__NOTOC__ Grant Palmer is an English bus operator that was established in 1999.

History

The business was started in October 1999 by Grant Palmer with two

double-decker bus A double-decker bus is a bus that has two storeys or decks. Double-deckers are used primarily for commuter transport, but open-top models are used as sightseeing buses for tourists, and there are coaches too for long-distance travel. They app ...

es and two school contracts. In 2011, the company moved to its current base in Flitwick.

Ticketing

In October 2021, the firm launched the "Cygnet" ticket in

Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district. Bedford was founded at a ford (crossin ...

along with competitors Stagecoach East and Uno. The tickets are valid on all three companies' services. The company utilises the Ticketer system, complete with an additional tap-on, tap-off feature, launched in April 2022. Customers tap on via existing Ticketer machines when boarding and use new tap off readers when alighting.

Fleet

In 2019, it had a fleet of 35 buses. Most of its fleet consists of buses manufactured by

Alexander Dennis Alexander Dennis is a British bus manufacturing company based in Larbert, Scotland. The largest bus and coach manufacturer in the United Kingdom, with a 50% market share in 2019, it has manufacturing plants and partnerships in Canada, China, ...

. By 2022, the fleet had grown to 40 buses. December 2022 saw the company invest in two 10.8m Alexander Dennis Enviro 200MMCs, in order to add "much-needed capacity" on routes 72 and 73, with the buses being able to carry 25% more passengers than previously ordered vehicles. In October 2024, Grant Palmer took delivery of a guidewheel-equipped Volvo B8RLE/ MCV Evora, supplied by Volvo Bus UK and Ireland. It runs the Hi route between

Luton Luton () is a town and borough in Bedfordshire, England. The borough had a population of 225,262 at the 2021 census. Luton is on the River Lea, about north-west of London. The town's foundation dates to the sixth century as a Saxon settleme ...

and

Houghton Regis Houghton Regis is a market town and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England. The parish includes the hamlets of Bidwell, Thorn and Sewell. Houghton Regis, together with its contiguous neighbours of Dunsta ...

via the Busway, and is the 17th new vehicle that the company has purchased since 2015. April 2025 saw the debut of a brand-new revised livery on a pair of

Enviro200 The Alexander Dennis Enviro200 (previously known as the TransBus Enviro200) is a midibus that was manufactured by TransBus International and later Alexander Dennis between 2003 and 2018. The original TransBus Enviro200 design was innovative but ...

small buses (8.9m examples), for what the operator says is a modern and dynamic look, while maintaining a strong brand identity. Representing a spend of over £450,000 by the company, high-backed seats with belts are fitted, along with USB charging points. Arrival of the buses takes to 19 the number of new vehicle additions purchased in the past 10 years, with half of the Grant Palmer fleet having been replaced in that time. That gives the business a lower average fleet age than any other bus operator in

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated ''Beds'') is a Ceremonial County, ceremonial county in the East of England. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Hertfordshire to the south and the south-east, and Buckin ...

. {{Cite web , last=Team , first=routeone , date=2025-04-16 , title=Grant Palmer debuts revised livery application on Enviro200 pair , url=https://www.route-one.net/deliveries/grant-palmer-debuts-revised-livery-application-on-enviro200-pair/ , access-date=2025-04-26 , website=routeone , language=en-GB

References

1999 establishments in England Transport companies established in 1999 Bus operators in Bedfordshire