Go-Ahead's operator Carousel Buses ready to serve communities as Arriva announces closure of depots in Buckinghamshire
Yesterday’s announcement that Arriva has plans to close depots in Buckinghamshire will have caused concern for communities and local authority partners. Carousel Buses, part of the Go-Ahead Group, stands ready to operate their services in High Wycombe.
Without any operator stepping in to the fold, the closure of Arriva depots in Buckinghamshire would mean a widespread cut for routes in and around High Wycombe which currently link the town to Reading, Amersham and several other towns and villages in the Chilterns.
Martin Dean, Managing Director of Go-Ahead Group’s Regional Bus division said “We are ready to work with our local authority partners and to support the current workforce, to keep bus services running in High Wycombe. We want to reassure customers that we would take on services as soon as Arriva makes its decision to exit the bus market in High Wycombe”.
Luke Marion, Managing Director of Carousel Buses said “We are proud to serve communities in the area and recognise the importance of the network in connecting urban and rural communities to help people travel to places of work, education, and to see family and friends. Arriva’s network overlaps with our services which presents a positive opportunity to enable seamless travel if it becomes part of our company”.
The Go-Ahead Group and its regional bus operators have long-held experience of rescuing services where other operators have withdrawn. In 2023, Go-Ahead’s operator Go South Coast took on additional services in Southampton when First Bus withdrew. The year before, in 2022, they also ensured customers in Bournemouth weren’t left behind as a small operator collapsed which required the recruitment of over 100 staff in 48 hours to get services back on the road again.
Carousel Buses, a subsidiary of Oxford Bus Company and part of the wider Go-Ahead Group, are an experienced High Wycombe based operator, running a network of 50 buses in the area and across Buckinghamshire.
In partnership with Buckinghamshire County Council, Carousel Buses has recently announced several improvements that will see increased service frequency and upgraded fleet on routes between High Wycombe, towns in Buckinghamshire, and Heathrow Airport from the start of the June.