Golden Tours

Golden Tours
Optare Visionaire bodied Volvo B9TL on Grosvenor Gardens, in 2014
Founded1984
HeadquartersAlperton
Service areaLondon
Windsor
York
Service typeSightseeing tours
Depots1
Fleet67 (November 2019)
Websitewww.goldentours.com

Golden Tours is a British open top bus and coach tour operator based in Alperton, London.

History

MCV EvoSeti bodied Volvo B8L Warner Bros. Studio Tour shuttle bus at Marble Arch in September 2022

Golden Tours was established in 1984,[1] initially operating airport transfers and day trips from London to tourist destinations across England, such as Stonehenge and the Roman Baths.[2] In 2001, Golden Tours acquired the business of Frames Rickards, which included the London franchise for Gray Line.

In June 2011, Golden Tours began operating open top bus services within Central London.[3] This operation was further expanded out to York in July 2020, with open top services operated in partnership with York Pullman, and later to Windsor in December 2020.[4] In June 2021, Golden Tours entered a partnership with Yellow Coaches to operate open top services in Bournemouth.[5][6]

Golden Tours became the preferred partner of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London in early 2012, offering transport on a branded bus to and from the studio tour from locations in central London by bus.[citation needed]

Incidents

A Golden Tours sightseeing bus with 40 passengers occupying the top deck crashed into a tree on Woburn Place in August 2015, injuring four passengers including Polish national Ireneusz Luszczewski, who had his ear partially severed in the crash. It was later found that the crash had occurred when the driver of the bus took both hands off the steering wheel to consult a map. Golden Tours admitted 95% liability prior to a court hearing and was in line to pay damages to Luszczewski.[7][8]

Fleet

MCV EvoTor bodied Volvo B11R in Bath in October 2022

Golden Tours' London operations are based out of a depot in Alperton, which was opened in July 2013.[3]

As of November 2019, the Golden Tours fleet consisted of 67 buses and coaches: 39 open top double-decker vehicles, consisting of Optare Visionaire and MCV DD103 bodied Volvo B9TLs,[9][10][11] 19 coaches and 9 closed top double deckers.[needs update] Eight closed top tri-axle MCV EvoSetis on Volvo B8L chassis were acquired for Warner Bros. Studio Tour work in 2020.[12]

References

  1. ^ Companies House extract company no 1792277 Companies House
  2. ^ "Golden opportunity". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 1 September 1984. p. 15. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  3. ^ a b Peat, Chris (22 May 2014). "Golden Tours celebrates – Tour operator opens new depot and marks 30 years". Bus & Coach Buyer. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  4. ^ "Golden Tours to expand services with new Windsor tour". UKinbound. London. 3 December 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  5. ^ "Yellow Coaches partners with Golden Tours in Bournemouth". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough: Emap. 1 June 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  6. ^ Golden Tours partners with Yellow Coaches in Bournemouth Buses issue 796 July 2021 page 7
  7. ^ Kirk, Tristan (3 April 2018). "Man lost ear in tourist bus crash when driver let go of steering wheel to look at map". Evening Standard. London. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  8. ^ "Golden Tours driver 'let go' of wheel". routeone. 4 April 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  9. ^ "MCV wins Golden Tours double-deck order". Bus & Coach Professional. 12 December 2012. Archived from the original on 15 December 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  10. ^ Challen, John (30 April 2013). "Open top Volvo buses added to Golden Tours fleet". Transport Engineer. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  11. ^ "Golden Tours around London with London B9TL". Transport News Brief. 20 March 2014. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  12. ^ Deakin, Tim (13 November 2020). "Test drive: Volvo B8L MCV EvoSeti tri-axle". routeone. Retrieved 10 March 2023.

Media related to Golden Tours at Wikimedia Commons