Quantock Motor Services

Quantock Motor Services is a privately owned company based in Bishops Lydeard, Somerset, England. that operates a small number of bus services around Minehead and Taunton under contract to Somerset County Council, and one commercial route and rural tourist bus services around Exmoor. Much of its work is coach trips as well as private hire and school contracts. The company also operates a substantial heritage fleet on its bus route 400 and for private hire and on its crew-operated route 400.

History
Rexquote, a transport engineering business at Bishops Lydeard, operated a fleet of old buses under the name of Rexquote Heritage. As well as private hire, some regular circular tourist routes were advertised. One such was between Weston-super-Mare, Sand Bay and nearby tourist attractions in the summer of 2000. In 2002 the Exmoor Explorer circular service was started from Minehead.

Rexquote established a new Quantock Motor Services operation in 2001. It was initially based in Ilfracombe, Devon, with three vehicles to operate schools contracts and a service from Combe Martin to Barnstaple.

Routes
As of June 2013 the following services are operated:
 * 9A Taunton - Bishops Lydeard
 * 10 Taunton - Langley Marsh
 * 39 Minehead - Porlock Weir
 * 300 Minehead - Lynmouth
 * 300X Taunton - Minehead - Lynmouth - Ilfracombe
 * 354 Taunton - Fitzhead
 * 564 Minehead - Luxborough
 * 623 Wellington - Bridgwater College
 * 632 Taunton - Martock

Service 300
The 'Exmoor Coastal Link' appeared in April 2008 in the Daily Telegraph list of the 20 best bus routes in England for over 60s to use free their bus passes. In 2010 it featured on a local BBC programme that featured "great South West journeys".

The regular vehicle for many years was Y55RDV, a double-deck Scania N94UD with purpose-built part-open East Lancashire body. After the 2012 season this was sold and in 2013 the route regular became a single-deck Volvo B10M with newly-converted part-open Alexander PS body.

Service 400
Until 2011 the service 400 'Exmoor Explorer' operated a circular tour from Minehead to Dunster, Timberscombe, Wheddon Cross, Exford and Porlock. Operated by heritage open top buses, it only ran on seleceted days during the summer but was withdrawn after Somerset County Council funding was withdrawn. It had been a recommended route in Scenic Britain by Bus.

Depots
During 2010 the bus fleet was moved from a depot at Taunton Trading Estate near Norton Fitzwarren (51.027°N, -3.1394°W), to a facility at The Old Coal Yard, Broadgauge Business Park, Bishops Lydeard, next door to Bishops Lydeard railway station on the heritage West Somerset Railway (51.0544°N, -3.1938°W). Heritage vehicles undergoing restoration are at an outstation in Langley Marsh, Wiveliscombe (51.0545°N, -3.3236°W).

Fleet
Quantock Motor Services operate 15 modern vehicles painted in a red livery. A new Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 was purchased in 2010 for new contracts.

Heritage vehicles
A number of older vehicles are operated by Quantock Motor Services, although not all are licenced for paid operations.