Stansted Transit

Stansted Transit Buses Ltd was a bus operating company based in Braintree, Essex, with an outstation at Saffron Walden.

History
The company was established in October 2000, initially with the name London Transit. Other names used included Stevenage Link and Transit Group.

Its original depot was at Hare Street, near Buntingford, Hertfordshire. In 2004, another base was established at Stansted Business Park, and Hare Street closed in 2006. The Braintree depot was opened in December 2007, and the Stansted site was vacated during 2008. There were two sites used at Stansted; initially an enclosed yard on Second Avenue, but after Braintree opened, an open parking area on First Avenue was used instead. The outstation at Saffron Walden (Viceroy Coaches, Bridge Street) ultimately replaced Stansted.

Although mainly associated with contracted bus routes in north west Essex and east Hertfordshire, Stansted Transit also briefly ran commercial routes in Milton Keynes (2001–02) and Stevenage (2003–06).

A coach division, called Stansted International Travel, was started in 2006.

On 4 June 2009, Stansted Transit entered administration. By 5 June, Essex County Council took control of all of their services which continued to operate as normal until a formal tender process took place later in the summer.

Stansted Transit operated 22 bus routes, in Essex and on the Hertfordshire, Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire borders, as well as many school bus contracts tendered by Essex County Council.

By September 2009, the 22 bus routes were reallocated to other bus companies, most to Hedingham Omnibuses.

Fleet
Stansted Transit used mainly Dennis Darts and Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Darts for service work. There were also some Leyland Olympians for its school contracts and rail work. Bus types operated in the past included step entrance Dennis Darts, MCW Metrobuses (MKI and MK IIs), MCW Metroriders, and Leyland Nationals (MKI and MK IIs). Stansted Transit also used a former Heathrow Pink Elephant transfer bus, an Optare Solo.

Stansted International Travel used Plaxton bodied Dennis Javelin and Volvo B10M coaches.

There were also a few other various types of bus which were in preserved state by the owner, including AEC Routemaster RML2616.

Area of operation

 * Essex
 * Hertfordshire
 * Suffolk