The principal bus operator on the Isle of Wight is Southern Vectis, the name a nod to the Romans who once inhabited the island. In more recent times, from the reign of Queen Victoria, the popularity of the island increased – as has the provision for transport. Dr Beeching’s axe saw the once extensive rail network on the island reduced to just 9 miles of mainline track after 1966. This remains the same today with Island Line serving eight stations between Ryde Pier and Shanklin. This presented bus and coach companies with the opportunity to expand their operations to fill the gaps. Matt Cooper explores these operations on the island from the late 1990s before venturing across the Solent to the mainland to look at bus and coach operators running along the central South Coast. Loosely covering the area between Dorset and Sussex, the operators within it are as varied as the vehicle types to be seen. Both the ‘tourist trail’ and the routes travelled regularly by local residents are documented here.

With a superb array of images, this book will be of interest to South Coast bus enthusiasts and will hopefully inspire visits to this beautiful part of the country.

With a lifelong interest in transport, Matt Cooper has worked for bus and rail operators in the Midlands and on the south coast. This has led to involvement in vehicle preservation as well as transport photography.