GM Buses Liverpool

[gilesbus1]

RE: GM Buses Liverpool

(12/02/2019 11:14)Walton 46 Wrote:  In 1993, following MTL's incursions in Greater Manchester, GM Buses North set up a subsidiary, GM Buses Liverpool. Operating from a depot in Bootle, they operated copycat services over some of Merseybus's more profitable services in Liverpool. From what I know, here's some of the services they operated:

18A Lower Lane-City Centre
26A Bootle Bus Station/Scotland Road-Princes Road (services from Bootle via Marsh Lane, Stanley Road, Boundary Street, Kirkdale Road, then normal 26 route)
27A Princes Road-Scotland Road
27B Princes Road-Bootle Bus Station (reverse of 26A)
34 Manchester-Liverpool (existing route)
79 Netherley-Croxteth (as 79 to City Centre, then 14 to Croxteth)
320 Wigan-Liverpool (existing route)

I've read they also operated route in and around Southport, Kirkby and Formby, but I don't have any details to hand. Can someone fill me in please?

They also ran service 21 to Liverpool to Fazakerley which was worked from Atherton Depot were the 799 was worked from Wigan, starter journey would commence on service 21 at Leigh and work down to Lowton then onto the A580 to Fazakerley and last journeys would do the reverse, I also understand that there was an extension of the 79 back to Wigan but I have no proof of that???

Also on Saturdays vehicles from Oldham depot would work through Greater Manchester then round the back of Atherton and Leigh using Atherleigh Way and then would go up the A580 and start services on another route in Liverpool that I can't remember??? maybe someone else can clarify some of this???? as my memory is slipping Oldham use the 1991/2 Volvo Citybuses with Northern Counties bodies, Atherton used 1984-1986 Olympians with Northern Counties bodies in the main and Wigan used 1988/9 revised fronted Northern Counties Olympians on the 79 of which GM North reallocated all but two to Wigan from other depots for this purpose, the other two were at Atherton so in practice could have appeared on the 21. Also there was another route from Liverpool depot that operated to Fazakerley using MCW Metrorider Minibuses which caused controversy as the spelling of Fazakerley was wrong but again I can't remember what number that was either????? I do have pictures some where but can't access them at the moment unfortunately.