlands

National Express West Midlands

National Express West Midlands , formerly known as Travel West Midlands , is the trade name of West Midlands Travel Ltd , a company which operates bus services from depots in the cities of Birmingham, and Wolverhampton, as well as the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall in the West...

(then Travel West Midlands), also operated journeys on the route at irregular frequencies, but by 2000 these were withdrawn.

In 2004, following the merger of Pete's Travel and Diamond Bus

Diamond Bus

following their takeover by Go-Ahead

Go-Ahead

Go-Ahead may refer to:*Go-Ahead Group, British transport operator*Go Ahead Eagles, Dutch football club*"Go Ahead", a single from Rilo Kiley's album Take-Offs and Landings...

, the Pete's Travel name was scrapped, in favour of the Diamond Bus

Diamond Bus

brand. The continued to operate the route until 2007, when due to large losses many services by the company were withdrawn, including the 303.

Recently formed A2Z Travel

A2Z Travel

A2Z Travel was a diversified transportation company operating mainly in the Walsall and Wolverhampton areas of the West Midlands in west central England, also providing some bus services in South Staffordshire and Birmingham...

instantly stepped in to save the route, however, shortly before the end of the year they announced they were to withdraw off the route, due to a lack of patronage. The West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive

West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive

The West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive , sometimes known as Centro, is a local government organisation responsible for certain transport services in the West Midlands county in England....

then put the route to tender, which A2Z Travel

A2Z Travel

then won.

By now A2Z Travel

A2Z Travel

was in trouble with the West Midlands Traffic Commissioner and VOSA for poor vehicle standards and was struggling to pay fines and keep its licence.

The companies licence was revoked in 2008, however, due to numerous appeals the company was able to continue operating.

In February 2009, it was announced that Diamond Bus

Diamond Bus

were once again to operate the route. Having been sold by Go-Ahead

Go-Ahead

Go-Ahead may refer to:*Go-Ahead Group, British transport operator*Go Ahead Eagles, Dutch football club*"Go Ahead", a single from Rilo Kiley's album Take-Offs and Landings...

to the Rotala Group, the company was rapidly expanding and won close to thirty tenders in the round. The change of operator was due to take place from April 26th 2009.

However, A2Z Travel

A2Z Travel

's licence was finally revoked on March 31st 2009 after they had lost their final appeal, meaning Diamond Bus

Diamond Bus

started operating the service 25 days earlier from April 1st.

Diamond Bus

Diamond Bus

hold the route on a three year long tender.

Route

Bilston Bus Station
Bilston bus station
Bilston bus station is a small bus interchange located in Bilston Town Centre, Wolverhampton . It opened in 1991 as a new bus station to serve the town of Bilston and became an interchange on 31 May 1999 when the Midland Metro service opened on the adjacent railway line that had been disused since...
Willenhall
Willenhall
Willenhall is a town in the Black Country area of the West Midlands of England, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is situated between Wolverhampton and Walsall, historically in the county of Staffordshire...

Town Centre
Bentley
Bentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
County Bridge Estate

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