Adventure Travel (bus company)
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| Parent | ComfortDelGro |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2008 |
| Headquarters | Cardiff |
| Service area | South Wales |
| Service type | United KingdomBus & coach services |
| Routes | 30 |
| Destinations | Cardiff,Swansea,Gowerton |
| Depots | Cardiff, Swansea |
| Website | www |
Adventure Travel[1](stylised asAdventuretravel;formerlyNAT GroupandNew Adventure Travel) is a bus and coach company inSouth Wales.It is a subsidiary ofComfortDelGro.
History[edit]
Established in 2008 with four buses, Adventure Travel has now grown to have over 100 buses and coaches in its fleet from May 2020 - with most buses being second-hand from London.
Adventure Travel purchased Humphrey's Coaches ofPontypriddin 2011, and has since purchased the businesses of VR Travel ofMerthyr Tydfilin October 2013[2]and Select Local Bus ofNeathin 2015.[3][4]
In February 2018 the business was purchased byComfortDelGro.Adam Keen ofDamory Coacheswas appointed managing director of New Adventure Travel.[5]
It was confirmed in late 2019 that the business is being progressively rebranded to Adventure Travel, with the coaching side of the business being rebranded to Adventure Coachlines.[6]
In May 2020, Adventure Travel permanently ceased all operational work in mainland Europe due toCOVID-19 pandemic,and is now focusing on itsUnited Kingdombus and coach services.[7]
Routes[edit]
Adventure Travel have won various routes in their operation, these include:
- Adventure Travel initially started bus routes inCardiff city centrein 2013, operating tendered local services toCardiff Council- however, whenCrossgates Coaches(trading as Veolia Transport Cymru) ceased operation in thePontypriddarea, Adventure Travel quickly registered these lost routes - them being the 102, 103, 105, 106 and 108
- In August 2014, Adventure Travel were successful in its bid to operate the Gower Explorer buses, taking over from the former operatorFirst Cymruon 26 October 2014.
- Adventure Travel also took over theT9 TrawsCymruroute fromCardifftoCardiff Airportfrom First Cymru.[8]The T9 was run by Adventure Travel usingOptare Tempoand was due to be replaced withOptare MetroCity,but the route T9 was cancelled before the Metrocity could see service.
- Adventure Travel run theTrawsCymru T6betweenSwansea bus stationandBreconusing brandedOptare MetroCitys.
- In April 2018, Adventure Travel took on the running of theTrawsCymru T1CbetweenCardiffandAberystwythusing a brandedMercedes-Benz Tourismo.
- Adventure Travel run the remainingRail lincroute - the905betweenRhoose Cardiff International Airport railway stationandCardiff Airport.
- In August 2019, Adventure Travel was named the operator for five key bus routes inSwansea.[9]
- On 10 June 2020, Adventure Travel announced it was to start operating the Severn Express. The route was branded as the X7 'TrawsHafren' and operated betweenChepstowandBristolviaCribbs Causeway.[10]The route began on 15 June 2020, taking over fromStagecoach Westand ran for a six-month trial period until 31 December 2020. It was run withMercedes-Benz Citaro.[11]As of 4 January 2021, the route is numbered T7 and is operated by Newport Bus.
- On 29 June 2020, the G1 route coveringCoryton,Gwaelod-y-Garth,Llandaff North,Tongwynlais,andWhitchurchwas transferred toFflecsi,atrialdemand responsive transportservice, where Adventure Travel operates the service in Cardiff, in partnership withTransport for Wales,and thelocal council.[12]This has since been reinstated to a normal public service. As of 1 April 2024, this service no longer ran.
- On 1 April 2024, the emergency subsidy scheme by theWelsh Governmentwas replaced by a series of local authority tenders, for all public bus routes other than those that can operate commercially. Adventure Travel suffered major losses in the re-tendering process and lost a total of 34 bus services acrossRhondda Cynon Taf,Caerphilly County Borough,Merthyr Tydfil County Borough,SwanseaandMonmouthshire.[13]
Controversy[edit]
In May 2015 the company faced criticism for two adverts on the back of its route X1 buses which showed a scantily clad woman and man holding a placard saying "Ride me all day for £3". Adventure Travel said that the advertising campaign had been a "tongue-in-cheek" effort to target the younger generation and no offence had been intended, but that due to the volume of complaints, it would remove the adverts immediately.[14]
In March 2019, Adventure Travel was fined £17,550 for buses not running to registered timetables. The company also had 4 buses taken off the road due to them having defects.ComfortDelGroclaimed this was due to staff shortages, and the company have since implemented new software with better monitors to make sure routes run the schedule.[15]
2019 saw residents ofThornhill, Cardiffrebel against Adventure Travel's X8 service.[16]The route has since been amended.
