Boro’line Bedford
On a murky day early in the New Year, Boro’line Maidstone 214 (BNO701T) is captured up close as it pulls away from the Jubilee Square stop on its journey to Park Wood. It is a Bedford YMT with a Duple Dominant II bus grant body that began life a decade earlier with Eastern National and had been recently acquired from a second operator, Metrobus.
The deregulation of bus services predicated by the 1985 Transport had prompted the former Maidstone Borough Council operations to be bought by its management. The new owners embarked on an expansionist wave, extending beyond its historic operational area by tendering for Central London bus services. In the process, Boro’line acquired new vehicles, supplemented by a plethora of second-hand vehicles. There was a minimal attempt at fleet standardisation, and Boro’line’s shaky business plan was further undermined by the need to hire in extra vehicles to maintain service requirements on the tendered services.
Boro’line Maidstone collapsed into insolvency in early 1992. BNO701T was one of many vehicles out of service by that time, a victim of major accident damage.
January 1989
Rollei 35 camera
Kodak Ektachrome 100 film.
Boro’line Bedford
On a murky day early in the New Year, Boro’line Maidstone 214 (BNO701T) is captured up close as it pulls away from the Jubilee Square stop on its journey to Park Wood. It is a Bedford YMT with a Duple Dominant II bus grant body that began life a decade earlier with Eastern National and had been recently acquired from a second operator, Metrobus.
The deregulation of bus services predicated by the 1985 Transport had prompted the former Maidstone Borough Council operations to be bought by its management. The new owners embarked on an expansionist wave, extending beyond its historic operational area by tendering for Central London bus services. In the process, Boro’line acquired new vehicles, supplemented by a plethora of second-hand vehicles. There was a minimal attempt at fleet standardisation, and Boro’line’s shaky business plan was further undermined by the need to hire in extra vehicles to maintain service requirements on the tendered services.
Boro’line Maidstone collapsed into insolvency in early 1992. BNO701T was one of many vehicles out of service by that time, a victim of major accident damage.
January 1989
Rollei 35 camera
Kodak Ektachrome 100 film.