McKindless

McKindless was founded in Newmains by Vincent and Margaret McKindless. It started as a small operation in 1987 with a few buses, a lorry and two coaches. Its aim was to provide school contracts and private hires but quickly moved into local bus operation. The first routes operated were: • 68 West Crindledyke – Hamilton • 61 Bonkle – Newarthill • 66 Bonkle – Hamilton • 56 Shotts – Hamilton These services were operated with ex-Highland Scottish front-engined Ford R1114s and Leyland Nationals. In 1994 the routes and buses were bought by Kelvin Central Buses. From 1996 Mckindless started a commuter shuttle between Wishaw and Glasgow, restarted the original routes and from 1997 started services to Cleland and Lanark. In 2000, the company expanded again by opening a depot in Rutherglen and started operating a route with Glasgow city centre – Bishopbriggs – Kirkintilloch. By 2005 they had opened a new purpose-built depot in Parkhead and started route 62. The 62 route became their best route being very busy and operated by low floor vehicles. ==Collapse==

The company ceased operation at 19:00 on Friday 19 February 2010. Many employees were not notified that the company was about to close, only discovering this when their shifts ended. The end of the company left 116 people unemployed. The company's depot at Bogside was taken over by new company P&C Buses, which also took on several former McKindless services in North Lanarkshire. ==Former services==

;Parkhead (formerly Rutherglen) • 62: Glasgow – Clydebank – Faifley • 67: Glasgow – Rutherglen – Cambuslang – Blantyre – Hamilton – Fairhill – Little Earnock (Hamilton) • 75: Milton – Glasgow (used to operate to Kennishead before it was cut back to City Centre) • 80 Glasgow – Springburn – Kirkintilloch – Harestanes ;Newmains • 6: Motherwell – North Motherwell (Motherwell Local) • 9 : Hamilton or North Motherwell – Motherwell – Wishaw – Cleland • 10: Cleland – Waterloo • 21/X21: Lanark – East Kilbride • 22: Coltness – Overtown • 24: Wishaw/Coltness Circular (Main St, Dryburgh Rd, Coltness Terminus, Dryburgh Rd, Kenilworth Ave) • 31: Hamilton – Larkhall – Lanark • 41: Hamilton – Wishaw – Lanark • 44: Wishaw – Bellshill via Cleland (also operated to Overtown at some point) • 56: Hamilton – Wishaw – Shotts • 68: Newmains – Hamilton (also operated to North Motherwell, Peacock Cross (Hamilton) and Bellshill at some point) • 93: Cleland – Forgewood • X1: Glasgow – West Crindledyke • X2: Glasgow – Cleland ==Former fleet==

When it closed McKindless owned 110 vehicles comprising a large number of makes and models. They operated six regular frequency routes with a peak vehicle requirement of 65. Recent additions included several Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 Darts with Euro 4 low emission engines. Other vehicle types used include MCW Metrobus and Leyland Olympian double deckers and various single deckers such as Dennis Darts, Volvo B6s and Optare Excels. Their three express services were run with Volvo B10M and Dennis Javelin coaches. Three older vehicles, a Bristol Lodekka, an MCW Metrobus and an AEC Routemaster, were preserved by the company. McKindless had also bought ex-Hutchison Optare Excels to use on local routes in Wishaw, still in the livery of their previous. In July 2009, McKindless loaned an Alexander Dennis Enviro400 double-decker for demonstration purposes. Steady investment resulted in the operator providing 100% low-floor vehicles on their local service routes in Lanarkshire since 2007, while operations in Glasgow were nearly 100% low floor by 2009. ==Depots==

The McKindless Bus Group operated from its head office at Newmains and from a purpose-built depot at Nuneaton Street, Parkhead. The depot in Parkhead replaced a previous facility in Seath Road, Rutherglen. ==See also==