About time: End of the road for Finglands buses

You probably didn’t use them anyway – but Finglands buses will no longer roam the streets of Fallowfield.

An emotional announcement

According to an announcement on their website, Finglands Coachways will now be operated by First buses.

As of yesterday, they’ve put the breaks on all Finglands run services in South Manchester – Fallowfield included.

Empty

Whether it’s on your way to uni or on your way back, the last thing you want to see rumbling towards you is the familiar livery of white with stripes of beige, orange and brown.

Yes, we all know what that combination of colours represents: the infamous Finglands bus. The consistently empty white elephant haunts the streets of Manchester, appearing suspiciously similar to the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang child-catcher with its rather eerie call of: ‘smart kids catch a Finglands bus’.

And now, as if by some magical turn of events, our days will no longer be marred by its omnipresence as the company has finally punched its last ticket.

So, it’s a move from dull beige, orange and brown to purple as First travel will take over the dying brand.

Sure they do

It’s been over a hundred years since the infamous Finglands Bus Company was established and for its sheer persistence, punctuality and absolute pointlessness, we salute you.

But the time has come to change that destination from ‘East Didsbury’ to ‘Not in Service’.

Pretty

And will anybody actually be lamenting the loss of the line? Certainly not students whose general feeling towards it was one of contempt – and not worth the effort of raising a hailing thumb.

Cat, a second year English Lit student told The Tab:

“I’ve only been on a Finglands bus once during my time at Manchester. It smelt really bad and I vowed never to go on one again – and now I won’t have to. Like a wizard the magic bus has vanquished all competition.”

Instead, it will be those OAPs with their ingrained hatred of bustling students who will feel this new void the most. A Finglands bus to them was a student-free sanctuary in which they could find solace from the unpredictability of a daily bus journey.

It was no doubt this, coupled with the combination of emptiness and grotesquely dated colour scheme, which attracted such travellers to the company – well it’snow reached the end of the line and all passengers must alight.

The Finglands site (yes they have a website)

It’s been an emotional journey for Finglands but we’ll all be relieved by their absence from Oxford Road. Viva la Magic Bus!