Thamesdown Transport
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Plaxton Pointer bodied Dennis Dart in 2010
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| Parent | Swindon Borough Council |
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| Founded | September 1904 |
| Headquarters | Swindon |
| Service area | Swindon |
| Service type | Bus services |
| Fleet | 85 (October 2013) |
| Website | www.thamesdown-transport.co.uk |
Thamesdown Transport[1] is a bus operator serving the town of Swindon and the surrounding area in the Borough of Swindon and county of Wiltshire.
History
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Thamesdown Transport has its origins in 1904, when Swindon Corporation started to operate electric trams. Bus operation started in 1927 and two years later all the trams were replaced.[2]
On local government re-organisation in April 1974, the functions of the corporation were transferred to the new Thamesdown district, and the name of the bus operation was changed to Thamesdown Transport. To comply with the Transport Act 1985, the operation was transferred into a separate legal entity.[1] Swindon Borough Council retains ownership, which makes it one of the few remaining municipal bus companies.
During the 1980s, operations were expanded to rural areas around Swindon, to replace services withdrawn by Alder Valley and Bristol Omnibus Company.
Fares
Thamesdown implemented a fastFare system on 1 August 2005 in which passengers must pay the exact fare as change will not be given by the driver.[3] This has generated some criticism as its implementation often results in passengers paying more than the necessary fare.[4] This can be due to not having the correct change or, more commonly, tourists and visitors being unaware of the policy until after they have deposited money. The reasoning behind the policy is that if the driver does not have to deal with giving change, passenger loading times are shortened, resulting in a faster and more reliable service. It also reduces the risk of attacks on drivers.
Swindon's other main bus company Stagecoach in Swindon does not participate in the scheme.[5] Tickets are valid on both companies services for the majority of destinations in the Swindon Urban Area and beyond, with Stagecoach providing Sunday services to the region.
Thamesdown have also implemented a Text and Go service, where passengers can send an SMS message containing a seven digit bus stop identifier to a premium number to receive information about the next three buses due to arrive at that stop.[6]
Fleet
As at October 2013 the fleet consisted of 85 buses.[7]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Companies House extract company no 1997617 Thamesdown Transport Limited
- ↑ About Us Thamesdown Transport
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- ↑ Bus Fleet Thamesdown
External links
- Official website
- Swindon Borough Council public transport homepage
- Swindon Park and Ride
- EFE Showbus photo gallery- Swindon Corporation Passenger Transport Department and Thamesdown Transport
- Swindon Vintage Omnibus Society - Fleet information and images
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Bus operators in South West England
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