McKindless
Encyclopedia
McKindless was a Scottish bus operator, operating a number of bus routes throughout Greater Glasgow
. The company was based in Newmains
, Wishaw
, but also owned a depot in Parkhead
.
These service were operated with ex-Highland Scottish
front-engined Ford R1114s and Leyland National
s. In 1994 the routes and buses were bought by Kelvin Central Buses
.
From 1996 Mckindless started a commuter shuttle between Wishaw and Glasgow. and restarted the original routes, and started services to Cleland and Lanark from 1997.
In 2000, the company expanded again by opening a depot in Parkhead, and started operating route with Glasgow city centre - Bishopbriggs - Kirkintilloch. By 2005 they had opened a new purpose-built depot in Parkhead and started route 62. The 62 route became their best route being very busy and operated by low floor vehicles.
From 18 October 2010, a shadow of the former giant returned, as JMB Travel to operate route 41 between Lanark and Hamilton every 15 minutes using eight ex-London, low floor Dennis Dart vehicles. From 9th December 2010, JMB Travel will operate service 56 between Shotts and Hamilton from 9th December 2011. JMB Travel also operate some school contracts on behalf of SPT and also do some Priviate Hire work.
Another company related to McKindless are P & C Coaches who operate Priviate Hire work. From 11th May 2011, P & C Coaches started to operate local bus services trading under 'The £ Bus' name. Service 6 operates two return journeys between Waterloo and Hamilton to get the buses to Hamilton for local service 26 between Hamilton and Fairhill which operates every 20 minutes. They use two low floor, Dennis Dart vehicles on these services.
telling former employees that the company had not paid tax or national insurance contributions on their behalf since 2004. Company employees Peter McKenna and Jennifer McKindless were charged with defrauding HM Revenue & Customs of £113,467 between 2002 and 2004, and are due to face trial in late April 2010.
Newmains
and Leyland Olympian
double deckers and various single deckers such as Dennis Darts, Volvo B6
s and Optare Excels.
In late 2006 the company bought its first new vehicles: two BMC Falcons and a King Long
single-decker. Their three express services were run with Volvo B10M
and Dennis Javelin
coaches. Two older vehicles, a Bristol Lodekka and an AEC Routemaster, were preserved by the company. McKindless had also bought ex-Hutchison Optare Excels to use on local routes in Wishaw, still in the livery of their previous. In July 2009, McKindless loaned an Alexander Dennis Enviro400 double-decker for demonstration purposes.
Steady investment resulted in the operator providing 100% low-floor vehicles on their local service routes in Lanarkshire since 2007, while operations in Glasgow were nearly 100% low floor by 2009.
Greater Glasgow
Greater Glasgow is an urban settlement in Scotland consisting of all localities which are physically attached to the city of Glasgow, forming with it a single contiguous urban area...
. The company was based in Newmains
Newmains
-External links:* *...
, Wishaw
Wishaw
Wishaw is a large town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is on the edge of the Clyde Valley, 15 miles south-east of Glasgow....
, but also owned a depot in Parkhead
Parkhead
Parkhead is a district in the East End of Glasgow. Its name comes from a small weaving hamlet at the meeting place of the Great Eastern Road and Westmuir Street. Duke Street and Springfield Road also meet there, to form a turreted Edwardian five-way junction at Parkhead Cross...
.
History
McKindless was founded in Newmains by Vincent and Margaret McKindless. It started as a small operation of a few buses, a lorry and 2 coaches in 1987. Its aim was to provide school contracts and private hires, but it quickly moved into local bus operation. The first routes operated were:- 68 West Crindledyke - HamiltonHamilton, South LanarkshireHamilton is a town in South Lanarkshire, in the west-central Lowlands of Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It is the fifth-biggest town in Scotland after Paisley, East Kilbride, Livingston and Cumbernauld...
- 61 BonkleBonkleBonkle is a village three miles north-west of Wishaw in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Murdostoun Castle is located nearby.- External links :* *...
