Rotala has sold “certain trade and assets” of its Wessex Bus subsidiary to the Cheltenham & Gloucester Omnibus arm of Stagecoach, which trades as Stagecoach West, giving it a foothold in Bristol.
Around 65 staff and nine vehicles will pass to Stagecoach when the deal completes on 2 September, along with seven contracted Bristol bus routes (3, 11, 508, 513/514, 515, 625, TSB staff shuttle).
The remaining Bristol and Bath services have either been lost in recent tender rounds or are commercial services that have been deregistered from 31 August.
Rotala says: “Following a number of years of successful operation in the Bristol, Bath and South Gloucestershire areas, Wessex Bus has seen a contraction in services following reductions in contracts from the public and private sectors.”
Rotala has also agreed to sell its Avonmouth depot to an organisation “outside of the transport sector” and will complete later in 2018. Rotala runs its Bath services from a depot in Keynsham.
Of Wessex Bus’ Bath routes, First has won the contract for circular routes 20A/C, while the city’s route 10 to the hospital has lost its subsidy and is to cease. Commercial routes 42, 12 and 51 (Bristol) are also to be terminated.
