The Aristocratic Interloper??
In 1989 Viscount Buses was split off from CamBus (centred on Cambridge) which, in turn was split from Eastern Counties. Viscount, with the most insipid of the privatisation liveries, was formed to run the buses in the Peterborough area.
The interloper is also called Viscount, but has its home address in North Yorkshire.
At VISCOUNT Travel, we offer a full range of bus and coach hire services, whether this be a corporate transfer, day trip or for a special occasion.
Our 1956 Open-Top Leyland PD2 is the envy of the wedding & prom scene. A favourite of brides, grooms & students all over Yorkshire. Restored in traditional Red & Cream, this beautiful old lady turns heads wherever she's at.
We can provide schools and colleges in the Scarborough district and Ryedale area with affordable hire services tailored for education purposes such as sports transfers, excursions or regular contracts. We will ensure that your children are transported safely to school and back home.
Early booking is essential, so email us to check availability before it’s too late!
The web site blurb (above in blue) is very optimistic but their current stage carriage operation is somewhat muted.
Regular readers will immediately recognise the 109 as the hotbed of vicious competition along Scarborough sea front. In recent years an agreement between East Yorkshire ...
... and Suncruiser ...
... has brought a measure of sanity to the salubrious seaside of Scarborough.
fbb does not know whether Viscount has become part of the chumminess or is simply adding to the cloggage of an over-abundance of open toppers.
Viscount's USP is its vintage Leyland.
The company has been advertising a full service ...
... matching the other two in frequency for the 2025 season, although what other vehicles have been scheduled, fbb knows not.
A variety of other buses in various liveries has appeared in assorted publicity. fbb wonders whether they have been leased.
But, just a few days from tomorrow (on Monday 8th September 2025), Viscount starts its version of service 128 from Scarborough to Pickering.
The leaflet comes with a rudimentary route map ...
... which seems to add to East Yorkshire's magical mystery tour between West Ayton and the eastern terminus. As only an occasional visitor to the North Thriding, fbb would have preferred a map orientated correctly east west.
The Monday to Friday schedule is lavish, far more so than the incumbent's 128; thus fbb is 100% certain that there simply is NOT the business for the combined frequency.
The Saturday service is more modest ...
Viscount maintains a non working Sabbath. This is, perhaps, odd because Sunday is "trips out" day and there should be demand for jollies to both termini.
Viscount's leaflet includes fares ...
... and tomorrow we shall see East Yorkshire's response as battle lines are drawn in a potential fares war.
We do not yet know what vehicles Viscount will deploy on their X28; but we can be fairly sure they will be significantly inferior to those of the incumbent.
Until then, blog readers may like to speculate on the wisdom of (a) attempting to compete with GoAhead, a national operator with gargantuan resources in comparison with the interloper; and (b) starting to compete as the busy Summer season comes to an end with a consequent reduction in passenger demand.
Pickering Pottiness seems the right phrase to use.
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STOP PRESS
TANK WAGON NEWS
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It should be arriving today for a full review on Saturday
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Next Pickering Pottiness blog : Friday 5 Sept
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