2009: New ticket machines - The Almex Optima - were trialled at the start of the year and after a successful pilot were rolled out across all buses by September. Skylink Nottingham celebrated its fifth birthday in May, having carried 1.9 million customers since launch in 2004. £3.45m worth of new buses were introduced onto Go2 Navy route 48 between City and Clifton, followed by further investment in new double deck buses for Citylink 1, which NCT retained for a further 5 years after successfully winning the contract for the Park and Ride and Skylink services. Former Yellow Line Solo 248 was transformed into a Mobile Travel Centre, visiting local town centres and events to promote Nottingham City Transport in the community. South Notts "The One" was launched in September, and marked a 100% conversion of the fleet to low floor. Easyrider and Citycard merged to offer one card with hundreds of benefits to all residents of Nottingham. A new Beer by Bus and Tram Guide was launched, in conjunction with CAMRA and partnership with the Royal Centre and Theatre Royal Nottingham saw the introduction of the Royal Ticket, a £1 return ticket to get to and from the theatre. The year ended with Nottingham City Transport picking up the "Winning New Customers" award at the UK Bus Awards 2009, for the West Bridgford Go2 launch campaign.
2008: NCT starts trialling 3 ethanol powered buses on route 30 between the City and Wollaton, in partnership with EMDA and Nottingham City Council. These are the first ethanol powered buses to run in the UK. NCT bus patronage increases to over 50 million passenger journeys. £4.5m invested in 36 brand new buses for West Bridgford, St Ann’s and Pathfinder services. NCT wins the BAA Heathrow Integration Award with Unilink and is runner up with Easyrider & Citycard in the Department for Transport Award Winning New Customers at the UK Bus Awards.
2007: £3m invested in new buses for routes 21, 23, 24 and 36. The Newark Garage is closed, with services transferred to Nottingham’s Trent Bridge Garage. The first stand up comedy act to be performed on a Nottingham bus takes place in May as part of the GOJO campaign to get more young people using public transport. The first 11 NCT managers graduate with their Foundation Degree in Business Management.
2006 In March, South Notts celebrated its 80th birthday. NCT and Challenge Consulting were finalists in the 2006 National Training Awards scheme after winning the regional title. TGWU drivers strike. In October, the NCT Go2 brand celebrated 5 years of operation and a new logo was launched for the occasion. First teenagers sign Acceptable Behaviour Contracts with police (ABC’s).
2005: NCT pledges a single deck bus to Asia Bus Response, a UK-wide bus industry appeal helping to rebuild communities and livelihoods in Sri Lanka and Indonesia, countries worst-hit by the Asian tsunami. NCT launch Safemark campaign with schools. £2m invested in 17 new double deck buses for Red Go2 route 44, 45. The first 100 NCT employees receive their NVQ Road Transport Award. Unilink is launched in partnership with NTU and Nottingham City Council, running between the City and Clifton NTU Campuses. Easyrider Anytime is runner up in the Innovation Category at the UK Bus Awards.
2004: Public transport in Nottingham is revolutionised with the launch of Nottingham’s tram in March. NCT launches new bus services in Bulwell area to compliment the tram and NCT Easyrider and all day tickets are interchangeable on both NCT buses and trams. CCTV is launched on NCT buses. NCT launches Easyrider Anytime cards and young person’s Easyrider (now known as Easyrider <18). NCT win Bus Operator of the Year 2004 at the Bus Industry Awards. The prestigious Citylink 1, 2 and Skylink contracts are won by NCT.
2003: Concessionary travel entitlement for men is brought in line with women as male eligibility reduces to 60. The first Scania OmnCity single decks in the UK are introduced to regular service on service 35 between City and Bulwell. New Scania OmniDekka buses are introduced on NCT Go2 routes 17, 48 and 77. NCT are short-listed for 2 awards at the Bus Industry Awards – Employee of the Year and The Eureka Award.
2002: NCT introduces bendy buses to Nottingham, running on service 58 between City and Arnold. ACIS Real-time bus system trialled on route 11. As new NCT network reaches 1 year milestone, patronage has increased by 1.5% - the first increase in NCT passenger numbers for 50 years.
