Highway Tours

Highway Tours was an Australian bus company operating services in the south-western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales.

Highway Tours
ParentJim Hill
Commenced operation31 August 1983
Ceased operationNovember 1988
HeadquartersRevesby
Service areaSouth-western Sydney
Service typeBus operator
HubsAuburn station
Bankstown station
Roselands Shopping Centre
Depots3
OperatorAuburn Passenger Transport
Canterbury Bus Lines
Highway Tours

History

Highway Tours was formed on 31 August 1983 when Jim Hill purchased four routes from Cumberland Coaches trading as Canterbury Bus Lines from a depot in Enfield:[1]

On 22 February 1984, a further six routes were purchased from Cumberland Coaches, trading as Auburn Passenger Transport from a depot in Regents Park:[1]

These were reorganised as routes 916-919 in July 1985.[1]

In May 1984, routes 68 Hurstville - Earlwood and 229 Kogarah - Roselands Shopping Centre were purchased from EH Blythe and operated under the Bexley Passenger Transport name, these were later operated under the Canterbury Bus Lines brand.[1]

On 1 July 1984, routes 46 Campsie - North Belmore and 47 Lakemba - Greenacre were purchased from Ed Hayman's Greenacre Bus Service.[1][2] These were sold in October 1985 to RP Gallagher, but returned to Highway by the end of 1986, before being sold again on 1 July 1988 to Commodore Coaches.[1]

In September 1984, route 123 Lidcombe to Bankstown via Regents Park was purchased from Drummond Transit and in the same month, route 6 Arncliffe - Earlwood from Tough's Bus Service (partnership between John Brown and Challenge Travel owner Bob Stephens).[3] The latter was sold to Sydney Coachlines in April 1985,[1] while the former was replaced by 917 in July 1985.[4]

On 6 March 1985, eight routes were purchased from South Western Coach Lines with a depot in Revesby:[1]

On 31 July 1985, route 125 was renumbered 920 and moved to Auburn Passenger Transport.[1][4] On 19 December 1985, routes 26 Bankstown - Lakemba via Punchbowl and 176 Bankstown - Punchbowl were purchased from Bankstown Coaches.[1] Route 176 ceased immediately and was replaced by route 26, which was sold back to Bob Stephens in February 1986, operating as Challenge Travel (Challenge Coaches).[2][5] Bob Stephens previously operated route 26 between 1976 and 1984.[3]

In July 1986, route 39 was sold to Greenacre Bus Service (RP Gallagher) before it was sold back to Highway Tours at the end of the year.[2] In 1987, the Auburn Passenger Transport subsidiary (routes 916-921) was sold to Colin Crossley, and the Canterbury Bus Lines subsidiary to Crossley and Ed Hayman with route 34, after routes 35 and 92 were sold in September 1986 to Pleasure Tours.[1][6] On 14 October 1987, route 68 was sold to Sydney Coachlines.[7][8] Route 39 was sold to Crossley/Hayman owned Canterbury Bus Lines in March 1988.[2]

In November 1988, the remaining operations (routes 922-928) were sold to Colin Crossley trading as Revesby Bus & Coach Service. From 1996, both Crossley-owned operations operated as Crossley Bus Lines.[9][10]

After cessation

In October 1996, routes 6 and 68 passed to Sydney Buses' Kingsgrove depot, and were renumbered as 471 and 499 respectively.[8][11] In April 1998, the Canterbury Bus Lines operation was sold to Punchbowl Bus Company,[12][13] who would also purchase the Pleasure Tours routes in July 2005.[6][14] Through a series of transactions, the rest of the former Highway Tours business was reunited between 2001 and 2007, and is now operated by Transdev NSW.

Fleet

Highway Tours inherited a fleet composed predominantly of AECs, Bedfords and Leylands. During its tenure, no new buses were purchased with most additions to the fleet being ex Urban Transit Authority Leyland Leopards.[15] Fleet livery was orange and white.

References
  1. "The Ed Hayman Story" Fleetline issue 193 August 1991 pages 127-133
  2. Sydney Bus Routes (1925) 26-50, Retrieved 3 June 2018
  3. Challenge Coachlines Operator Information, Australian Bus Fleet Lists, Retrieved 2 November 2014
  4. Sydney Bus Routes (1925) 101-125, Retrieved 3 June 2018
  5. "Ownership changes" Fleetline issue 176 March 1990 page 42
  6. Pleasure Tours Australian Bus Fleet Lists
  7. "Sydney Coachlines" Fleetline issue 151 February 1988 page 35
  8. Sydney Bus Routes (1925) 51-75, Retrieved 3 June 2018
  9. "Highway Tours" Fleetline issue 164 March 1989 page 44
  10. "Revesby Bus & Coach" Fleetline issue 245 November 1996 page 245
  11. "Timetable and service changes" Fleetline issue 245 November 1996 page 203
  12. "Private Buses" Fleetline issue 254 May 1998 page 97
  13. Canterbury Bus Lines Australian Bus Fleet Lists
  14. History Punchbowl Bus Company
  15. New South Wales Bus Operators and Fleet Listings. Sydney: Historic Commercial Vehicle Association. 1993. p. 82.
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