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In September 2013, Uno began operating a small network of routes between [[Milton Keynes]], [[Bedford]] and [[Flitwick]] for [[Cranfield University]]. <ref>[http://www.unobus.info/service.shtml?serviceid=1997] Uno timetable for route C1</ref>
In September 2013, Uno began operating a small network of routes between [[Milton Keynes]], [[Bedford]] and [[Flitwick]] for [[Cranfield University]]. <ref>[http://www.unobus.info/service.shtml?serviceid=1997] Uno timetable for route C1</ref>

On the 27th of July 2009, a 62 year old man was killed after a UNO bus Collided with his wheelchair, on the A6129.<ref>http://www.whtimes.co.uk/news/man_dies_after_bus_crash_in_welwyn_garden_city_1_22537</ref> The bus driver pleaded
guilty to death by dangerous driving and was subsequently banned.<ref>http://www.whtimes.co.uk/news/bus_driver_banned_for_killing_disabled_hatfield_man_1_354074</ref>

On January 2nd 2013 A UNO bus drove into a lamppost, which injured the driver but none of the passengers.
Police never established the cause of this incident<ref>http://www.whtimes.co.uk/news/no_indication_what_caused_bus_to_crash_into_lamppost_say_police_1_1758560</ref>

On April 13th 2013, a Uno bus collided with a mini cooper. The woman driving the mini cooper was taken to hospital with
knee injuries.<ref>http://www.whtimes.co.uk/news/woman_taken_to_hospital_after_bus_crash_in_hatfield_1_2024201</ref>

On October 1st 2013 A Uno bus operating in Northampton was involved in a collision with a Volkswagen Golf.<ref>http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/crime/bus-crashes-with-car-at-busy-northampton-junction-1-5544142</ref>

On October 21st 2013 an empty Uno bus, returning to the depot, collided with a railway bridge in Harpenden,
the bridge was too low to allow a double-decker bus to pass, resulting in upper deck being torn away, as the
bus passed under the bridge. Nobody was injured as the bus was out of service, but the collision resulted in damage to the railway bridge.<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-24608139</ref><ref>http://www.hertsad.co.uk/news/update_uno_investigation_after_bus_roof_ripped_off_in_harpenden_bridge_smash_1_2909353</ref> The firms General manager, Micheal Finn, promised a full investigation into the incident but didn't report any findings. He does however
maintain that the driver was experienced. The reason for this incident is still unreported.

On October 20th 2014 A Uno bus collided with a Vauxhall Corsa, on St Albans Road near High Barnett. This resulted in the Bus
being overturned before falling sideways to the ground. 45 people were taken to hospital with injury's, many of whom are
believed to be students traveling on the bus. The 40 year old woman driving the Vauxhall Corsa, was also admitted to hospital.
One passenger claimed that the bus "went up a small bank and started tilting, then it toppled over". 8 out of the 45 passengers injured are believed to have head and neck injuries, and one with severe whiplash.<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-29687707</ref><ref>http://www.whtimes.co.uk/news/university_of_hertfordshire_students_feared_to_be_among_injured_in_bus_crash_1_3812989</ref>

A 41 year old man was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving, following the incident, and was released on bail the following day.
It officially unknown that this Man was the driver of the bus, but the driver of the other vehicle was a 40 year old woman, and no
other vehicles were involved in the crash.<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-29701890</ref>



===Previous route changes===
===Previous route changes===

Revision as of 20:20, 22 October 2014

Uno
Uno buses at St Albans in July 2010
ParentUniversity of Hertfordshire
Founded1992
HeadquartersHatfield Business Park
LocaleHertfordshire
London Borough of Barnet
London Borough of Brent
London Borough of Camden
London Borough of Enfield
London Borough of Harrow
Luton
Northampton
Milton Keynes
Bedford
Service areaGreater London
Hertfordshire
Northamptonshire
Service typeBus services
Routes42
HubsHatfield
St Albans
Northampton
Cranfield
Fleet90
Websitewww.unobus.info

Uno[1] (formerly UniversityBus) is a bus service operated by the University of Hertfordshire, serving members of the general public, and also its own students and staff (at a discounted rate). The service was set up in 1992, growing out of a shuttle service previously operated for students at Wall Hall College near Watford connecting them to the other campuses of the University and the Polytechnic (Hatfield) before it.