Fleet[edit]
As of April 2024, Adventure Travel operated around 100 vehicles out of depots inCardiffandSwansea.[17]The bus service fleet mainly consists of second-hand vehicles, either from London operators or their sister company,Metroline.The group also previously operated older vehicles likeAlexander ALX400andPlaxton President,but due to the fleet standardisation program they have all been retired.
Adventure Travel currently, as of April 2024, operate the following vehicles in their bus service fleet:
- Optare MetroCity
- Alexander Dennis Enviro200
- Optare Solo SR
- MCV Evolution
- Mercedes-Benz Citaro
- Scania OmniLink
- Scania OmniCity
- Alexander Dennis Enviro400
- Alexander Dennis Enviro300
Depots[edit]
Adventure Travel's headquarters are at Coaster Place inCardiff.However, the company also operate a depot atSwansea.The group have also previously operated depots at the following locations:
Pontypridd[edit]
Since the purchase of Humphrey's Coaches inPontypriddin 2011, AdventureTravel maintained a strong presence throughout the area establishing a network of local bus services toYnysybwl,Glyncoch,Nantgarw,Treforest,Upper Boat,Trallwnas well as longer distance services toBridgendandPorthcawl.After 13 years of providing bus services inPontypridd,Adventure Travel closed the depot after a series of local authority tenders (in which the company experienced great losses) and is now used for storage for vehicles surplus to requirements.
Newport[edit]
Adventure Travel previously ran a number of commercial services[18]to compete withNewport Busafter Adventure Travel won their school services, enabling them to run bus routes off the back of them.
Subsequently, Adventure Travel withdrew from Newport and closed its Newport depot.
Skewen[edit]
Following the purchase of Select Local Bus ofNeath,Adventure Travel ran a number of ex-Select routes[19]and vehicles from this depot. Adventure Travel has since withdrew from theNeatharea and has closed its depot.
Abercrave[edit]
Adventure Travel purchased the Abercrave depot whenCrossgates Coachesceased trading. The depot was used for storage but was sold and is now closed.
References[edit]
- ^Companies House extract company no 6507924New Adventure Travel Limited
- ^"NAT Group officially purchases Merthyr Tydfil based VR Travel".NAT Group.Archived fromthe originalon 12 June 2018.Retrieved15 April2015.
- ^"NAT Group purchases Select Local Bus of Neath".NAT Group.Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2016.Retrieved15 April2015.
- ^"NAT buys Select Bus Service assets".Coach & Bus Week.7 April 2015.
- ^Deakin, Tim (1 July 2019)."Adam Keen joins New Adventure Travel Group".Route One.Archived fromthe originalon 11 June 2020.Retrieved26 May2020.
- ^"AdventureCoachlines (@AdvCoachlines)".Twitter.Retrieved26 May2020.
- ^"International Travel Announcement".NAT Group.18 May 2020. Archived fromthe originalon 10 April 2021.Retrieved26 May2020.
- ^"All change on Gower buses".South Wales Evening Post.5 August 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 20 May 2015.
- ^"Press Release August 2019".NAT Group(Press release). 30 July 2019. Archived fromthe originalon 15 August 2020.Retrieved26 May2020.
- ^"X7 - TrawsHafren".NAT Group.Archived fromthe originalon 25 January 2021.Retrieved10 June2020.
- ^@nat_group (10 June 2020)."Good Afternoon, single deck buses will be allocated on this route. ^C"(Tweet).Retrieved11 June2020– viaTwitter.
- ^"Cardiff North G1".Transport For Wales.Retrieved11 June2021.
- ^"Service Changes from the 1st of April".Adventure Travel Cymru.
- ^"South Wales 'Ride me' bus advert sparks online backlash".BBC News.11 May 2015.Retrieved12 May2015.
- ^"Fined for Delays & Unsafe Buses – No X8 Buses Here".www.nox8buseshere.com.Retrieved26 May2020.
- ^"No X8 Buses Here – Say NO to NAT Group".www.nox8buseshere.com.Retrieved26 May2020.
- ^ComfortDelGro buys New Adventure Travel for £13.4 millionArchived10 February 2018 at theWayback MachineRoute One7 February 2018
- ^"Services operated by Newport depot".Archivedfrom the original on 25 March 2016.
- ^"Neath".Archivedfrom the original on 25 October 2016.
External links[edit]
- Company website
Media related toNAT Groupat Wikimedia Commons
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