About Salisbury Reds

Salisbury Reds has a proud heritage right back to 1915 when Wilts & Dorset Motor Services commenced its first bus service between Salisbury and Amesbury. During the 1920s and 1930s, the Salisbury based company expanded, acquiring a number of other bus operators in the area. Wilts & Dorset’s red buses were seen far and wide, and following the acquisition of Venture at the beginning of the 1950s, the company had depots stretching from Blandford to Basingstoke.

A further significant acquisition in 1963 was Silver Star of Porton. From the outset, Wilts & Dorset had maintained an excellent reputation for high-quality bus and coach services, and the company was very highly regarded by local people.

In 1969 Wilts & Dorset became part of the National Bus Company, and was subsumed into neighbouring Hants & Dorset in 1972, although the combined fleet was painted in a red (rather than green) livery.

The Wilts & Dorset name was re-born in 1983 as the Wilts & Dorset Bus Company, when Hants & Dorset was divided into smaller operating companies. Wilts & Dorset was sold to its management team in 1987 and has been part of the Go-Ahead Group since 2003. Although part of a much larger group, it is locally managed by people who have a wide knowledge of the area’s transport needs and are passionate about customer service.

The Salisbury Reds brand was introduced in 2010, initially applying to the Salisbury city route network, then a couple of years later being extended to cover all bus routes in the Salisbury area. Well over 100 years after the name Wilts & Dorset first appeared on the sides of buses, Salisbury Reds continues to take pride in offering a reliable, comfortable and friendly bus service, continuing to invest in new developments and plan for the future.