News and Updates
JM Coaches launch new Tenby Park & Ride service
New service aimed at improving access to Tenby town for both locals and tourists (June 2022)
Earlier this year, JM Coaches won the contract to operate this year's Tenby P&R service, a coveted contract that faced many bidders. It was decided that the existing service should be altered, in order to increase passenger usage and popularity. It was extended to serve not only Salterns car park, but also North Beach and Kiln Park. It has a frequency of every 30 mins and runs from 8am to 6pm
To run the service, JM Coaches acquired three elderly Plaxton Pointer 2 bodied Dennis Dart SLF's, S940 UAL, S941 UAL and S942 UAL. These were purchased from the local authority for £3,000, as they were being sold without MOT's. They were new to TrentBarton in 1998 for "The Villager" services, and passed to PCC in 2010 for their own school services and private hire. Once the authority had acquired more modern vehicles, they were placed for sale. We plan on using the three Darts on Tenby P&R until they are no longer serviceable as they are: cheap to run, cheap to maintain, and very simplistic - further boosting profits from the service. All three have been rebranded into their own "Tenby Park & Ride" livery, featuring the colours of yellow, orange and blue. The livery was designed by Worst Impressions.
JM Coaches and SwiftBus combine forces to form PemBus
Both local operators join to form PemBus in a bid to reduce costs and improve services (March 2022)
In the face of rising running costs, as well as an over duplication of services leading to over capacity, JM Coaches and fellow local operator SwiftBus have joined together to form PemBus. The joint statement from both companies was issued in March 2022:
"Introducing PemBus. The new family network of bus operators in Pembrokeshire.
PemBus is the new umbrella business for bus services in Pembrokeshire. It has been designed in an effort to reduce costs by operating one larger business rather than two smaller ones.
So far, three business make up PemBus:
Tenby's Open Top Service (Tots)
SwiftBus
JM Coaches
While all three business have been brought together, all three will still run as separate business with their own image and branding. By amalgamating the three, we can cut down on both running and administration costs.
The PemBus name and logo will appear on all three operators' buses in due course.
We are hoping for a successful future, Serving You."
New buses and new services for JM Coaches
A recent influx of buses and services boost the JM Coaches public image (June 2020)
Recently we have seen a large intake in new stock, which has reflected in a number of new local bus services (231,301,308,356,360,361,381,460) being introduced by us, some supported by the local authority. We have proven over the last two years to be one of the strongest and best bus operators in West Wales, and are on the road to becoming the largest independent bus and coach operator in West Wales.
We still have a number of new services planned for launch prior to January 2021, as well as more new stock (such as vehicles from Alexander Dennis, Optare, Volvo and Mercedes).
TrawsCymru T10 service scrapped
JM Coaches' long distance Fishguard-Cardiff service abolished (Feb. 2020)
Due to very low passenger numbers over the past few seasons the decision was made to scrap the long distance TrawsCymru T10 service, in favour of the similar TrawsCymru T1c service operated from Aberystwyth
Also the X37 Fishguard-Lampeter service ended at the start of the year due to low demand, and soon after VDL SB200 CU04 AKP was sold on.
Fishguard-Carmarthen X48 service replaced by TrawsCymru Connect T16.
JM Coaches' long standing X48 service is brought under TrawsCymru Connect (Sept. 2019)
The long established commercial X48 Fishguard-Carmarthen via Haverfordwest service, operated by JM Coaches, was recently replaced by the new TrawsCymru Connect T16 service, as of 16th September 2019. The route was changed to include : Fishguard, Mathry, Castlemorris, Letterston, Haverfordwest, Narberth, Whitland and Carmarthen, and now runs every hour, as opposed to every two hours.
Optare Excels YN53 ELH and YN53 ELI, Volvo B7RLE BF12 KWD and VDL SB200 CU04 AKP now run the service, and so far has seen as massive success.
The TrawsCymru Connect banner is expanding at an increasing rate, having already replaced JM Coaches X1 (Fishguard-St Davids) and X2 (Haverfordwest-St Davids) services with the T15 (Fishguard-St Davids-Haverfordwest) some months previously. JM's 412 (Haverfordwest-Cardigan) and X50 (Cardigan-Aberystwyth) services were also replaced by the TrawsCymru T5 service two years ago, and the T10 (Fishguard-Cardiff) service was introduced in May 2018 by TrawsCymru.
Flexicoach service C2 begins!
JM Coaches new partnered service launches (Mar. 2019)
The new Flexicoach Cruiseconnect C2 Fishguard-Southampton began on Monday 4th March, 2019, marking a new dimension in coach travel.
Flexicoach is run on a book by book basis, meaning it will only run if bookings online and by phone are sufficient enough to cover costs of fuel and wages. The C2 service is only run when there is a cruise vessel in Southampton docks to ensure the service is viable. However, JM Coaches have previously announced that they will still run the C2 service from Carmarthen to Swansea, making one round trip a day. This was decided as to not show a large difference for when the C2 fully runs all the way to Southampton.
JM Coaches acquired a brand new Irizar PB bodied Scania K340 SN19 SIZ for the service, and gave it a complete overall livery for Flexicoach. The acquisition also marked the first ever Scania to join JM Coaches, and makes a start on various other Scania's in the future
JM Coaches invests in more buses
JM Coaches purchases more buses for schools and contract work, and services. (Mar. 2019)
Recently, JM Coaches has invested in its school fleet, which plays a major integral part of its operations. Leyland Nationals NDE 760Y, C785/6/7 CDE arrived from CityBus of Hawick, Scotland as part of a schools expansion. C787 CDE was used as a spares donor.
Also arrived was Wright Commander bodied VDL SB200 CU04 AKP from First Bristol for service work. This joins sister bus CU04 AKV, also from First Bristol