Wardle Transport

Wardle Transport is a bus operating company based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. Formed in 1963 as Jack's of Norton, it expanded from 2001 to operate a network of local bus routes using over 60 vehicles.

History

Wardle Transport was founded in 1963 by Doug Wardle. It initially traded as Jack's of Norton, and was run alongside travel agent Wardle Travel. For its first 38 years of existence, the company operated a small fleet of minibuses on school services. In 2002 contracts to operate two routes in Stoke-on-Trent were won; these were operated with three Optare Alero minibuses hired from Stoke-on-Trent City Council. One of these routes was withdrawn in 2004. Following First Potteries maximum allowable vehicles being cut, Wardle gained three school services, acquiring its first double-decker vehicles to operate the routes.

A new route linking Hanley, Haywood Hospital and Burslem was launched in early 2006. The route, supported by the city council, replaced a route withdrawn by another operator, but was initially found not to be commercially viable.