Kingfisher Bus & Coach

The Kingfisher Bus and Coach Company came about in October 1989 following the break up of the original Redline partnership between Stan Pemberton and Mick Elkins. Basically, each had different ideas on how the Redline company should develop so they went their separate ways. In granting Mick Elkins his own Operator's License for the Kingfisher Bus and Coach Company the Traffic Commissioner unusually put a restriction on both the Redline and Kingfisher Licenses which only allowed one or other of the company's to run bus services in Redditch at any one time. The new  Kingfisher company took over services 7 and 8 (Redditch and Matchborough Circulars) and Schooldays journeys from the Newtown to St Augustine's School from the Redline Bus Company in October 1989. The services 7 and 8 were expanded on 12th May 1990 when all day facilities were provided six days a week. Up to them there had only been an all day service on Saturdays. On 1st October 1990 a Hereford and Worcester County Council subsidised service 946 from Headless Cross to Longbridge Works was introduced following the withdrawal of a similar route by Harding's Coaches. The 946 was withdrawn after operation on 22 March 1991 due to poor patronage. Following the reduction of the vehicle authorization on the Kingfisher Public Service Vehicle Operator's License because of vehicle maintenance problems the services 7 and 8 were reduced to every 15 minutes from 5th August 1992. Further restrictions on the Operating License meant the school journeys to and from St Augustine's School were withdrawn and taken over by Midland Red West. Following a further public enquiry Kingfisher's Operators License was suspended completely from 22 September 1992 again because of continued poor vehicle maintenance. Kingfisher reintroduced the service 7 and 8 from 1 November 1992 when the company's Operators license was reinstated. The services were finally withdrawn after operation on 30 January 1993 and the company purely became a coach operator running between three and four vehicles until the sale of the business to Dudley's Coaches in April 2002.  

The Kingfisher Bus Fleet

Registration Number

Vehicle Chassis

Former Owner

NOC387R Damiler Fleetline West Midland Travel
NOC403R Damiler Fleetline West Midland Travel
NOC409R Damiler Fleetline West Midland Travel
NOC410R Damiler Fleetline West Midland Travel
NOC413R Damiler Fleetline West Midland Travel
NOC452R Damiler Fleetline West Midland Travel
NOC595R Damiler Fleetline West Midland Travel

The coach fleet at the time when the business was sold to Dudley's Coaches in April 2002

Registration Number

Vehicle Chassis

Bodywork

Seating Capacity

A124MBA

Leyland Tiger TRCTL11/3R

Plaxton C48FT
PJI7230 DAF MB200DKFL600 Duple C57F
B630RRE Bedford YNT Plaxton C53F
D426BCJ Bedford YMT Plaxton C57F

All four vehicles were purchased by Dudley's Coaches with the business though only A124MBA and D426BCJ were retained by Dudley's Coaches. Both vehicles retained their blue and white Kingfisher livery until they were replaced with newer vehicles by Dudley's Coaches.