40 years of Bus Business – October 1986

Saturday 24th October 2026 Deregulation anticipation was reaching fever pitch as the 10th edition of Bus Business dated 22nd October 1986 landed on transport managers’ desks 40 years ago and, as a foretaste of what was to come, the page one headline story was all about the infamous “Glasgow Bus Battle” which was already underway. Other front page stories relaid the latest on NBC’s privatisation and news of the PTA’s free travel offer in West Yorkshire. Read on for more reminiscences straight from the pages of that issue and look out for a Deregulation 40th Anniversary Blog Extra tomorrow. Glasgow bus battle: Commissioner set to intervene Glasgow’s bus operators last week agreed to review their competing service patterns following major congestion brought about by the intensive operations now cooling the city’s main streets. If congestion worsened, they were told, a request for the Traffic Commissioner to intervene was inevitable. The moves came as national media attention in the run…