Bus operator The Go Ahead Group has expanded in the South West with the acquisition of Exeter-based Dartline for an undisclosed sum.
Under the Go South West umbrella, which also includes the Plymouth CityBus, Go Devon Bus and Go Cornwall Bus brands, the group will maintain the East Devon transport firm’s workforce of almost 120 staff as part of the deal.
Dartline, which currently operates a fleet of 84 buses, coaches and special education needs taxis across a mix of commercial routes and contracted services for Devon County Council, will continue under the same brand.
The agreement take’s Go South West’s total fleet of buses and coaches to 380 and its headcount to around 900 people.
Bosses at the firm said Dartline was a “complementary geographical fit” and the group would look to invest in growing and adding services in mid and east Devon.
Managing director Richard Stevens, said: “We’ve been admirers of Dartline for a long time – it’s a family focused, well run bus company with a strong reputation and a competitive fleet.
“This acquisition will take us into wider Devon, and will mean that Go South West bus services stretch from the western tip of Cornwall to the Devon, Dorset and Somerset border.”
Dartline’s managing director Dave Hounslow, who established the business 35 years ago, said he had decided to sell up after turning 70.
He added: “Having started Dartline on January 4 1987 with eight vehicles and building it to its size today I feel proud that it will continue under the new management.”
Go South West, was formed when Plymouth CityBus secured an eight-year contract to deliver a network of council-subsidised Cornwall bus routes deemed essential to local communities but not commercially viable. Go Cornwall Bus was subsequently created, with the joint operation assuming the Go South West corporate identity.
The global, London Stock Exchange-listed Go Ahead Group is one of the biggest public transport operators in the UK.
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