Blundred routes revival doubtful
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• It is unlikely that any of Harry Blundred's defunct Dockland Transit routes will be revived, but some of its drivers and all of the minibuses will be transferred (CM 22-28 November).
Kentish Bus plans to recruit up to 20 of the 90 drivers made redundant when the operation was wound-up two weeks ago. It plans to split the drivers between its garages at Southwark and Leyton. But it does not intend to take over any of Blundred's seven routes. "There's always a high turnover of drivers so this is a good opportunity to take on a surplus of staff who are already qualified," says Brian Hirst, managing director of Kentish Bus. Some of the ex-minibus drivers may have to be trained to drive KB's double-deckers. Kentish Bus is also taking on 50 drivers for its Dartford garage to operate three newly won tenders in Bexley from 1991.
London Transport, which operates in Docklands, says it wilI also consider applications from the redundant drivers.
It will not take over the Bltutdred routes which were under the London Bus Agreement because, it says, "nobody was using them anyway". The agreement gave LT a say in the two routes and their fares in exchange for granting Blundred's passengers the use of Traveleards, which are also valid on tubes and trains.
The rest of Docklands' 70 minibuses will split between Blundred's two other companies, Devon General, Exeter and Thames Transit, Oxford.