South Gloucestershire Bus & Coach - History

History

South Gloucestershire can trace its history back to 1982 when Roger Durbin set up operations as Durbin’s Coaches. After steadily expanding over the years the operations began to attract the attention of Badgerline Holdings and during 1994 Durbin’s Coaches were taken over by the Bristol Omnibus Company.

Roger Durbin was imposed with a restriction to start operating again in the Bristol area for 3 years as part of the agreement for the sale. Whilst Roger Durbin left the company, Tony Lavoie, the marketing manager stayed with the company, moving to City Line's Lawrence Hill depot as the general manager for the Durbin operations.

After a few months Lavoie left to start up his own bus company, Leisure Travel. By 1997, with a fleet of 24 vehicles, Roger Durbin returned to the industry as a partner in the business, and in 1998 the company began trading as South Gloucestershire Bus Company with a blue and white livery. Also during 1998 the pair purchased a local taxi firm which they renamed South Gloucestershire Taxi Company with a similar fleet name as the bus business. Durbin took on the bus side of the business while Lavoie looked after the running of the taxi company. During 1999 the original Durbin’s Coaches business was re acquired from First Bristol, who had continued to trade as Durbin’s Coaches and then First Durbins as a ‘low cost’ unit within First.

The company rapidly expanded over the next few years winning various tenders for supported services from South Gloucestershire Council and Bristol City Council, at one point even operating service 620 from Bath to Stroud. During 2003 the goodwill and custom as well as the majority of the fleet of Eastville Coaches was bought from the proprietor Mr Phillips. With the Eastville goodwill came a lucrative entrance to National Express contracts. A number of vehicles were brought into to update the Eastville fleet but after 18 months the original Eastville Coaches began trading again and the SGBC Eastville Coaches fleet were painted plain white with ‘A Durbin Group Company’ tagline.

Also during 2003 the taxi operation was separated from the bus operation, which saw Lavoie leave the fold, he now works for Bristol coach operator Eurocoaches.

The company continued to expand, picking up contracts with the University of the West of England for student transport, Orange & Axa for staff shuttles, National Express for Rail Replacement and coach service contracts and further tenders from Bristol City & South Gloucestershire Councils. The fleet was made up of mainly second hand vehicles such as Leyland Lynx and Leyland Titans, and Volvo B10Ms for the coach fleet. There were two Dennis Dart SLFs that were new to Durbin in 2003 for Orange and UWE work. It was revealed in 2007 that the South Gloucestershire fleet was the most un environmentally-friendly bus fleet in the country with an emission level of 15.79 g/kW.