A vital bus part was delivered from Edinburgh to London in a scarily short amount of time in order to get a spooky tour back on the road.
Ghost Bus Tours in Edinburgh found their top-selling attraction out of commission when a rare motor part broke down in their beloved double-decker Routemaster “Fright Bus”.
The iconic 1960s bus, which was formally used for funerals, has been painted black and kitted out with a range of fright-inducing enhancements, making it a vital part of the frighteningly funny tours.
The London based company, which offers their customers a light-hearted look at the darker side of the city, expanded to Edinburgh in June last year.
However, with only one bus operational in Scotland, they had no spare parts and were forced to get the broken water tension pump sent to London, fixed by their specialist mechanics and returned in time for a bumper weekend of scary fun.
After phoning around several courier companies, Gawain Fraser, the General Manager of the Ghost Bus Tour, thought his prized possession was going to be left out of commission with dozens of punters missing out on seeing the grisly side of Edinburgh.
Raising Spirits
That was until Eagle Couriers helped raise their spirits, by delivering the item in the nick of time, just hours after the call had been made.
Gawain said: “As well as looking the part and having some secret modifications that enhance the tour, these buses have a long and vivid history, which add to the overall experience of the tour. The only drawback is the parts are pretty rare, so the only place we could get it fixed was our depot in London.
“It was 4.30pm on a Thursday, we had already been forced to cancel tours on the Friday and were fully booked for the weekend, so we really were up against it in terms of time and struggling to find a courier that could deliver the part in time.
“Thankfully we chanced upon Eagle Couriers who managed to get it there by 09.30am the next day – and didn’t charge anything extra. The fixed part was returned and our lovely old bus was back on the road in time to send our weekend customers home frighteningly happy.”
Routemaster buses first became popular in the 1960s and have become an iconic site on the streets of London.
Passengers on the Ghost Bus, known to customers as the “Fright Bus”, are told the vehicle was originally used as a private funeral vehicle to take mourners – and coffins – to and from services outside of the city.
Each bus has a conductor who gives a comic twist to the gruesome stories of the past using secret on-board devices to amuse punters as the vehicle makes its’ way through some of the darkest parts of Edinburgh, featuring many famous sites of murder, torture and execution.
Jerry Stewart, Director of Eagle Couriers, said: “Once we got the call, we realised how vital this delivery was for them.
“Bus tours are such a significant aspect of Edinburgh’s history and tourism industry and we knew we were just the right people for the job. Providing the most steadfast and dependable deliveries is what we pride our company on and this case was no different.
“The part was expedited to London extra quick and thankfully we were able to help get the Fright Bus back on the road in time to scare its’ passengers socks off.”
Eagle Couriers has 20 members of operational staff across Scotland and a 100-strong team of couriers. It recently celebrated its 25th anniversary in Glasgow.
The company provides safe and quick logistics services to organisations across the private, public and third sectors as well as working directly with consumers.
It has a 3500-strong client base including the BBC, the Government Procurement Service and the NHS. Further information on Eagle Couriers can be found at www.eaglecouriers.co.uk or on 0845 123 1230.
