Shamrock Buses

Shamrock Buses was a bus operator based in Poole on the south coast of England. It operated many contracted routes in Poole, Bournemouth and the surrounding area. It was formed in 2002 to fund the Bournemouth Passenger Transport Association's museum fleet, but collapsed in July 2011.

History
The company, registered as Dorset Heritage Transport Services Ltd, was set up in 2002 to help create funds for the maintenance and restoration of the Bournemouth Passenger Transport Association (BPTA) museum fleet. The BPTA had previously operated a small number of routes in competition with Yellow Buses between 1993 and 1994, and had cooperated with the company to run a joint heratige operation, Christchurch Buses, which closed in 2000. Its original purpose was to operate contracted services and to use the money generated by those services for the BPTA. The trading name of Shamrock Buses and fleet livery of orange and cream were inspired by Shamrock & Rambler, a coach company based in the Bournemouth area until its closure in 1989. Its fleet initially consisted of four Leyland Fleetlines; these were replaced by newer Leyland Olympians a year later.

Originally operated out of Unit 31 at the Newtown Business Park in Poole, Shamrock gradually expanded and, with a fleet at one time numbering over 40 vehicles, moved to a bigger site at the Holton Heath Trading Park just outside the Poole boundary. In August 2005 the company expanded its school bus operation by taking over five routes from other local operators.

From early 2009, Shamrock Buses invested in buying a few second hand single deck low floor buses for the bus services run on contract to Bournemouth and Poole Borough Councils. These are used on route 8, which the company began operating when Poole-based independent Roadliner collapsed in August 2009.

On 6 July 2011, Shamrock Buses went into bankruptcy. Around forty jobs were lost and five schools left without transport for students. The administrator who closed the company cited high fuel costs and competition as the main reasons for the company's failure. Many of Shamrock's routes were taken over by Wilts & Dorset, which stated its intention to hire around 20 former Shamrock employees, while RATP Yellow Buses accepted school bus passes valid on Shamrock routes on its own services and have taken up running the 111 from 7 July 2011 rather than the takeover date of 25 July 2011. RATP Yellow Buses will also run a handful of School Routes until the end of term.

Former standard services

 * C1/C2: River Way - Christchurch Hospital - Christchurch - Mudeford - Somerford Sainsburys - Highcliffe Castle - Woodhayes Avenue Circular.
 * Previously run by Wilts & Dorset. Operated by Shamrock from 25 May 2009 and replaced by Route 111 from 26 July 2010.


 * 2: Bournemouth - Kinson via Rail Station, Winton, Redhill & Northbourne.
 * Renumbered as Route 22 from September 2009 due to minor route changes including the introduction of Slades Farm to the route.


 * X9: Alderney - Bournemouth via Wallisdown, Bournemouth University, Winton and Bournemouth railway station.
 * Provided a single afternoon return journey for Route 10. This was a school days only service.


 * 10: Bournemouth - Alderney via Talbot Woods, Bournemouth University and Wallisdown.
 * Single journey only. Route X9 provided the return journey. This was a school days only service.


 * 11: Boscombe Pier Circular via Boscombe Bus Station
 * 11: Boscombe Pier - Pokesdown - Littledown Centre
 * 22: Bournemouth - Kinson/West Howe via Rail Station, Winton, Slades Farm, Redhill and Northbourne.
 * 31: Christchurch - Castlepoint via Kings Avenue, Southbourne, Pokesdown, Iford & Bournemouth Hospital
 * 32: Poole - Bournemouth Hospital via Broadstone, Merley, Bear Wood, Kinson & Castlepoint.
 * 32: Throop - Bournemouth Triangle via Charminster, Richmond Hill and Bournemouth Square (Bourne Avenue).
 * 41: Throop - Boscombe Pier via Castlepoint, Queens Park, Rail Station, St Clement's Church & Boscombe Bus Station.
 * 42: Westbourne - Castlepoint via Talbot Woods, Winton, Brassey Road and West Way.
 * Route taken over from Transdev Yellow Buses from July 2007. Passed back to Transdev Yellow Buses as service 20 from 4 May 2010.