- NewarthillNewarthillNewarthill is a village in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, situated roughly three miles north-west of the town of Motherwell. It has a population of around 7,800. The Member of Parliament for the local area is Pamela Nash. The Member of the Scottish Parliament for the local area is Michael McMahon... - 66 BonkleBonkleBonkle is a village three miles north-west of Wishaw in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Murdostoun Castle is located nearby.- External links :* *...
- HamiltonHamilton, South LanarkshireHamilton is a town in South Lanarkshire, in the west-central Lowlands of Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It is the fifth-biggest town in Scotland after Paisley, East Kilbride, Livingston and Cumbernauld... - 56 ShottsShottsShotts is a small rural town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located almost halfway between Glasgow and Edinburgh . As of the 2001 census, the population was 8,235...
- HamiltonHamilton, South LanarkshireHamilton is a town in South Lanarkshire, in the west-central Lowlands of Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It is the fifth-biggest town in Scotland after Paisley, East Kilbride, Livingston and Cumbernauld...
These service were operated with ex-Highland Scottish
Highland Scottish
Highland Scottish Omnibuses Ltd was formed as a bus operating subsidiary of the Scottish Transport Group in June 1985 from Highland Omnibuses Ltd, and operated until October 1995 when the company was split into two - Highland Bus & Coach and Highland Country Buses...
front-engined Ford R1114s and Leyland National
Leyland National
The Leyland National is a British single-deck bus built in large quantities between 1972 and 1985. It was developed as a joint project between two UK nationalised industries - the National Bus Company and British Leyland. Buses were constructed at a specially built factory at the Lillyhall...
s. In 1994 the routes and buses were bought by Kelvin Central Buses
Kelvin Central Buses
Kelvin Central Buses Ltd was a bus operating subsidiary of the Scottish Bus Group formed in July 1989 from the merger of Kelvin Scottish and Central Scottish in preparation for privatisation, and operated until July 1998 when it became First Glasgow Ltd....
.
From 1996 Mckindless started a commuter shuttle between Wishaw and Glasgow. and restarted the original routes, and started services to Cleland and Lanark from 1997.
In 2000, the company expanded again by opening a depot in Parkhead, and started operating route with Glasgow city centre - Bishopbriggs - Kirkintilloch. By 2005 they had opened a new purpose-built depot in Parkhead and started route 62. The 62 route became their best route being very busy and operated by low floor vehicles.
From 18 October 2010, a shadow of the former giant returned, as JMB Travel to operate route 41 between Lanark and Hamilton every 15 minutes using eight ex-London, low floor Dennis Dart vehicles. From 9th December 2010, JMB Travel will operate service 56 between Shotts and Hamilton from 9th December 2011. JMB Travel also operate some school contracts on behalf of SPT and also do some Priviate Hire work.
Another company related to McKindless are P & C Coaches who operate Priviate Hire work. From 11th May 2011, P & C Coaches started to operate local bus services trading under 'The £ Bus' name. Service 6 operates two return journeys between Waterloo and Hamilton to get the buses to Hamilton for local service 26 between Hamilton and Fairhill which operates every 20 minutes. They use two low floor, Dennis Dart vehicles on these services.
Collapse
The company ceased operation of its services at 1900 hours on Friday 19 February, 2010. Many employees were not notified that the company was about to close, only discovering this when their shifts ended. The end of the company left 116 people unemployed. There were also allegations of tax fraud, with the Inland RevenueInland Revenue
The Inland Revenue was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation tax, petroleum revenue tax and stamp duty...
telling former employees that the company had not paid tax or national insurance contributions on their behalf since 2004. Company employees Peter McKenna and Jennifer McKindless were charged with defrauding HM Revenue & Customs of £113,467 between 2002 and 2004, and are due to face trial in late April 2010.
