Courtney Coaches
Encyclopedia
Courtney Coaches are a bus operator baseed in Bracknell
, Berkshire
, England
. They operate a network of commercial and contracted local bus services and school buses in and around Bracknell and Maidenhead
. They are best known for their use of alternative fuels, having been the first bus company in the United Kingdom to operate a bus run on 100% soya oil.
by Bill Courtney-Smith, who still manages the company, and moved into coach hire in the 1980s. The first local route to be operated was route 53 (Wexham Park Hospital
- Maidenhead
- Bracknell
), which the company began to operate on in 2000, but this was taken over by First Berkshire & The Thames Valley
in 2003. The company expanded dramatically in January 2004 when all seven local routes in Maidenhead were taken over from First Berkshire.
In September 2006 Courtney Coaches had is license revoked by the Traffic Commissioner. An appeal was launched, operations continued and the decision was overturned by the end of 2006. Between 2005 and 2007, a Park & Ride was provided by Courtney between Maidenhead town centre and a temporary site at Stafferton Way. The Stafferton Way site had been used to provide replacement parking during a period in which a town centre car park was shut.
In October 2007 the company introduced a unique ticketing system, ETMSS, which uses mobile computer technology to replace fare charts and reporting software with one computerised system. Other features include the ability to modify fares from anywhere using the Internet, GPS tracking of individual buses and reduced insurance costs as a result of this, and the ability to calculate fares, cash exchanges and refunds. The cost of installation was reportedly paid back within the first 12 months.
The routes in Maidenhead were changed significantly in 2008, but this received criticism from residents so many routes were further changed.
Further expansion came in January 2009, when the shuttle service between Didcot Parkway railway station
and Milton Park
was expanded from one bus to two using a new low-floor double-deck vehicle at a cost of £175,000. Over 400 passes for the service were issued to workers prior to its introduction.
-based company Regenatec converted an Optare Solo
minibus to operate on the fuel, which gained the company appearances on Working Lunch
and in the Daily Telegraph newspaper. The cost of conversion was around £3500. Fuel savings of around 80% were reported, and this cost was paid back in eight months. In March 2007 Courtney director Bill Courtney-Smith and Regenatec director Mike Lawton were invited to 10 Downing Street
by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair
to demonstrate another converted vehicle at an environmental presentation. Bill Courtney-Smith later bought half shares in Regenatec when the company experienced financial trouble in early 2009.
, although other vehicles are also owned. Two notable buses operated are the only Alexander Dennis Enviro300s with East Lancs Esteem bodywork. Two Optare Tempo
s powered by 100% pure plant oil, the first 12m single-deckers to run on this fuel, are currently on order.
.
Bracknell
Bracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, 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...
. They operate a network of commercial and contracted local bus services and school buses in and around Bracknell and Maidenhead
Maidenhead
Maidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:...
. They are best known for their use of alternative fuels, having been the first bus company in the United Kingdom to operate a bus run on 100% soya oil.
History
The company was formed in 1973 as a taxi hire firm in BracknellBracknell
Bracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London...
by Bill Courtney-Smith, who still manages the company, and moved into coach hire in the 1980s. The first local route to be operated was route 53 (Wexham Park Hospital
Wexham Park Hospital
Wexham Park Hospital is an NHS hospital at the northern fringe of Slough, Berkshire, part of the Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.The hospital opened in 1965 in a "countryside" setting....
- Maidenhead
Maidenhead
Maidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:...
- Bracknell
Bracknell
Bracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London...
), which the company began to operate on in 2000, but this was taken over by First Berkshire & The Thames Valley
First Berkshire & The Thames Valley
First Berkshire & The Thames Valley is a bus operator serving Bracknell, Slough and Wokingham, in England. It is part of First Group, a major bus and train operator with a turnover of nearly £2.5 billion a year and 62,000 employees across the UK and North America...
in 2003. The company expanded dramatically in January 2004 when all seven local routes in Maidenhead were taken over from First Berkshire.
