Sunbus Townsville
Bustech bodied Mercedes-Benz O405NH
ParentKinetic Group
Founded1995
Defunct2022
HeadquartersGarbutt
Service areaTownsville
Service typeBus operator
Routes13
HubsCastletown Shoppingworld
James Cook University
Stockland Townsville
Townsville CBD
Townsville Hospital
Willows Shopping Centre
Depots1
Fleet87 (June 2013)
Websitewww.sunbus.com.au
https://www.wearekinetic.com/

Sunbus Townsville was the principal bus operator in Townsville, Queensland, Australia, operating services under the Translink (Queensland) scheme in Regional Queensland. It is one of Sunbus' operations. As of 2022 Sunbus has changed its name as part of a business re-brand by the parent company, Kinetic. Sunbus has now been dissolved into the Kinetic brand with its fleet of buses reflecting this change.[1]

History

In April 1996, Harry Blundred, the proprietor of Thames Transit in the United Kingdom, began operating the route services in Cairns.[2]

As part of the deal, Sunbus was also responsible for the operation of school bus services in the region, but these were sold in 1997 to another British bus operator, Stagecoach.[3]

In April 2008, Blundred sold Marlin Coast Sunbus along with the other Sunbus operations to Transit Australia Group. In April 2010, the operation expanded with the acquisition of Hermit Park Bus Service.[4]

In April 2019, Transit Australia Group was purchased by AATS Group, the parent company of Skybus and majority-owned by OPTrust.[5] In August 2019, AATS Group was rebranded the Kinetic Group.[6]

In late 2022, Sunbus was officially branded as KINETIC with all new advertising now showing the Kinetic Brand. All new buses will display the Kinetic logo with the current fleet of Sunbus slowly being updated to reflect the new brand name. The current website for Sunbus will stay active until early 2023 before it will be deactivated, directing customers to the new Kinetic website.

Service Area

Sunbus operated from Pallarenda in the north, Kelso and Stuart in the south and Kirwan and Thuringowa Central in the west. The area with the largest service coverage is the suburbs of Annandale and Douglas.

Fleet

In June 2013, the fleet consisted of 87 buses.[7] The fleet livery is light blue.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Welcome to Sunbus - the leading regional Queensland bus operator". Sunbus. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  2. ↑ "Private Operators" Fleetline July 1995 page 130
    - "Transit Australia", Australian Bus Panorama 11/7 April 1996 page 48
  3. ↑ "Private Operators", Australian Bus Panorama 13/1 August 1997 page 22
    - Buslink, Australian Bus Fleet Lists
  4. ↑ Hermit Park Bus Service, Australian Bus Fleet Lists
    - "Transit Australia Group buys Hermit Park Bus Company" (PDF). Transit Australia Group. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2011.
  5. ↑ Fabian Cotter (2 April 2019). "Skybus Operator to Acquire Transit Australia Group - Bustech not Included". Australasian Bus & Coach. Archived from the original on 22 April 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  6. ↑ "Skybus parent relaunched as 'Kinetic'". Australasian Bus & Coach. 8 August 2019. Archived from the original on 20 August 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  7. ↑ Sunbus Townsville, Australian Bus Fleet Lists
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