Cover picture:First Cymru 19037 (S60 FTR), a Wright StreetCar-bodied Volvo B7LA, operating on the Swansea Metro service in June

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 NEWS
Alexander Dennis boss calls for scrappage scheme; First makes bid approach to NatEx; Go North East accepts bikes; Volvo B5Ls enter London service; Arriva starts Llandudno tour; Warrington retires last Dominators
BUS PEOPLE
Changes of ITA chairmen; Steve Clayton joins Alexander Dennis; London deputy mayor quits; 20 years up for John Lidstone
INSIDE TRACK
Compare and contrast, but who comes last?
GLOBAL NEWS
Farewell to Ghent trolleybuses; France buys French; Prague buys Czech
IN LONDON
Compulsory bus stops; East London shuffl e; driver vacancies fall
MILLAR’S TALES
When Trent bought Barton; central works become a pub; apostrophes galore
ONE GIANT LEAP FOR BUSKIND
Mercedes-Benz unveils its latest fuel-cell Citaro
CITARO IN THE UK
Sales are taking off at last for the German giant
CENTRECOMM: LONDON’S BEST-KEPT SECRET
Behind the scenes at the communications centre for 6,800 buses
BUSES 60 GATHERING
Major celebrations planned at Wroughton in October
YOU WRITE
The OFT, rail v bus, First cast-offs, hot buses, London’s new bus
FENTON FILE
A London Dennis Dart with a difference
SERVICE EXTRA
County conspires to undermine bus dream in Oxford
PUBLICITY MATTERS
Clear, concise and in colour
FLEET NEWS ENGLAND & WALES
Compiled by John G. Lidstone
HALFCABS ETCETERA
We focus on old British buses in eastern Canada
FLEET NEWS SCOTLAND
Compiled by Sandy Macdonald
FLEET NEWS IRELAND
Compiled by G. Irvine Millar and Ian Molloy
PRESERVATION UPDATE
Rallies at Chatsworth and Barry
REVIEWS
Books on the Colours of Manchester and Luton Corporation