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44540 | YX13AHP | 37 to Warley Eagle Way, 342 | MX61BCE | 31 to Brentwood Station | Brentwood High Street
First Essex Enviro 200 44540 (YX13AHP) leads NIBSBuses Wright Streetlite WF 342 (MX61BCE) towards Brentwood Station - and ultimately Eagle Way for the Enviro 200 - on Routes 37 and 31 respectively, both on their way from Bishops Hall Estate, on the north side of Brentwood on Tuesday 1st September 2020.
First Essex have been trading on this corridor for many years (unless anyone knows any different, I am pretty sure this has been since privatisation, through the Thamesway era, etc), and was the sole provider until around 2015/16? At this time, Ensignbus introduced a competing 31 service. Since then, in 2019, NIBSBuses have taken over Ensign's Brentwood town services (the 21 to Ongar, 31 to Bishops Hall Estate and 81 to Hutton). Hence, local Essex independent NIBSBuses and First Essex have now been in a 'bus war' along this corridor for a few years now, with First Essex deciding to apply this feeble attempt at branding and each company consecutively timing their buses 5 minutes in front of the other (each service is every 20 minutes)! It appears most residents favour the independent offering, as I have heard of better service, friendlier drivers, and cleaner buses. It is yet to be seen if one will drive the other away from the service...
44540 | YX13AHP | 37 to Warley Eagle Way, 342 | MX61BCE | 31 to Brentwood Station | Brentwood High Street
First Essex Enviro 200 44540 (YX13AHP) leads NIBSBuses Wright Streetlite WF 342 (MX61BCE) towards Brentwood Station - and ultimately Eagle Way for the Enviro 200 - on Routes 37 and 31 respectively, both on their way from Bishops Hall Estate, on the north side of Brentwood on Tuesday 1st September 2020.
First Essex have been trading on this corridor for many years (unless anyone knows any different, I am pretty sure this has been since privatisation, through the Thamesway era, etc), and was the sole provider until around 2015/16? At this time, Ensignbus introduced a competing 31 service. Since then, in 2019, NIBSBuses have taken over Ensign's Brentwood town services (the 21 to Ongar, 31 to Bishops Hall Estate and 81 to Hutton). Hence, local Essex independent NIBSBuses and First Essex have now been in a 'bus war' along this corridor for a few years now, with First Essex deciding to apply this feeble attempt at branding and each company consecutively timing their buses 5 minutes in front of the other (each service is every 20 minutes)! It appears most residents favour the independent offering, as I have heard of better service, friendlier drivers, and cleaner buses. It is yet to be seen if one will drive the other away from the service...