• Darlington-based United Automobile Services has been bought by Caldaire
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Holdings (which already owns Wakefieldbased West Riding Automobile) in the latest sale of a National Bus Company subsidiary.
Caldaire plans to retain the United name on the fleet of almost 500 vehicles and no major changes to existing services are expected.
United employs 1,600 staff at the Darlington head office and central works, and at 15 local depots. The company also runs its own printing works for producing timetables and publicity material.
United's present managing director, Stuart Senior, is leaving the company to be replaced by Philip Harmer, formerly an NBC director with responsibility for preparing subsidiaries for privatisation. Caldaire's managing director Ken Hodgson is to become United's chairman.
Until September last year, United operated services from York to Berwick-upon-Tweed, but as a prelude to privatisation, NBC divided the company into three parts.
Northumbria Motor Services was established to take over all operations north of the Tyne, while East Yorkshire Motor Services took over United's Scarborough and Pickering depots.
• Ambassador Travel, NBC's one-time coaching subsidiary of former operating company Eastern Counties, has been sold to a management buyout team, led by Ray Green. As part of the same deal Eastern Counties has taken over Ambassador's head office and depot in Norwich.
Ambassador currently runs a fleet of 40 coaches, including some MCW Metroliners used on National Express. It was hived-off from Eastern Counties almost three years ago.