2001 In September, NCT introduced the Go2 and Network brands. Go2 services boast a 10 minute daytime frequency.
The City Council remained 100% owners until 5% of the ordinary shares, and convertible preference shares to a possible value of another 13% of ordinary shares, were issued to Transdev plc on 11 May 2001, a member (along with NCT) of the Arrow consortium. The Arrow consortium was formed to facilitate the NET (Nottingham Express Transit), a return of the tram to the streets of Nottingham . What comes around, goes around…
1997 Pathfinder ( Newark ) Limited was bought, giving a presence in the north of the County. Both South Notts and Pathfinder fleet names and liveries are retained within the company.
1991 South Notts was purchased, giving a main route from Nottingham to Loughborough and a garage at Gotham .
1990 Erewash Valley Services Ltd. was integrated into NCT.
1988 NCT purchased Stevenson's Bus services at Ilkeston and formed a subsidiary company Erewash Valley Services Ltd.
1986 Nottingham City Transport Limited was formed.
Deregulation of the bus industry under the Transport Act saw the advent of the minibus and unregulated competition.
1979 All services were one-man operated.
1976 494 operating vehicles within the company.
1974 Company name changed to “City of Nottingham Transport ”.
1972 November saw the first Park and Ride service operated.
1970 In January, one-man operation came into force.
1968 West Bridgford UDC Transport undertaking came under Nottingham ’s control.
1965 Trolleybuses disappeared between April 1965 and July 1966.
1963 Introduction of high capacity rear engined buses, with a new style body work built to Nottingham specification.
1958 Clifton Bridge was opened in March, with the Clifton services being re-routed over the bridge, this also was the start of the works services to Players, Boots and Raleigh.
1956 Heaters were installed in all cabs.
1954 Guide dogs were allowed to remain on the lower saloon of all vehicles.
1953 Staff recruitment problems surfaced. Newspaper ads and cards in bus windows had little effect, applicants over 40 years of age were now accepted, with the revised maximum age being 55. Some success was gained in employing students as conductors during their vacation. Vandalism rose its ugly head with employees being offered £10 to bring to notice cases of seat slashing which led to a conviction.
1951 The first one person operated bus appeared in, although the driver was his own conductor!
1950 By the end of the 1950, trolley buses were in decline, the last new trolley bus joining the fleet in 1952 reaching a maximum fleet of 155 vehicles.
1939-45 The war brought reduced services, and economy measures (including the trying of diluting diesel with creosote!) and blackout screens on vehicles. It wasn’t until after the war, that large deliveries of diesel buses took place, allowing the withdrawal of the last petrol engined buses.
1936 The trams finally gave way to progression with the last tram (to Arnold ) running in September.
1935 The diesel bus had proved its worth and there were no more conversions from tram to trolleybus.
The trolley bus fleet having reached its peak at 106 vehicles the largest fleet in the country.
1931 The summer, saw the issue of straw hats to all drivers and the introduction of late night services from dances, with some principal routes extended until 11.20pm.
1929 In June, the Parliament Street depot opened and is currently used by NCT today.
Goose Fair moved from the Market Square to the Forest site. NCT have provided the people of Nottingham with 75 years of service to 2004.
1927 After a visit to Birmingham in 1924 it was recommended to replace a single tramline route with trolleybuses, the first trolley bus operating in Nottingham in 11 April 1927 (10.42am), and by 1930 a number of routes had been converted from tram to trolleybus including Nottingham Road, Wilford Road and Wells Road.
1926 Transfer tickets (not a new idea) were extended to cover the Bagthorpe and Sherwood trams.
1919 On 18 January 1919, Child fares were introduced for a 1/2d. The number of standing passengers was limited to 10.
1915 Driver medicals were introduced, after a driver dropped dead at Bulwell before he took his car out.
Sun and rain blinds were introduced to help give the drivers some protection from the weather.
A major expansion of the system became necessary and it was decided to use motorbuses and trolleybuses, three double deck motorbus were purchased to operate to Carlton, they were extremely uncomfortable and unreliable and were withdrawn in 1908
1906 Motorbuses were first introduced.
1901 On 17 January 1901, electrification followed with the first Electric Trams operating in and within 2 years over 100 trams were in service on 8 lines.
1881 Colour coding was introduced to Nottingham. Yellow painted cars went to Trent Bridge, Red to Carrington and Dark Blue to Basford.
1878 In September, Nottingham and District Tramways Company introduced the first horse drawn trams with its first routes from the City to Trent Bridge.
Lace, textiles, tanning and brewing were the staple trades of the City, the Old Market Square was called the Great Market Place, and Boots the Chemists consisted of 2 shops on Goosegate.
1848 Horse drawn buses were operational as early as 1848.