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 A Yorkshire RiderMCW Metrobus inLeeds in August 1993 | |
| Founded | September 1986; 38 years ago (1986-09) |
|---|---|
| Ceased operation | September 1995; 29 years ago (1995-09) |
| Headquarters | Leeds |
| Service area | West Yorkshire |
Yorkshire Rider was a bus company operating inWest Yorkshire, England. The company was formed in 1986 out of the bus operations of theWest Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive. It was later bought by theBadgerline Group, who later became theFirstGroup, and the company trades today asFirst West Yorkshire.
To comply with theTransport Act 1985, theWest Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive formed an arms length company named Yorkshire Rider in September 1986.[1][2] West Yorkshire PTE's 'Metrobus' services were transferred to Yorkshire Rider upon thederegulation of West Yorkshire bus services on 26 October 1986.[3]
On 21 October 1988, Yorkshire Rider was privatised for £20 million (equivalent to £74,021,000 in 2023). 51% of shares in the company were sold by West Yorkshire PTE to a team of eight managers in amanagement buyout, while the remaining 49% were sold to Yorkshire Rider's 3,500 employees in anEmployee Share Ownership Plan, the largest such arrangement in the United Kingdom at the time.[4][5]
After having previously been denied permission to purchase the formerNational Bus Company subsidiary upon its privatisation in 1987,[6] Yorkshire Rider purchased the operations of theWest Yorkshire Road Car Company from theAJS Group in July 1989,[7][8][9] briefly maintaining West Yorkshire as a separate brand of Yorkshire Rider's operations before largely dissolving West Yorkshire amid cost-cutting measures in April 1990, resulting in 89 job losses and 26 buses being withdrawn from the fleet.[10] Yorkshire Rider was also awarded a contract to operate the proposedBradford trolleybus system in 1989,[11] although ultimately, the project was cancelled.[citation needed] Yorkshire Rider later completed its purchase of the remaining AJS Group bus companies in August 1990, purchasingYork bus operators Target Travel and York City & District as well as independent operator Reynard Buses,[12] merging the operations of these companies to form the subsidiary companyRider York.
On 15 April 1994, Yorkshire Rider was purchased by theBadgerline Group for £38 million (equivalent to £95,467,000 in 2023),[13][14] Initially, Badgerline's bid for Yorkshire Rider in late March was strongly opposed by the company's employee shareholding workforce, who had been promised full control of their company under arefinancing agreement with Yorkshire Rider's three executive directors.[15][16] A rival buyout bid was planned by Yorkshire Rider's employees with support from theTransport and General Workers Union,[17] however 93% of Rider's employee shareholders eventually voted in favour of the sale to Badgerline.[14]
Yorkshire Rider was included in the merger of Badgerline with theGRT Group on 16 June 1995 to formFirstBus, later renamed to FirstGroup.[18][19] Three months later in September 1995, however, Yorkshire Rider was made defunct by FirstBus and split into separate divisions:[20][better source needed]
In February 1998, these were all renamed to First Bradford, First Calderdale, First Huddersfield and First Leeds respectively as part of a rollout of the FirstBus brand to the company's subsidiaries across the United Kingdom.[22] Today, these operate underFirst West Yorkshire, with Rider York also rebranded toFirst York.
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The company's central engineering works inKirkstall, as well as a bus depot inHeadingley, were both closed for redevelopment in July 1992.[23] An arson attack at the company's Torre Road depot inBurmantofts caused £2 million (equivalent to £4,856,000 in 2023) in fire damage, which included the destruction of thirteen double-decker buses stored at the depot overnight.[24][25] Torre Road depot was closed by Leeds City Link a year later, replaced by a £1.5 million (equivalent to £3,556,000 in 2023) new depot a short distance away on Cherry Row.[26]
The Yorkshire Rider Social Club still exists in Leeds but no longer has a formal connection with any bus operator and does not receive any financial subsidy. It is one of the few remaining buildings where the Yorkshire Rider logo is still on display.[27]
Media related toYorkshire Rider (bus company) at Wikimedia Commons
