Go South Coast Managing Director Andrew Wickham died over the weekend of 24/25 May after a long illness. He was 58.
Highly respected across the bus industry and long recognised as the driving force behind the success of Go South Coast and its subsidiaries, Mr Wickham enjoyed an almost 40-year career in the sector. He joined Brighton Borough Transport in 1986 while studying Transport Operations and Planning at Aston University ahead of graduation the following year.
That contribution was recognised early in 2025 when Mr Wickham was awarded an MBE for services to the bus industry. He led Go South Coast to numerous industry accolades, among which were multiple successes at the routeone Awards, where he was named Manager of the Year – Large Operator in 2017.
Away from work, Mr Wickham is described as “a devoted family man” by Go South Coast in a statement issued following his death. In 2019 he served as President of the Omnibus Society.
The operator says that in his professional capacity, Mr Wickham led colleagues who were “utterly dedicated” to his vision to improve bus services and grow passenger numbers. That was achieved in spades, with usage on the Go South Coast patch among the highest in the UK.
After starting out in Brighton, Mr Wickham’s career took him to London General, now part of Go-Ahead London. From there he became the Go-Ahead Group’s Development Manager under Chief Executive Chris Moyes.
Upon purchase of Wilts and Dorset by the group in 2003, he became Operations Director. An interlude as Managing Director of Plymouth Citybus between 2009 and 2011 was followed by a return to the south coast, where Mr Wickham remained as Managing Director until his death.
In that role, he oversaw multiple bouts of expansion. Municipal Thamesdown Transport of Swindon was purchased in 2017 and integrated into Go South Coast, while in 2023 Bluestar consolidated its position in Southampton by providing replacement services as First Bus closed its operations in the city.
That followed a well-executed move in 2022 when Yellow Buses of Bournemouth ceased trading at short notice. With a gap of just 24 hours, Go South Coast was able to add over 80 buses’ worth of work, an achievement that was well recognised locally.
Senior figures within Go-Ahead have paid tribute to Mr Wickham. Group Chief Executive Miguel Parras says: “On behalf of everyone at Go-Ahead and Go South Coast, I want to pass on our deep condolences to Andrew’s family and loved ones.
“Andrew was a fantastic colleague, and he will be greatly missed. He made a big impression on our business, and we will honour his legacy at the appropriate time.”
UK Regional Bus Managing Director Martin Dean adds: “I had the privilege of working with Andrew for 26 years. His enthusiasm and passion for serving his community was admirable and the loyalty of his team at Go South Coast is a testament to Andrew’s character. We will all miss him.”
Go South Coast Finance Director Ben Murray has been appointed Interim Managing Director of the business.
