In 1972 R. S. Tyrer & Son was established in Adlington by Bob Tyrer. Bob had been a coach driver for over 30 years and started the business at the age of 58, with one vehicle; a Bedford with a Leyland engine and a Plaxton body.
In 1973, Bob took delivery of his first brand new coach; Plaxton Panorama Elite III-bodied Ford R1114 (BTE 899L) which allowed Bob to expand into coaching work further afield
Over the years his fleet expanded to five vehicles before retiring in 1990 and sadly passing away in November 1992. His daughter Sylvia and her husband Gordon carried on the successful business with two new coaches being delivered in 1996, a 33-seat Mercedes Benz midi-coach and 1997, a well-appointed Van Hool bodied Volvo B10M executive coach the first of many Volvo vehicles to enter the fleet over the years.
Sylvia and Gordon were later joined by sons Richard (now managing director) in 2000, and Matthew (now commercial director) in 2009. In 2022, Richard and Matthew took shared ownership of the business after sadly losing Gordon in 2018 and Sylvia in 2022.
As the business continued to expand, a depot was opened in Moorland Gate Industrial Estate, Chorley in 2006, whilst the booking office remained in Adlington for the excursions and holidays.
Two ex-Stagecoach Citybuses (Southdown Northern Counties-bodied (F304 MYJ) and Fife Scottish Alexander RV-bodied (E910 KSG)) would follow in 2007 and 2008, coinciding with what would be the first of many contracts operating to Runshaw College in Leyland from Blackburn.
The college has had an intensive bus network all of its own for many years, with around 50 vehicles running in and out every day as far and wide as Southport, Garstang, Blackburn and Bolton, and today, Tyrers Coaches operate 30 of these vehicles for Runshaw,
2011 was a big milestone in the history of Tyrers as the first Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) school bus resource contracts were tendered for successfully. With them came the arrival of the first low floor buses; four Lothian Plaxton President bodied Dennis Trident 2s. These proved to be very capable buses and three more examples followed a year later.
The first TfGM Yellow School Bus contracts were gained in 2014. For these, TfGM supply operators with vehicles to operate on its behalf, primarily on school contracts, though they remain available for other work at other times. The first vehicles supplied were Iveco Tector 150E24s with their front-engined truck-derived chassis and infamously box-shaped Vehixel Scolabus 24 bodies. Having wheelchair lifts and 67 seats, they are, despite their appearance, very useful vehicles.
After continuous success in winning school buses in Greater Manchester since 2011, 2015 represented the single biggest expansion for the company so far, as a large batch of school bus work was won. It was at this time that the company opened a second depot in Farnworth, Bolton.
Growing steadily, this depot is now the larger of the company's sites along with being the registered head office after the travel shop in Adlington closed during the Covid pandemic in 2020. The Chorley depot moved to a smaller site in early 2019.
Tyrers has grown by adapting to change and reacting quickly to the challenges thrown at it with its versatile fleet and flexible workforce to make sure it survives and protects the employment of its near 100 staff.
From small beginnings as Bob Tyrers one coach firm in 1972, Tyrers has transformed into the reliable, successful coaching business that it is today.
R S Tyrer Ltd
Tyrer House
Bloomfield Road
Farnworth
Gtr Manchester
BL4 9LP