It provides student transport to the expanding university from local areas as well as improving east-west travel across Hertfordshire and has opened up new links from North London. Services have expanded rapidly as the University has closed outlying sites at Watford and Hertford and developed the new de Havilland Campus on the site of the former Hatfield Aerodrome. Other developments on this site, including business premises for companies such as Veolia, DHL and T-mobile have also provided passengers. Uno also operate urban bus networks in St Albans and Northampton, as well as a network of routes between Milton Keynes, Bedford and Flitwick for Cranfield University.

History

Wright StreetLite at Showbus in September 2012

Uno was set up as an 'arms length' company by the University of Hertfordshire in 1992. It has its own Board of Directors and is expected to run on a fully commercial basis.

In 2005 it was re-branded Uno and the buses were painted in pink and purple, a departure from the previous black and white colour scheme. According to the University's student newspaper Universe, the reason for the re-branding "is to have a name that reflects the wider market the buses serve in the community, basically not just for the inhabitants of the University of Hertfordshire".

Shortly after buying the St Albans operations of Centrebus Holdings, Uno helped to found a voluntary partnership of local authorities, the university and the bus and rail operators serving the city with the aim of co-ordinating and improving public transport across St Albans. The partnership uses powers under the most recent Transport Act as a Quality Network Partnership but will be known publicly as 'Network St Albans'. Uno is now the second largest bus operator in Hertfordshire.

On 20 April 2009 Uno recast many of its services to integrate a number of the former Centrebus routes. Further changes occurred from 28 September 2009, following the opening of the new University Of Hertfordshire Forum. These changes included significant improvements to late evening services and the extension of operating hours until as late as 3:30 am on some routes. The main timetable change each year takes place in September to coincide with the start of the school, college and university academic year.

In September 2012 Uno commenced operating in Northampton, initially taking over routes 18 and 19, both of which serve The University of Northampton. A third service, route 21, began operating in 2013, covering some of Northampton's eastern district and serving Northampton College. [2]

In September 2013, Uno began operating a small network of routes between Milton Keynes, Bedford and Flitwick for Cranfield University. [3]

On the 27th of July 2009, a 62 year old man was killed after a UNO bus Collided with his wheelchair, on the A6129.[4] The bus driver pleaded guilty to death by dangerous driving and was subsequently banned.[5]

On January 2nd 2013 A UNO bus drove into a lamppost, which injured the driver but none of the passengers. Police never established the cause of this incident[6]

On April 13th 2013, a Uno bus collided with a mini cooper. The woman driving the mini cooper was taken to hospital with knee injuries.[7]

On October 1st 2013 A Uno bus operating in Northampton was involved in a collision with a Volkswagen Golf.[8]

On October 21st 2013 an empty Uno bus, returning to the depot, collided with a railway bridge in Harpenden, the bridge was too low to allow a double-decker bus to pass, resulting in upper deck being torn away, as the bus passed under the bridge. Nobody was injured as the bus was out of service, but the collision resulted in damage to the railway bridge.[9][10] The firms General manager, Micheal Finn, promised a full investigation into the incident but didn't report any findings. He does however maintain that the driver was experienced. The reason for this incident is still unreported.

