::Date: 23 November 2000
London Pride Sightseeing is bought back by Ensign Bus
Ensignbus the Essex-based bus sales business and bus operator, has bought back
its former London sightseeing tours operation, London Pride Sightseeing. The
sightseeing company was sold off in its entirety in 1998 to a consortium that
has failed to grow or consolidate the market and London Pride Sightseeing was
offered for sale earlier this year.
The deal, completed for an undisclosed amount, includes the whole of the London
Pride Sightseeing operation including a fleet of around 80 vehicles, 160 staff
and the Rainham operating base.
Peter Newman, managing director of Ensignbus, said the whole business would go through a process of upgrading and re-branding. The vehicles, he confirmed would be given a new City Sightseeing livery, the old ticketing systems replaced and a large number of modern buses, possibly including some new ones, would be introduced.
City Sightseeing was lauched as a concept branding at the World Travel Market in 1999. Its aims are to provide unified and recognizable standards of sightseeing tours in major cities around the world.
Operators running under the City Sightseeing banner are able to take advantage of purchasing centrally and gain economies of scale that would have been unattainable to them individually.
The organization already has successful operations in the UK, Spain, and Australia, with many more about to come on-stream in 2001.