Optional Bus

[westyorkshirebus]

Does anyone remember Optional Bus in Leeds, they operated about 15 years ago.

They operated mainly Leyland Atlanteans & Leyland Nationals on various routes before selling out to First Leeds.

They used the green London & Country livery, which was an excellent livery in my opinion.

[A1YBG]

They also had vrs too and ran a short lived 794 holt park to leeds via cookridge, tinshill, kirkstall.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using proboards

[Steve Macz403]

I do remember optional bus they ran the 44A . Think it ran. Pudsey -farsley - Bramley - Leeds - st James - harehills - Oakwood - whinmoor - crossgates. London and country livery, were they absorbed by first Leeds quickstep.

[Craig]

Did they sell out to First? First competed directly on some routes and so when Optional quit running First were left with their own services, which of course were subsequently reorganised or dropped.

Optional's first route was the 66B to Leysholme which had been dropped by First. This was later extended to Brackenwood via St James' Hospital. Further routes then followed which mostly followed new routes rather than competing directly with existing services. Eventually after Optional finished Black Prince took on the Leysholme service, First got it back when BP finished and now it has once again passed on, this time to Centrebus.

[tinrocket]

I remember there being a lot of sympathy for Optional Bus around the time First stepped up competition on the 44A with the 85 which ran virtually the same route. A few letters in the YEP accusing First of trying to run them off the road! I think the 85 was eventually dropped in the wholesale "Overground" changes of 2000.

I think there was also a 17A/x17 and a 44C (Leeds - Farsley Gardens). Nowadays I think there's only one bus to The Gardens which is interesting (given First's 15 and 44B) as it was once a hotbed of competition!

[Craig]

First competed with the fast Rodley services of Optional Bus (I think the X17). First Bradford buses arriving into Leeds on the 670 worked a 70 service to and from Rodley then went back on to the 670.

I'm sure the 17A went to Coldcotes Circus but I can't remember its route in East Leeds. I think First competed with a 16C service if I remember rightly.

The only remnant of a service to Farsley The Gardens is the routing of Centrebus' Ring Road 8 service on nearby Richmond Road. Calverley Lane in Intake still has the 508 running along it, this is as a result of Optional Bus introducing the 44A along this road for the first time and since then the service has continued.

I'm not sure if there were any other routes or competing routes (the brief fling on the 794 has already been mentioned above).

It was a similar picture when Quickstep and First competing though of course in that case Quickstep did sell on to First and that operating name was continued for a long time.

[A1YBG]

Mar 14, 2013 19:31:28 GMT 1 Craig said:

I'm not sure if there were any other routes or competing routes (the brief fling on the 794 has already been mentioned above).
.

First came out fighting the 794 with short workings from leeds eastgate to queenswood drive not sure if it was a 94 or a 73 at that time. It was deffo a 2 digit nunber. The dash dart was always in use.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using proboards

[MT]

Optional Bus were offered a reasonable sum to sell to First, which they accepted to avoid facing increased competition on routes, and meant the business could focus more on the coach/private hire side of things (J&B Travel / Hunters Coaches). First never really began competing before the sale was made.

I think using the London & Country livery was a good choice though, as it looked smart. Was kind of a shame when the Atlanteans were painted white after sale