Fwd: Poynters Coaches 1972-2017

[Derek Jones]

The Club's own comprehensive coverage of independent operators generally didn't get going until 1975 (though the few bus operators before 1980 such as Drews and Denis Hire Cars did get occasional coverage), but fortunately there are still surviving published records of fleet (and operator) changes for the period from about 1957 (I'm not sure exactly how far back these go but may have been slightly earlier) in the form of PSV Circle monthly news-sheets.

These show that Poynter's first vehicle was former East Kent Ford 570E/Harrington TJG 440 which was first licensed in 11/72, and further vehicles (mainly Fords, with Bedfords a little later) followed.

Local service operation began on a small scale before de-regulation, in January 1983, when route 813 (then running only between Mersham and Folkestone) was taken over from Johnson (Crosskeys Coaches), Stanford, using one of a pair of Ford Transit minibuses, CBM 301/2T.

Over the next ten or so years the portfolio grew to cover routes 525/6, 558/9, 620, 638 and 667 group, and briefly Ashford-Park Farm town service 508, though not all simultaneously. Of these, 620 and 667 were the last survivors, before KCC awarded the contract to Regent (intended to have been from 3rd September 2017, but in practice Poynters ceased trading so the transfer happened a couple of weeks earlier). 

Vehicles used on bus routes started with coaches then moved on to Alexander-bodied Leopards, Leyland-Nationals in Mk1 and Mk2 form, then Leyland Lynx buses before the more recent Volvo B10B and Scania OmniCity types.

One of the early coaches, YUJ 706K, was a Ford R192 with Duple "Viceroy Express" bodywork - therefore folding doors - acquired in 3/86 but withdrawn about a year later, and is seen here on the 525 turning into Frith Road, Aldington in the autumn of 1986, just a few weeks after Deregulation day. 

Derek J

[Pbovenden]

Thanks Derek.
Both John Poynter and Dave Farmer (who set up Kent Coach Tours) worked for and then with Les Browne of Brownes Coaches. The big operator in Ashford then was Swinards. So Poynters and KCT began around the same time. Of all these only KCT remains.
Barry

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[Neil Gow]

I caught one of their ex Scottish Bus Group Alexander Y types on the 559 in December 1989, but in fact it was on a Bedford chassis: JSS 202V.

Neil.

[Group_owner]

Sorry, Neil, but I think you will find that JSS 202V was a Town & Around vehicle (Miller, Folkestone), not Poynters, and was a Ford, not a Bedford!

Town & Around also had a spell on 558/559 (as did Westbus from 1990) - Poynter did not take it up until October 1993, after Westbus withdrew from all their KCC contracts.

Derek J

[Neil Gow]

I stand corrected - on both counts! I only noted the vehuicle, not the operator, at the time.
Thanks, Neil.