In September 2006 Courtney Coaches had is license revoked by the Traffic Commissioner. An appeal was launched, operations continued and the decision was overturned by the end of 2006. Between 2005 and 2007, a Park & Ride was provided by Courtney between Maidenhead town centre and a temporary site at Stafferton Way. The Stafferton Way site had been used to provide replacement parking during a period in which a town centre car park was shut.
In October 2007 the company introduced a unique ticketing system, ETMSS, which uses mobile computer technology to replace fare charts and reporting software with one computerised system. Other features include the ability to modify fares from anywhere using the Internet, GPS tracking of individual buses and reduced insurance costs as a result of this, and the ability to calculate fares, cash exchanges and refunds. The cost of installation was reportedly paid back within the first 12 months.
The routes in Maidenhead were changed significantly in 2008, but this received criticism from residents so many routes were further changed.
Further expansion came in January 2009, when the shuttle service between Didcot Parkway railway station
Didcot Parkway railway station
Didcot Parkway is a railway station serving the town of Didcot in Oxfordshire in England. The station was opened as Didcot on 12 June 1844, and renamed Didcot Parkway on 29 July 1985 to reflect its role as a park and ride railhead....
and Milton Park
Milton Park
Milton Park is a mixed use business park operated by MEPC plc. It is just south of the village of Milton, Oxfordshire, about west of Didcot. It is on the site of a former Ministry of Defence depot between the A34 and Didcot Power Station. Although closer to Didcot, it lies within the Abingdon...
was expanded from one bus to two using a new low-floor double-deck vehicle at a cost of £175,000. Over 400 passes for the service were issued to workers prior to its introduction.
Alternative fuels
In 2002 Courtney Coaches became the first bus company in Britain to operate a bus on 100% soya oil. AbingdonAbingdon, Oxfordshire
Abingdon or archaically Abingdon-on-Thames is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Vale of White Horse district. Previously the county town of Berkshire, Abingdon is one of several places that claim to be Britain's oldest continuously occupied town, with...
-based company Regenatec converted an 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...
minibus to operate on the fuel, which gained the company appearances on Working Lunch
Working Lunch
Working Lunch was a television programme broadcast on BBC Two which covered business, personal finance and consumer news between 1994 and 2010. The programme was first aired on 19 September 1994. It had a quirky, relaxed style, especially when compared to other BBC business shows such as World...
and in the Daily Telegraph newspaper. The cost of conversion was around £3500. Fuel savings of around 80% were reported, and this cost was paid back in eight months. In March 2007 Courtney director Bill Courtney-Smith and Regenatec director Mike Lawton were invited to 10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street, colloquially known in the United Kingdom as "Number 10", is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, who is now always the Prime Minister....
by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
to demonstrate another converted vehicle at an environmental presentation. Bill Courtney-Smith later bought half shares in Regenatec when the company experienced financial trouble in early 2009.
Routes
Courtney Coaches operates the following local routes:- Basingstoke Centre Shuttle
- M1: MarlowMarlow, BuckinghamshireMarlow is a town and civil parish within Wycombe district in south Buckinghamshire, England...
- CookhamCookhamCookham is a village and civil parish in the north-easternmost corner of Berkshire in England, on the River Thames, notable as the home of the artist Stanley Spencer. It lies north of Maidenhead close to the border with Buckinghamshire...
- MaidenheadMaidenheadMaidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:...
(Demand Responsive Service, Monday & Thursday only) - M2: Maidenhead - Vanwall Business Park
- M4: WindsorWindsor, BerkshireWindsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
Park & Ride - 4: Maidenhead - White WalthamWhite WalthamWhite Waltham is a village and civil parish, west of Maidenhead, in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the English county of Berkshire. It has a population of 2,875, and is the location of White Waltham Airfield.-Extent:...
- 4C: BracknellBracknellBracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London...
- Maidenhead - Beer by Bus Route 4: Maidenhead - HolyportHolyportHolyport is a village in the civil parish of Bray, about 2 miles south of Maidenhead in the English county of Berkshire.-Amenities:Despite its size, Holyport possesses a small retail area...
