Ulsterbus-Belfast merger likely
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• Investigations into a merger of Insterbus Ltd. and Belfast Corporation Transport arc taking place, it was revealed his week. CM understands that the assets Ind liabilities — the Corporation had a ieficit of approximately £400,000 in the last inancial year — are to be transferred to LlIsterbus on March 31 1973 if the talks ire successful.
A new company has been formed, City Bus Co, with six directors from Ulsterbus ind six from Belfast Corporation. This will 3e under the holding company of Northern :reland Transport.
The main reason for the merger is
understood to he a need to streamline, from an economic point of view, the activities of both companies. An official told CM this week, however, that the heavy losses to vehicles caused by the troubles in Northern Ireland were a contributory factor. Ulsterbus has lost some 80 vehicles with a further 160 severely damaged since the disturbances began. This is out of a total fleet of 900 vehicles.
Belfast Corporation has also had a large number of losses to its 360 vehicles, mostly double-deckers, in the riots, and damage has been sustained to a further number.