THE managing director of Go South Coast, the company that has taken over Thamesdown Transport, has sought to reassure passengers that it will be “business as usual” following the sale.

Andrew Wickham spent yesterday at the Barnfield Road depot meeting staff, answering questions and getting a feel for the business that he will now oversee.

He was joined by Alex Chutter, previously the operations manager at Salisbury Reds, who will take over as general manager for Go South Coast’s new Swindon operation.

For Andrew, the first task of the new era was to reassure staff and passengers.

“The staff have had a period of uncertainty which is horrible,” he said. “I really sympathise and I think it’s good that the uncertainty is now over and we can welcome them to the Go South Coast family.”

Employees had been apprehensive about the security of their jobs in the run up to the sale, but the new management team has made it clear that job losses aren’t on the agenda at least in the immediate future.

Andrew said: “For the immediate future we will stay as we are - we’re recruiting for drivers, and we’ll be recruiting for cleaners before long.

“Moving forward there will probably be some back office stuff we can do more effectively, but if we are going to be making changes then the staff will be the first to know.”

In a sign that the new firm is keen to recognise the history and heritage of the firm’s story, it has pledged to keep the Thamesdown name on the roads.

Pointing to black and white photos from yesteryear on the Barnfield Road boardroom wall, Andrew said that while there may be some colour scheme or livery changes in the future, the Thamesdown name was here to stay.

Of course Thamesdown buses are not the only ones on Swindon’s roads. The Go South Coast team will be facing stiff competition from fellow big-name firm Stagecoach.

But the presence of another major operator had not put them off the challenge of turning around a company, in Thamesdown, that has recorded almost £2m in losses over the past five years.

“We’re all about growth,” added Andrew. “Thamesdown hasn’t been without its problems and that has been well documented.

“It has been a loss-making enterprise and we’re going to turn that out around.

“We want to give staff the right training and the right tools for the job - we want to offer good customer service because we want more customers.

“Swindon has been big enough for two bus companies for many years, I see no reason why it shouldn’t be like that in the future.

“We’re looking to develop our services. Do I think we can turn it round? Yes I do. If I didn’t then we wouldn’t be here.”

He pledged that there would be no ‘slash and burn’ approach to the network and that less-popular routes would still have a place in the Thamesdown network, and the new team will work with Swindon Borough Council to take a co-ordinated approach on the issue.

David Renard, leader of Swindon Borough Council, welcomed the arrival of Go South Coast.

He said: “We believe this deal is in the best interests of local bus users as it secures the financial sustainability of the bus company, offers the best long-term security for Thamesdown Transport’s employees, and will provide vital investment.

“Go South Coast’s expertise will also ensure customers continue to benefit from a high quality bus service.”

Fact file

GO South Coast is part of the Go Ahead Group, a FTSE250 firm that operates a broad range of companies on the roads and railways of the UK.

Go South Coast is a leading name in public transport in the region, providing bus and coach services in a number of towns including Southampton, Bournemouth and Poole as well as running a leading bus refit facility.

Bus companies within the Go South Coast family operate under their own names, much like Thamesdown will.

The company runs the Salisbury Reds network, including the X5 route which runs the length of Wiltshire and into Swindon once an hour.

The firm has an established reputation and a track record of growth following takeovers.