K & H Doyle Coaches. The end.

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Plaxton Pointer bodied Dennis Dart

 

 

 

I remember 'Doyle’s starting up in the mid 1980’s with one vehicle running a contracted taxi bus service between Street Lane and Pentrich via Ripley.

 

Since them, I have seen them grow and seemingly prosper to the point where they had become a fixture in the area.

 

At one time they had an operating base in Ripley but then moved to a unit on Lydford Road on the Meadow Lane industrial estate in Alfreton which then became their base.

 

I remember an evening visit to ‘Doyles’ with ‘Transpire’ the Chesterfield Bus Society when Kevin Doyle personally conducted us around his premises.

 

A likeable man who was pleased with what he had achieved.

 

I knew something was amiss when I saw a ‘yourbus’ Wright Streetlite running on a ‘Doyle’ service earlier this week.

 

There were a number of rumours about but it seemed that ‘Doyles’ had gone out of business on Monday 13th. of January and that both Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire County Councils transport units were trying to fill the gaps that had appeared in their timetables.

 

A visit to the Lydford Road premises found them empty apart from Optare Solo W296 EYG

in the workshop.

Today, I set out to find out what routes were being run, by whom and with what vehicles.

 

I was able to glean a lot of information regarding what and whom from Matthew Barker’s excellent ‘Derby Bus Depot’ web site.

The with what, was down to me.

 

As I write, the following appears to be the situation.

 

Route 4  Mansfield -Mansfield Woodhouse currently has no service.

 

Route 17 Oak Tree-Mansfield- Sutton-in- Ashfield is being run by ‘Stagecoach’ to a normal timetable.

 

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A Plaxton Pointer bodied Dennis Dart

Route 18 Mansfield-Crown Farm is being run by ‘Stagecoach’ to a normal timetable.

 

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Another Dennis Dart, this time bodied by East Lancs.

Route 19 Mansfield-Berry Hill- Mansfield currently has no service.

 

Route 143 Ripley-Ambergate-Belper is being run by ‘yourbus’ to a normal timetable.

 

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A Wright Streetlite D/F.

 

 

Route 144 Ripley-Ambergate-Crich is being run by ‘yourbus’ to a normal timetable.

 

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Again, which interworks the two routes.

 

 

Route 145 Blidworth-Sutton-Kirkby is being run by ‘Stagecoach’ to a normal timetable.

 

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A Plaxton Pointer bodied Dennis Dart.

 

 

Route 148 Codnor-Ripley- Alfreton is being run by ‘yourbus’ to a normal timetable.

 

MX62 GXE

A Wright Streetlite D/F.

 

Route 151 Alfreton-Outseats and Peasehill Estates is being run by ‘yourbus’ to a normal timetable.

 

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A Wright Streetlite D/F.

 

Route 152 and 153 Alfreton-Sleetmoor Lane-Somercotes-Lower Birchwood is being run by ‘yourbus’ to a normal timetable.

 

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A Wright Streetlite D/F which inter works the two routes.

 

 

 

 

Route 228 Hucknall-Bestwood Village-Bulwell is being run by ‘yourbus’ to a normal timetable.

 

No Image

 

Route 331 Selston-Moorgreen-Phoenix Park is only running between Selston Church and Phoenix Park. Operated by A & S Coaches.

 

No Image

 

Route 332 Eastwood-Moorgreen-Pinxton- Alfreton currently has no service.

 

It is always sad when an enterprise that started out with ambition and high hopes comes to grief.

 

The passengers have mostly already been found alternative transport.

 

The buses will move on and very soon the bright green buses of ‘K & H Doyle Coaches’ will be but a memory.

 

Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire County Councils have done well to keep the services running.

 

The management teams at ‘Stagecoach’ and ‘yourbus’ have done extremely well to juggle their resources to provide the services that they have.

 

Transport to me is all about people. People providing a service to enable other people to move around.

 

The loss of ‘Doyles’ will mean that some of those people will lose their jobs. Some will find other jobs. Possibly with 'Stagecoach' and 'yourbus' To all of Doyle's former employees I extend my very best wishes for the future.