Munro's of Jedburgh was a bus operating company, based in the town of Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders. They operated a number of local services, mainly in and around the Scottish Borders, Edinburgh and the Lothians.
History
The company was founded in the mid 1960s by Jimmy Munro, who expanded his hire-car business to include coach operations. The company then began to operate works and schools contracts in and around Roxburghshire. In 1992, the company began its first local route, the contracted Border Courier service, as a joint operation with Austin's of Earlston. Munro's also launched a service linking the Borders General Hospital with Lilliesleaf and Hawick, which ran three days a week. Munro retired in 1998 and, as the family did not want to continue in the business, the company was put up for sale. In July 1998, the company, along with a small garage workshop, yard, and 8 vehicles, was bought by former First Group area managers Donald Cameron and Ewan Farish. The new owners were keen to expand the business, and quickly won additional contracts with both schools and local rugby teams. In July 2000, the company took over routes 29 and 30, and routes 65, 66, 67, and 68 from First. A further three contracts were won over the next two years. August 2002 saw further expansion, with Munro's providing new town services, following the closure of First depots in Hawick and Kelso. In 2006, the Scottish Borders Council and the Rural Bus Development Grant subsidised a number of service improvements, including more frequent services from Jedburgh and Kelso to Edinburgh, and a new service from Galashiels to Berwick-upon-Tweed. Munro's won the contracts to operate both services, although the 67 was later lost to Perryman's. Another contract win in 2006 saw Munro's launch a network of routes in and around the towns of Dalkeith and Musselburgh. These services used two Plaxton Primo single-decker vehicles, the only two of their type inScotland at the time. In June 2009 operation of contracted route 20, linking Kelso to Hawick, was lost to McEwans after five years. A number of journeys on routes 51 and 52, linking Jedburgh and Kelso to Edinburgh, were controversially axed in November 2009.
Demise and closure
In October 2010, the company was fined £3,000, and had the number of vehicles it was licenced to operate cut by the Scottish Traffic Commissioner. The company's routes in Musselburgh and Dalkeith were withdrawn in April 2011, and later replaced by a new route operated by First. In January 2013, Munro's had its operating licence revoked, following an inquiry into the loaning of vehicle operating discs in October 2011 to another operator, Edinburgh Group Travel. Services continued to operate as usual whilst the decision was appealed by the company. Although the appeal proved unsuccessful, Munro's applied for, and was granted, a new licence. In June 2013, it was announced that the reformed company had lost nine contract routes during a retendering process, including the routes linking Jedburgh and Kelso with Edinburgh, and Jedburgh with Galashiels. Munro's ceased trading at midnight on 3 July 2013, with its routes taken over by other operators on temporary contracts.
