Rotala buys Bolton depot for £5.3m
Bus company Rotala, based in Tividale, has bought a depot in Bolton for £5.3 million.
Rotala, which runs Diamond Bus in the West Midlands, is buying it from First Manchester, a subsidiary of FirstGroup.
The 6.7-acre depot, built 15 years ago, is capable of operating up to 200 vehicles and serving 18 commercial bus routes in Bolton and Bury and into the centre of Manchester..
The acquisition will make Rotala the second largest company in the Manchester bus market and Bolton will become the headquarters of the Rotala Group in the North West.
It will lease 125 vehicles from First initially to service the new routes, with vehicles being replaced progressively by the group in the next two years. The deal will see 500 staff move to Rotala.
Completion of the deal is expected in August following receipt of necessary regulatory permissions.
John Gunn, chairman of Rotala, said: "This acquisition represents an exciting opportunity to expand significantly Rotala's presence in the Greater Manchester bus market. The deal is an indicator of how the UK bus landscape is beginning to change. We can expect more divestment by the big bus groups in future years. Rotala aims to be a major player in these market developments in years to come."
Rotala provides bus services under contract to local authorities, commercial bus routes and has operations at Heathrow Airport.
