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The company started
in 1916 as Bournemouth & District Motor Services
Ltd and became Hants & Dorset Motor Services
Ltd in 1920. |
The British Automobile
Traction Company, the Tilling Group and the Southern
Railway became joint owners of the company. |
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In 1931 a new bus
station opened in Bournemouth with Hants & Dorset
on the upper level and Elliott Brothers' coaches
on the lower level. |
In 1935 Elliott
Brothers sold out to Tilling, tours passing to Hants
& Dorset, Royal Blue express services to Southern
and Western National. |
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In 1942 the BAT
and Tilling bus companies were split so that Hants
& Dorset became a Tilling company with part
railway ownership. |
When the railways
were nationalised in 1948, Southern's shares passed
to the government. |
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In 1949, Tilling
sold its bus company shares to the government, making
Hants & Dorset a state owned company. Neighbouring
operators taken over at this time included Southern
National, Southern Vectis and Wilts & Dorset. |
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In 1962 the management
of Wilts & Dorset passed to Hants & Dorset.
Any Wilts & Dorset timetables and amendment
leaflets from this period are included here. The
National Bus Company was set up in 1969. |
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In 1971, the Hants
& Dorset and Wilts & Dorset operations were
combined under the Hants & Dorset name. From
1973, timetables were issued separately for the
Basingstoke, Bournemouth & Poole, Salisbury
and Southampton areas. |
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From 1980, timetable
books were replaced by leaflets for local groups
of routes with area operations branded as Antonbus
(Andover), South Hants (Southampton), South Wessex
(Bournemouth & Poole), Venturebus (Basingstoke),
Wiltsway (Salisbury) and Wintonline (Winchester). |
Hants & Dorset
services in the Gosport and Fareham area and Provincial
services were combined under the Provincial brand. |
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On the 1st of April
1983, Hants & Dorset's bus operations were divided
into Hampshire Bus, Provincial and Wilts & Dorset. |
For the period
from the splitting of Hants & Dorset in April
1983 until privatisation, see After
Hants & Dorset. |
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