Cover picture:Stagecoach East Scotland has had former London Routemaster RM560 repainted in the mythical guise of Alexander (Midland) MRC23, a bus that might have operated in 1961. ALAN MILLAR

Contents

NEWS
NatEx sells Travel London; OFT refers Stagecoach takeovers; municipal turmoil; a new Dunn deal for Nottingham; Plaxton delivers fi rst fl eet Elites; heritage Routemasters and New Routemaster; ‘ftr’ starts running in Swansea

BUS PEOPLE
Changes at First, Blackpool. Newport, Warrington and Volvo

INSIDE TRACK
Golden Age or missed opportunities?

GLOBAL NEWS
Arriva loses out to Qbuzz in Groningen; Athens trolleybuses caught up in MAN probe; Istanbul BRT buses in trouble

IN LONDON
Travel London wins two more routes; Esteems in service

MILLAR’S TALES
When Busways was privatised; Citaro disaster buses

SERVICE EXTRA
Buses that ran in the snow

BUSINESS AS USUAL
Rossendale Transport says it intends to stay in public ownership

PICTUREVIEW
Sandtoft celebrations: the 40th anniversary weekend

PUBLICITY MATTERS
Like the colours, not the words

YOU WRITE
Politicians and buses; contravision; buses and trains; automatic gearboxes; GNR Regents

FENTON FILE
Mike Fenton on the UK’s only Seddon Pennine 5

FLEET NEWS ENGLAND & WALES
Compiled by John G. Lidstone

REGISTRATION NOTES
The latest developments on numberplates

FLEET NEWS SCOTLAND
Compiled by Sandy Macdonald

FLEET NEWS IRELAND
Compiled by G. Irvine Millar and Ian Molloy

PRESERVATION UPDATE
Recent rallies remembered in pictures