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At one time the Isle of Man was home to a vast number of coach operators ranging in size from the owner/operator with a single vehicle through to well established companies with large fleets. As with most other traditional resorts in the British Isles, due in no small part to the increasing popularity of foreign holidays brought about by more accessible air travel, the Isle of Man saw a drastic reduction of visitors from the 1960's.
Duggan's Motors was next to be absorbed by Tours, being taken over in 1972. At this stage Tours Ltd. was acquired jointly by Isle of Man Road Services and Corkill's Garage in Onchan, followed by a "reverse" takeover where the Corkill fleet (and its Hamill Garage Ltd. subsidiary) was absorbed into the Tours fleet. The IoMRS involvement in Tours, and in coaches in general, was short-lived, with their coaches purchased outright by Tours in 1973. Crennels of Ramsey and W. H. Shimmin of Douglas were both sold to Tours in 1972, followed by J. G. Downward Ltd. the following year. Following the change of ownership to Protours, a number of older coaches were withdrawn and sold or scrapped in conjunction with a fleet upgrading programme. Photo : MERS Online The fleet was gradually renewed on a yearly basis, mostly favouring Plaxton and Duple bodied Bedfords of various styles and sizes. Ford Transit minibuses were also purchased, breaking the Luton manufacturer's monopoly on the island. In April 1983, all licences held by Tours Ltd. were transferred to a new company, Tours IOM (1983) Ltd., which was to run the business for a further 20 years. During this time, the company continued to provide its traditional island tours, but also diversified operations to include private hire and off-island package holidays, contract work, and registered its network of Express coach services. The latter operation continued until Isle of Man Transport introduced scheduled express bus services.
The final operator to be taken over was the three vehicle Western Tours fleet, in Peel, bringing the only ever Duple Dominant bodied Leyland Leopard (also the sole 11 metre example) into the fold. In 2003 Tours was acquired by BusCor (Pty) Ltd., a South African based transport consortium, and was renamed Protours Ltd. BusCor maintained control of Protours until 2012 when it was sold back to a local management team, by which time the fleet stood at 26. That total included two heritage Bedford OBs, which although a once common sight on the island, had never previously been part of the Tours fleet in its various forms. A further classic vehicle owned was a Plaxton bodied Bedford VAL, with all three later being sold off the island for preservation.
2012 saw the company re-emerge in local hands and, at the same time, reverting to its earlier name Tours Isle of Man. Now owned by David Midghall, operations have developed to include island tours, private hire and schools work, and off-island holiday packages. The current fleet consists of executive coaches (7 with 49 seats and 1 with 31 seats), a standard coach, and van derived minibuses. Gallery : Tours IOM Fleet (2015 - Current) Click to enlarge Tours Contact Information
Acknowledgements We would like to thank the following for the information included in this article: Classic Buses website (classicbuses.co.uk) MERS Online (mers.org.im) All images © Kewrail Transport Media unless otherwise indicated.
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