TANTIVY BLUE COACH TOURS
TBCT is the largest of the island's coach operators. Its rather awkward name has arisen from
the takeover of Blue Coach Tours in 1997 from the Modern Hotels Group, when the firm was known,
equally awkwardly, as Tantivy Holiday Coach Tours following the merger of Tantivy Motors,
Holiday Tours and Mascot Motors in 1992. The organisation has well over a hundred vehicles of
varying descriptions.
Tantivy Motors once ran buses long ago as did Blue Coach Tours, but JMT
has long since had the monopoly on services. Instead island tours, private hires and school
contracts form the bulk of the company's activities.
Fleet Livery
Tantivy Motors - Maroon and cream,
red wheels
Holiday Tours - White, with red and
blue stripes, red wheels
Mascot Motors - Turquoise and cream,
turquoise wheels
Blue Coach Tours (1990s) - Two-tone navy and sky blue, gold fleetnames, cream wheels
Tantivy Holiday Coach Tours (from 1992) - Similar to previous Holiday Tours livery,
mainly white with thinner blue and red side stripes, black window
surrounds and black wheels, red wheels on Bedford SBs
Tantivy Holiday Coach Tours (from 1996) - Overall maroon,
gold and yellow fleetnames, black window surrounds and wheels, red wheels on Bedford SBs
Tantivy Blue Coach Tours (from 1997) - Similar to previous Blue Coach Tours livery,
two-tone blue, gold new-style fleetnames, cream wheels
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Following the 1992 merger of Tantivy, Holiday and Mascot, all the former Mascot vehicles were
quickly repainted into the new white scheme, as were all the Leyland Swifts except for the then
number 1, the "executive" Leyland Swift which passed to Holiday Tours from the defunct Imperial Coaches which remained silver. Some of the
former Holiday coaches had their liveries amended as well. A corporate fleetname was produced
and applied to all operational vehicles.
Jersey coach operators showed remarkable conservatism in that they all specified almost
identical vehicles... A line of Bedfords at the coach park area outside the old abbatoir in
St. Helier in summer 1997
Vehicles
1987 - "Full-size" coaches almost invariably Duple-bodied Bedford
SBs in all fleets, minibuses almost universally variations on the rear-engined Volkswagen
Transporter theme.
Holiday Tours have two Bedfords with more unusual Caetano coachwork and
two with a version of the Wadham Stringer Vanguard bus body. Bedford
chassis no longer available.
1992 - Leyland Swift has proved to be suitable (and
preferable) Bedford successor in all fleets:
Mascot have three with Vanguard II bodies, as do Blue Coach (but
automatic), who also took two bodied by Elme. Holiday have three with
Elme bodies, one being manual with blue leather interior and acquired from Imperial Coaches.
Leyland Swift ceases production...
1993 - Tantivy and Holiday have merged and taken over Mascot. Large accumulation of
Bedford SBs, majority with Duple Dominant bodies but some earlier Duple Vega 31 survivors,
all withdrawn shortly after as are some surplus Dominants. Also a handful of ex-UK
Bristol LH/Plaxton Express coaches, soon sold
to Guernseybus. Huge collection of minibuses:
VW, Ford Transit, Freight Rover Sherpa, coachbuilt Bedford CF2/Reebur.
1996 - Blue Coach acquire two brand new mid-engined Renault/Camo coaches, joining a single Iveco Countrybus/WS Vanguard II front-engined coach
taken in 1994 (the first of that type built and appearing at the '94 Brighton Coach Rally before
coming to Jersey). First acquisitions from outside Jersey have arrived: two Swift/Elmes, one
from Island Coachways in Guernsey who take a Bedford SB from BCT in part exchange. THCT have
also bought their first two ex-UK Swift/Vanguard IIs.
1998 - Tantivy Holiday and Blue Coach have merged. Resources pooled, more Swifts come
from UK, some former buses, all providing considerable upgrade over old Bedfords. "Vintage"
Bedford OB in service painted in period Tantivy colours, no doubt in an
attempt to gain a slice of the market sector occupied at the time solely by Classic Coaches.
Identical to coaches ran by Tantivy and other operators in 1950s, though acquired from England.
Efforts made to clear out the worst of the Dominants, now looking incredibly dated despite newest
dating from mid-1980s, disposals of older vehicles and several fire write-offs.
It is unclear what future vehicle policy will be. The supply of Swifts from the UK will run
dry sooner or later and there is little else which would be suitable. The very similar Cannon Hiline as used by Pioneer Coaches would
appear to be the best bet, however it is a mystery why the Dennis Dart
has not appeared, as the favoured WS Coachbuilders offered a suitable version of the Vanguard II
body some time ago, and the chassis would seem to be ideal, with a similar mechanical setup to
the Swift as well as being compatible with JMT's buses. The large
collection of minibuses will need to be updated at some point too.
TBCT has an information web page with some basic company details.
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