Thamesdown Transport

Thamesdown Transport is a bus operator serving the town of Swindon and the surrounding area in the Borough of Swindon and county of Wiltshire.

History

Thamesdown Transport has its origins in 1904, when Swindon Corporation started to operate electric trams. Bus operation started in 1927 and two years later all the trams were replaced.

On local government re-organisation in April 1974, the functions of the corporation were transferred to the new Thamesdown district, and the name of the bus operation was changed to Thamesdown Transport. To comply with the Transport Act 1985, the operation was transferred into a separate legal entity.Swindon Borough Council retains ownership, which makes it one of the few remaining municipal bus companies.

During the 1980s, operations were expanded to rural areas around Swindon, to replace services withdrawn by Alder Valley and Bristol Omnibus Company.

Fares

Thamesdown implemented a fastFare system on 1 August 2005 in which passengers must pay the exact fare as change will not be given by the driver. This has generated some criticism as its implementation often results in passengers paying more than the necessary fare. This can be due to not having the correct change or, more commonly, tourists and visitors being unaware of the policy until after they have deposited money. The reasoning behind the policy is that if the driver does not have to deal with giving change, passenger loading times are shortened, resulting in a faster and more reliable service. It also reduces the risk of attacks on drivers.