Boxing day buses

Boxing Day buses have always been a difficult decision for operators to make. Will loadings justify running to a high enough frequency to encourage people out of their cars and onto the bus? In Nottingham Trent Barton decided to run a large commercial network, including a bus every 30 minutes on the Rainbow 4 (via Bramcote). Nottingham City Transport decided not to run any commercial services; however Nottingham City Council stipulated that the contracted Citylink 1 Park and Ride bus should run, with special discount fares. In Stratford upon Avon where I spent Christmas both main operators (Stagecoach and Johnson's Excelbus) decided to run nothing, but again the local council Park and Ride contract (held by Johnson's) stipulated a Boxing Day service, which me, my uncle and my younger cousins travelled on. The Optare Versas used on this route are also used on town service 222 and they are exceptionally modern. They are also diesel-electric hybrids, claiming to save up to 30% CO2.

Above: The interior of one of the hybrid Optare Versas used
on service 222 and the Stratford upon Avon park and ride
service operated by Johnson's Excelbus.
Left: The distinctive curved front of the same Optare
Versa (YJ11 EJF)

 

A Scania L94 Wright Solar waits at Nottingham Broadmarsh Bus Station Bay 4 on Trent Barton route Rainbow 4.
which saw Boxing Day buses as far as Sandiacre every 30  minutes (The service normally extends to Derby but did
not on Boxing Day as much of that part of the route is also part of 24 hour service INDIGO which did run to Derby).