How it started
Derby City Transport
In March 1880, the Derby Tramways Company commenced operating horse-drawn trams between Market Place and Derby railway station. The Derby Corporation Tramways, &c. Act 1899 (62 & 63 Vict. c. cxciii) saw the Derby Corporation take over the tram lines in November 1899. Between 1903 and 1907 the network was extended and electrified.
In May 1917, a Tilling-Stevens petrol-electric bus entered service. A second entered service in 1920, but both were replaced with motor buses in 1924. Between January 1932 and July 1934, Derby's trams were replaced by trolleybuses. Motor buses continued to operate alongside the trolleybuses until the network began to be closed in the 1960s, with the last running on 9 September 1967.
In December 1973, Derby Corporation purchased Blue Bus Services of Willington. In 1974, Derby Corporation was renamed Derby Borough Transport and later became Derby City Transport when Derby was granted city status in 1977.
To comply with the Transport Act 1985 and ensuing deregulation of bus services from 26 October 1986, the assets of Derby City Transport were transferred to a new legal entity, Derby City Transport Limited, in October 1986. Following deregulation, Derby City Transport Limited was placed up for sale by Derby City Council in January 1989, and in the intervening period, saw minibus competition from Midland Red North, formed from the split of National Bus Company subsidiary Midland Red and operating locally under the 'Mercian' brand.
Following six months of negotiations between Derby City Council and company employees, Derby City Transport was sold for over £3 million (equivalent to £7,938,000 in 2025) in July 1989 to a consortium consisting 75% of an employee buyout team and 25% Luton & District, beating a management buyout bid as well as interest from Trent Buses, Midland Red, Stevensons of Uttoxeter and Go-Ahead Northern.
From Wikipedia’s article on Arriva Derby, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2