Former Services
Parkhead- 62: GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
- ClydebankClydebankClydebank is a town in West Dunbartonshire, in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, Clydebank borders Dumbarton, the town with which it was combined to form West Dunbartonshire, as well as the town of Milngavie in East Dunbartonshire, and the Yoker and...
- FaifleyFaifleyFaifley is a large council estate forming part of the town of Clydebank, Scotland, adjoining the former village of Hardgate, with a population of approximately 5,000.... - 67: GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
- RutherglenRutherglenRutherglen is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. In 1975, it lost its own local council and administratively became a component of the City of Glasgow. In 1996 Rutherglen was reallocated to the South Lanarkshire council area.-History:...
- CambuslangCambuslangCambuslang is a suburban town on the south-eastern outskirts of Glasgow, Scotland. It is within the local authority area of South Lanarkshire. Historically, it was a large rural Parish incorporating nearby hamlets of Newton, Flemington, and Halfway. It is known as "the largest village in...
- Blantyre - HamiltonHamilton, South LanarkshireHamilton is a town in South Lanarkshire, in the west-central Lowlands of Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It is the fifth-biggest town in Scotland after Paisley, East Kilbride, Livingston and Cumbernauld... - 75: MiltonMilton, GlasgowMilton is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated north of the River Clyde.Building on Milton in Glasgow started in the late 1940s as part of a general post-war construction programme by Glasgow Corporation to deal with the housing shortage and slum clearances.The housing scheme...
- GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands... - 80 GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
- SpringburnSpringburnSpringburn is an inner city district in the north of the Scottish city of Glasgow, home to various working and middle-class households.Springburn developed from a small rural hamlet at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Its industrial expansion began with the establishment of a chemical...
- KirkintillochKirkintillochKirkintilloch is a town and former burgh in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It lies on the Forth and Clyde Canal, about eight miles northeast of central Glasgow...
- Harestanes
Newmains
- 6: Motherwell - North Motherwell (Motherwell Local)
- 9 : HamiltonHamilton, South LanarkshireHamilton is a town in South Lanarkshire, in the west-central Lowlands of Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It is the fifth-biggest town in Scotland after Paisley, East Kilbride, Livingston and Cumbernauld...
or North Motherwell - MotherwellMotherwellMotherwell is a town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, south east of Glasgow. The name "Moderwelt" appears on a map of Lanarkshire made by Timothy Pont some time between 1583 and 1611 and printed in the Netherlands in around 1652, although the settlement was probably little more...
- WishawWishawWishaw is a large town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is on the edge of the Clyde Valley, 15 miles south-east of Glasgow....
- ClelandCleland, North LanarkshireCleland is a small village near Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland - see . The two nearest towns are Wishaw and Motherwell. The village has a strong mining heritage and is a typical example of a working class village in North Lanarkshire and the Glasgow area... - 21/X21: Lanark - East Kilbride
- 22: Coltness - Overtown
- 24: Wishaw/Coltness Circular
- 31: HamiltonHamilton, South LanarkshireHamilton is a town in South Lanarkshire, in the west-central Lowlands of Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It is the fifth-biggest town in Scotland after Paisley, East Kilbride, Livingston and Cumbernauld...
- LarkhallLarkhallLarkhall is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland and is around southeast of Glasgow. It is twinned with Seclin in northern France.Larkhall sits on high ground between the River Clyde to the East and the Avon Water to the West...
- LanarkLanarkLanark is a small town in the central belt of Scotland. Its population of 8,253 makes it the 100th largest settlement in Scotland. The name is believed to come from the Cumbric Lanerc meaning "clear space, glade".... - 41: HamiltonHamilton, South LanarkshireHamilton is a town in South Lanarkshire, in the west-central Lowlands of Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It is the fifth-biggest town in Scotland after Paisley, East Kilbride, Livingston and Cumbernauld...
- WishawWishawWishaw is a large town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is on the edge of the Clyde Valley, 15 miles south-east of Glasgow....