On October 20th 2014 A Uno bus collided with a Vauxhall Corsa, on St Albans Road near High Barnett. This resulted in the Bus being overturned before falling sideways to the ground. 45 people were taken to hospital with injury's, many of whom are believed to be students traveling on the bus. The 40 year old woman driving the Vauxhall Corsa, was also admitted to hospital. One passenger claimed that the bus "went up a small bank and started tilting, then it toppled over". 8 out of the 45 passengers injured are believed to have head and neck injuries, and one with severe whiplash.[11][12]

A 41 year old man was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving, following the incident, and was released on bail the following day. It officially unknown that this Man was the driver of the bus, but the driver of the other vehicle was a 40 year old woman, and no other vehicles were involved in the crash.[13]


Previous route changes

A Mercedes Citaro on service 602 in Hatfield in May 2010

In March 2008 Uno purchased Centrebus's St Albans garage, taking over all Centrebus routes operating from there, including the S St Albans City route network, PB1 (a Potters Bar local route), various routes connecting St Albans with outlying towns and housing estates and a number of schools services provided under contract to Hertfordshire County Council.

In April 2009 several former Centrebus services were intregated into the main network (mainly as services 620 and 621) while a further route (304) provided under contract to Herfordshire County Council was transferred to Arriva Shires & Essex.

In March 2010 some of the smaller local routes around Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City, that only ran a couple of times a day or one day a week, were lost to Sullivan Buses.[14] The evening 620 service contract was also lost to Arriva Shires & Essex. The 694 service, introduced in September 2009 as a park and ride service between College Lane and Stanborough Lakes, was axed.

In September 2011 changes were made to routes 607, 610, 615, 625, 635, 658, 659 (increasing frequency/new services), route 700 (cutting back service as result of 625/635), routes 602, 603, 622, 634, 636 and 712 (general timing changes) and removal of route 641, with assurances that the peak hour connection would be kept on the route 341.[15]

However in January 2012 the peak hour connection was lost from 341, with shortening of some late/early journeys on the 602, 603, 620, 621, 622, 625, 635, 658 and PB1 services (with removal of 604 and 634 outside of peak times and changing all evening 644 buses to run via Barnet via route 614).[16]

Garages and buses

Uno operates from garage purpose built in 2003 in the Hatfield Business Park. Following the takeover of Centrebus' St Albans operations, Uno continued to operate them from the St Albans garage. However, this was subsequently closed and operations consolidated at the Hatfield.

As a result of winning the Northampton University contracts a depot has opened at the Park Campus of the university by September 2012. A similar arrangement also operates at Cranfield University following initiation of services between Milton Keynes and Bedford in September 2013.

Current bus types in use with Uno:[17]

Optare Solo in Hatfield
Single deck
Double deck

Ticketing

A promotional bus advertising the PlusBus ticketing scheme

The company participates in various county-wide ticketing schemes where appropriate, such as Plusbus (discounted combined rail and bus tickets), Intalink Explorer (a ticket allowing unlimited travel around Hertfordshire), discounted travel for children with a Hertfordshire SaverCard.

See also

References

  1. ^ Companies House extract company no 2350502 UniversitybusLimited
  2. ^ News of Bus Service Changes Northamptonshire County Council
  3. ^ [1] Uno timetable for route C1
  4. ^ http://www.whtimes.co.uk/news/man_dies_after_bus_crash_in_welwyn_garden_city_1_22537
  5. ^ http://www.whtimes.co.uk/news/bus_driver_banned_for_killing_disabled_hatfield_man_1_354074
  6. ^ http://www.whtimes.co.uk/news/no_indication_what_caused_bus_to_crash_into_lamppost_say_police_1_1758560
  7. ^ http://www.whtimes.co.uk/news/woman_taken_to_hospital_after_bus_crash_in_hatfield_1_2024201
  8. ^ http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/crime/bus-crashes-with-car-at-busy-northampton-junction-1-5544142
  9. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-24608139
  10. ^ http://www.hertsad.co.uk/news/update_uno_investigation_after_bus_roof_ripped_off_in_harpenden_bridge_smash_1_2909353
  11. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-29687707
  12. ^ http://www.whtimes.co.uk/news/university_of_hertfordshire_students_feared_to_be_among_injured_in_bus_crash_1_3812989
  13. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-29701890
  14. ^ Public Bus services Sullivan Buses
  15. ^ "Timetable changes from 5 September 2011". Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  16. ^ "Timetable changes from 9 Jan 2012". Uno. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  17. ^ "English Majors: Notable Independents 2007" British Bus Publishing
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