(14 Oct 2017, 3:51 pm)GuyParkRoyal wrote In my opinion Kingsleys are a long established family run business that take a great pride in their operations.

Some of Kingsleys vehicles are now advertising on behalf of the schools that they serve. A major operator is unlikely to support schools own advertising as is the case with an independent business.

Agreed. I think some of the criticism (especially the referring to them as 'cowboys') is extremely unfair. 

Kingsleys, as well as being a long established family run business, have also a long established record of delivering value for money to the local authority. They have been running scholars and works services, especially in the Washington area, for the past 20 years. Whilst their fleet may not be full of 17 plates, they have constantly invested and upgraded what fleet they have, without the use of PFI schemes or similar. 

(14 Oct 2017, 3:55 pm)Andreos1 wrote I think those two points, hit the nail on the head.
All be it, in a totally fashion.

There's no PLC funding these purchases, repaints, pleather seating, wifi, plugs etc like there is with the big boys.
There's no need to do so, because the contracts are for such a short period.

Kingsleys had a smart fleet in the past - even though the fleet colour scheme was adapted previously (to suit the livery their WM Metrobuses arrived in ironically).
Did their ex-Lothian's ever get a repaint? I remember them hanging around for quite a while in harlequin.

Gateshead Central haven't repainted their entire fleet orange and possible can't afford to, due to the margins they're on.

I haven't picked up on the quotes about driving. Simply because they're down to opinion.
If schools, Nexus and whoever else are continually hiring them for contracts, the fleet are passing PSV tests and VOSA (or whatever they're called these days) are happy with what is put before them and *touch wood*, there hasn't been a serious accident... Then I would suggest that maybe there isn't too much wrong...

Kingsleys tend to push everything through the paint shop eventually, and I do think their fleet liveries look smart. I am not sure that the Lothian ones did, but they didn't last that long. The Cadet they got from GNE was painted sharp enough though.

I don't think GCT have a fleet livery as such. They kind of adopted the Nexus red and grey livery, but it never included any fleet names or anything.