Boro'line Maidstone

Boro'line Maidstone, previously Maidstone Borough Council Transport was a municipal bus operator in Maidstone and the surrounding villages. Maidstone Borough Council Transport was formed in 1974 from Maidstone Corporation Transport following local government reorganisation. In 1986 Boro'line Maidstone was formed as an arm's length company of Maidstone council from the operations of Maidstone Borough Council Transport. The company had a brief London operation. Following financial difficulties, the London operation was sold to Kentish Bus, and after a period of administration, the assets of the Maidstone operation (the vehicles and the Armstrong Road depot and offices) was sold to Maidstone & District in 1992.

In 1974, Maidstone Corporation became Maidstone Borough Council Transport, following reorganisation of local government which extended the council's reach into Maidstone. This coincided with the retirement of the general manager of the organisation, leading to a policy shift to replace the fully double deck fleet inherited from Maidstone Corporation with lightweight single deckers. In 1976 the network was revised following the opening of the Stoneborough Centre Bus Station. In 1977, conversion to one man operation was completed as double deck bus operation ceased. In 1978 route numbers were introduced to the expanding network, co ordinated with Maidstone & District (M&D).

On 26 October 1986, to fulfill a requirement of the Transport Act 1985, Maidstone Borough Council's bus services divested into arm's length, but council owned, company Maidstone Borough Transport (Holdings) Limited and other subsidiaries trading under the Best Impressions inspired Boro'line Maidstone branding with a new yellow/blue livery. Boro'line was launched on 27 October 1986 with a guest appearance from Inspector Blakey from On the Buses. The co ordinated Maidstone Area Bus Services arrangement was terminated, as the same Transport Act 1985 outlawed such arrangements, with bus operators being forced to compete with each other in the new deregulated environment. Thus National Bus Company's East Kent and Maidstone & District subsidiaries and Boro'line, along with local private operators such as Nu Venture and Farleigh Coaches who started local bus operations, ended up as competitors. Maidstone & District was sold in a management buyout on 7 November 1986. Meanwhile, seeking expansion, Boro'line saw that opportunities lay mainly outside the traditional operating area. Thus, as well as moving on a large scale into coach operation, Boro'line was from 16 January 1988 an early participant in the new London Regional Transport route tendering post deregulation system (see article Boro'line London).

In 1989, Boro'line posted a loss of £1.25 million, and by October 1991 the council decided to try to sell the company. M&D were not short listed as a potential buyer despite their interest. On 29 May 1992, after set backs with repossession of five front line buses (including Leyland Lynxes) due to lease payments not being made, Boro'line ceased operations. The vehicles, fixtures and fittings, along with the Armstrong Road offices and depot was sold to M&D by the administrators. M&D disposed of the Boro'line fleet and registered the routes it didn't already cover under its competing network. From 1976 until well after the launch of Boro'line, vehicles in Maidstone could be seen in a variety of liveries, with some retaining either old Maidstone liveries, or the liveries in which they arrived in. In 1989 Maidstone Mountaineer TER 5S was rebodied with a Willowbrook 'Warrior' body. Maidstone Marksman was a rare Wrightbus Contour coach body on a Bedford YNT chassis.

Maidstone Borough Council Transport maintained a Bedford towing vehicle which regularly saw action in the town as the Bedford fleet aged.