BMC 1100FE School Bus  

68507/20/34/49/59

Working in partnership with local authorities, FirstGroup introduced a network of dedicated Yellow School Bus services across several of its UK operating companies. The concept was inspired by the highly successful American school bus system, where dedicated yellow buses have long provided a safe and reliable means of transporting children to and from school. In contrast, traditional school transport in the UK had often relied on ageing coaches and double-deck buses that were nearing the end of their operational lives. FirstGroup's experience in North America played a major role in bringing the concept to Britain. Through its subsidiary, First Student, the company became the second-largest school bus operator in North America, carrying around one million students each day on more than 15,000 buses across 32 states and provinces in the United States and Canada. The first UK Yellow School Bus operations began in February 2002 at Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire and in Runnymede, Surrey. The scheme proved successful and was subsequently expanded to other FirstGroup companies, including First Aberdeen, First Berkshire and First Midland Red. The Yellow School Buses used by First Midland Red were built by BMC Sanayi ve Ticaret, one of Turkey's largest commercial vehicle manufacturers. Established in 1964, the company operates from a factory near Izmir and manufactures a wide range of commercial vehicles, including trucks, light commercial vehicles, buses and diesel engines. BMC originally began as a partnership with the British Motor Corporation—hence the company's name—producing Austin and Morris commercial vehicles under licence before expanding into its own range of commercial vehicles, agricultural tractors and engines. The buses supplied to the UK were imported by BMC (UK) Ltd, based in Coventry. The vehicles measured 10.7 metres in length and featured corrosion-resistant stainless-steel bodywork. Designed specifically for school transport, they seated up to 70 children in a high-capacity 3+2 seating arrangement. One of the vehicles, LK54 FNL, did not carry fleetnames or external fleet numbers, although within the FirstGroup fleet it was allocated number 68534. The bus had originally been held in store by FirstGroup at the Bolton depot of First Manchester before being transferred to Evesham in April 2005 as a temporary replacement for vehicle 68549, which was then awaiting modification at Worcester to provide wheelchair access. The proposed alterations involved creating a wheelchair space by reducing seating capacity by five seats. However, the modifications were never carried out and 68549 eventually entered service at Evesham in its original configuration. Vehicle 68534 later transferred to First Essex, where it continued in service. In September 2007, vehicle 68549 was withdrawn and replaced by similar bus 68520, transferred from elsewhere within the FirstGroup fleet. The remaining two Yellow School Buses allocated to Worcester were employed on closed-door school contracts serving Pershore High School. They remained in regular use until July 2019, when the vehicles were finally withdrawn, bringing to an end First Midland Red's involvement with the Yellow School Bus programme.