- LanarkLanarkLanark is a small town in the central belt of Scotland. Its population of 8,253 makes it the 100th largest settlement in Scotland. The name is believed to come from the Cumbric Lanerc meaning "clear space, glade".... - 44: Wishaw - Bellshill via Cleland
- 56: HamiltonHamilton, South LanarkshireHamilton is a town in South Lanarkshire, in the west-central Lowlands of Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It is the fifth-biggest town in Scotland after Paisley, East Kilbride, Livingston and Cumbernauld...
- WishawWishawWishaw is a large town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is on the edge of the Clyde Valley, 15 miles south-east of Glasgow....
- ShottsShottsShotts is a small rural town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located almost halfway between Glasgow and Edinburgh . As of the 2001 census, the population was 8,235... - 68: NewmainsNewmains-External links:* *...
- HamiltonHamilton, South LanarkshireHamilton is a town in South Lanarkshire, in the west-central Lowlands of Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It is the fifth-biggest town in Scotland after Paisley, East Kilbride, Livingston and Cumbernauld... - 93: Cleland - Forgewood
- X1: GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
- West Crinkldyke - X2: GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
- ClelandCleland, North LanarkshireCleland is a small village near Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland - see . The two nearest towns are Wishaw and Motherwell. The village has a strong mining heritage and is a typical example of a working class village in North Lanarkshire and the Glasgow area...
Former Fleet
When it closed McKindless owned 110 vehicles comprising a large number of makes and models. They operated six regular frequency routes with a peak vehicle requirement of 65. Recent additions included several Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 Darts with Euro 4 low emission engines. Other vehicle types used include MCW MetrobusMCW Metrobus
The MCW Metrobus is a double decker bus model manufactured by MCW from 1977 until 1989, with over 4,000 examples built. The original MkI model was superseded by the MkII model in 1981/1982, although production of the original MkI continued for London Transport until 1985...
and Leyland Olympian
Leyland Olympian
The Leyland Olympian was a double-decker bus built by British Leyland/Leyland Bus in the United Kingdom from 1980 to 1993. It was the last Leyland bus model in production before the demise of Leyland Bus.-Construction:...
double deckers and various single deckers such as Dennis Darts, Volvo B6
Volvo B6
The Volvo B6 is a midibus manufactured by Volvo between 1991 and 2000. Its low-floor variant, the Volvo B6LE, was first built in 1994.The Volvo B6/B6LE chassis was built to compete with the Dennis Dart/Dart SLF chassis. It could be fitted with Volvo TD63E/TD63ES engine...
s and Optare Excels.
In late 2006 the company bought its first new vehicles: two BMC Falcons and a King Long
King Long
King Long United Automotive Industry Co., Ltd or commonly known as King Long is a bus manufacturing company in Xiamen, Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It was founded in December 1988. Mainly focused on developing, manufacturing and selling large-and-medium-sized luxury buses and...
single-decker. Their three express services were run with Volvo B10M
Volvo B10M
The Volvo B10M is a popular mid-engined bus and coach chassis built by Volvo between 1978 and 2001. It was built as the successor of the B58 and was equipped with a 9.6-litre horizontally-mounted Volvo THD100/THD101/THD102/THD103/THD104/DH10A diesel engine mounted under the floor, near the middle...
and Dennis Javelin
Dennis Javelin
The Dennis Javelin is an underfloor-engined bus and coach chassis originally built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. It was unveiled in 1986 and acted more or less as a modern replacement for the discontinued Bedford Y-series...
coaches. Two older vehicles, a Bristol Lodekka and an AEC Routemaster, were preserved by the company. McKindless had also bought ex-Hutchison Optare Excels to use on local routes in Wishaw, still in the livery of their previous. In July 2009, McKindless loaned an Alexander Dennis Enviro400 double-decker for demonstration purposes.
Steady investment resulted in the operator providing 100% low-floor vehicles on their local service routes in Lanarkshire since 2007, while operations in Glasgow were nearly 100% low floor by 2009.