 * 111: Hurn - Marlow Drive - Christchurch Hospital - Christchurch - Mudeford - Somerford Sainsburys - Highcliffe

Former school contracts

 * 01: West Moors - Queen Elizabeth's School via Three Legged Cross & Verwood
 * 18: Lytchett Matravers - Lytchett School
 * 23: Queen Anne Drive - Corfe Hills School
 * 24: Sopwith Crescent - Corfe Hills School
 * 25: Rempstone Road - Corfe Hills School
 * 30: Creekmoor - Hillbourne School
 * 31(q): Verwood - Queen Elizabeth's School via Deer Park Cottages
 * 36: Seaview - Bournemouth School for Boys/Girls via Civic Centre, Lower Parkstone, Penn Hill, Branksome, Bourne Valley, Winton & Charminster.
 * 40: Ringwood - Parkstone & Poole Grammars. Limited Stop service via Ebblake, Verwood, Three Legged Cross, West Moors, Ferndown, Stapehill, Canford Bottom & Wimborne.
 * 40a: Horton Heath - Colehill Middle's & Queen Elizabeth's School via Holts Heath, Gaunts Common & Furzehill.
 * X41: Sandbanks - Parkstone Grammar via Lilliput, Penn Hill, Lower Parkstone, Civic Centre & Fleetsbridge.
 * X42: Westbourne - Parkstone Grammar via Branksome, Upper Parkstone, Seaview, Oakdale & Fleetsbridge.
 * 43: Westbourne - Parkstone Grammar via Branksome Chine, Canford Cliffs, Lilliput & Civic Centre.
 * 44: Old Town Poole - Oakdale South Road Middle via Sterte
 * 45: Tuckton Bridge - Portchester & Avonbourne Schools
 * 47: Mountbattern Roundabout - Parkstone Grammar via Wallisdown, Alder Hills, Alderney, Newtown & Canford Heath
 * 50: Bear Wood - Parkstone & Poole Grammar via Merley & Broadstone
 * Extended to serve Poole Grammar from September 2010.


 * 53: Bransgore - Bournemouth School for Boys/Girls
 * 55: Bournemouth Railway Station - Bournemouth School for Boys/Girls via Springbourne, Boscombe, Southbourne, Tuckton Bridge, Fisherman's Walk, Pokesdown & Iford.
 * Replaced routes 53 & 57 from September 2010.


 * 57: Tuckton Bridge - Bournemouth School for Girls
 * 60: West Howe - Bournemouth School for Boys/Girls via Milford-On-Sea, New Milton, Walkford, Highcliffe, Purewell, Christchurch, Fairmile & Iford.
 * 61: Merley - Broadstone Middle & Poole Grammar
 * Served Poole Grammar in the morning only.


 * 62/62A: Colehill/Wimborne - Corfe Hills & Broadstone Middle & Poole Grammar
 * 63: Merley - St Peter's School Iford & Southbourne via Bear Wood, West Howe, Ensbury Park, Moordown & Castlepoint
 * Modified from September 2010 to cover part of Route 67p.


 * 64: Mountbattern Roundabout - St Peter's School Iford & Southbourne via West Howe, Wallisdown, Winton, Charminster, Springbourne, Boscombe & Pokesdown.
 * Modified from September 2010 to cover part of Route 67p.


 * 65: Canford Bottom - Poole & Parkstone Grammar via Colehill, Wimborne & Merley
 * Started September 2010.


 * 66: Bear Cross - St Peter's School Iford & Southbourne via Kinson, East Howe, Redhill & West Way.
 * 67(p): Oakley Hill - St Peter's School Iford & Southbourne
 * 67(q): Verwood - Queen Elizabeth's School
 * 68: Verwood - Queen Elizabeth's School
 * 74: Northbourne - Kinson Primary & Elmrise Schools - Northbourne
 * 76: St Leonards - St Peters School Iford & Southbourne via Three Legged Cross, West Moors, Ferndown, Parley Cross & Hurn.
 * 78: Moordown - Avonbourne School via Muscliffe, Throop & Charminster
 * 80: Alum Chine - Avonbourne & Portchester Schools via Westbourne, Square, Bournemouth Station & Springbourne
 * 83: Tuckton Bridge - Avonbourne School#
 * 88: Christchurch - Bournemouth School for Boys/Girls (added in September 2010)
 * 89: Lymington - Bournemouth School for Boys/Girls

Tesco Riverside Avenue, Bournemouth

 * T1: Bournemouth Square (Bourne Avenue) - Tesco via Rail Station, Boscombe, Southbourne, Tuckton Bridge, Jumpers Corner. Operates on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays only.
 * T2: Highcliffe - Tesco via Hinton Admiral, Mudeford, Christchurch, Christchurch Hospital and Jumpers Corner. Operates on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays only.

Tesco Spinneys Lane, Ferndown

 * T1: Ringwood - Tesco via Three Legged Cross & West Moors. Operates on Tuesdays only.
 * T2: Merley - Tesco via Wimborne & Stapehill. Operates on Wednesdays only.
 * T3: Ringwood - Tesco via Poulner, Verwood, Three Legged Cross & Woolsbridge. Operates on Tuesdays only.
 * T4: Ensbury Park - Tesco via Wallisdown, Mountbattern Arms, Moore Avenue, Knights Road, Kinson & Glenmoor Road. Operates on Thursdays & Fridays only.