- Woodlands Park - Maidenhead - 5: Cranbrook Drive - Maidenhead - Farmers Way
- 6: St. Mark's Hospital - Maidenhead - Windsor
- 7: Woodlands Park - Maidenhead
- 7S: Bracknell - Maidenhead - Cookham (Sunday only)
- 8: Boulter's LockBoulter's LockBoulter's Lock is a lock and weir on the River Thames in England on the eastern side of Maidenhead, Berkshire. A lock was first built here by the Thames Navigation Commission in 1772. The lock is on the western side of the river between the main Maidenhead to Cookham road and Ray Mill Island...
- Maidenhead - Halifax Rd - 67: Bracknell railway stationBracknell railway stationBracknell railway station is a railway station serving the town of Bracknell in Berkshire, England. The station, and all trains calling there, are operated by South West Trains. It is on the London Waterloo-Reading line....
- Jealott's HillJealott's HillJealott's Hill is a village in Berkshire, England, within the civil parish of Warfield.The settlement lies near on the A3095 road and is approximately north-east of Bracknell. It is home to Syngenta's largest R&D site in the world, and houses Europe's largest greenhouse at 4,000 square metres... - 108: Jennett's Park - Bracknell railway station
- 153: Bracknell railway station - WarfieldWarfieldWarfield is a village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire and the Borough of Bracknell Forest.-Geography:Warfield is a mostly rural parish made up of a number of small settlements...
Tesco (Sunday only) - 171/172: Bracknell Circular (Evening service)
- 175a: Bracknell railway station - John NikeJohn NikeJohn Nike OBE is a Bracknell-based leisure and hotels entrepreneur.He used to own the Thames Valley Tigers basketball team. With his family, he is worth £92 million according to the Sunday Times Rich List 2006....
Ice Rink (Sunday only) - 175b: Bracknell railway station - The Parks (Sunday only)
- 190: WokinghamWokinghamWokingham is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire in South East England about west of central London. It is about east-southeast of Reading and west of Bracknell. It spans an area of and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 30,403...
- ReadingReading, BerkshireReading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
(Sunday only) - 194: Bracknell railway station - Great HollandsGreat HollandsThe development of Great Hollands neighbourhood was originally closely linked with the growth of the Bracknell company, Sperry, which was at the time Bracknell's largest employer. The only memory now left of this company is the concrete gyroscope, which is situated on one of the roundabouts on the...
- The Meadows (Sunday only) - 199: Warfield Park - Sainsbury's - Bracknell (Wednesday & Friday only)
- 239: Henley-on-ThamesHenley-on-ThamesHenley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
- HurleyHurley, BerkshireHurley is a village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire.Hurley is famous for its proximity to the River Thames. It is also within easy reach of Henley-on-Thames, Oxford and London. The parish includes the villages and hamlets of Cockpole Green, Warren Row, Knowl Hill, Burchett's...
- Maidenhead - 239C: Bracknell - Hawthorn HillHawthorn Hill, BerkshireHawthorn Hill is a hamlet in Berkshire, England, within the civil parish of Warfield.The settlement lies at the junction of the A3095 and A330 roads, and is approximately north of Bracknell....
- Hurley
Fleet
Since local bus service work began the predominant type in the fleet has been the Optare SoloOptare 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...
, although other vehicles are also owned. Two notable buses operated are the only Alexander Dennis Enviro300s with East Lancs Esteem bodywork. Two Optare Tempo
Optare Tempo
The Optare Tempo is a full-size single-deck bus manufactured by Optare and was launched in late 2004. It is marketed and sold as the replacement for the Optare Excel.It is designed as a lightweight bus, to use less fuel than traditional heavy duty integrals....
s powered by 100% pure plant oil, the first 12m single-deckers to run on this fuel, are currently on order.
Controversy
In November 2009 a Courtney Coaches driver ejected a woman from a bus following a complaint from another passenger because of fears over swine fluSwine flu
Swine influenza, also called pig influenza, swine flu, hog flu and pig flu, is an infection by any one of several types of swine influenza virus. Swine influenza virus or S-OIV is any strain of the influenza family of viruses that is endemic in pigs...
.