First’s merger proposals could allow Eastern Counties’ troubled past to be forgotten

It seemed pretty likely that it would happen. Just weeks after it restructured its Yorkshire bus operations into one business from several smaller ones, First is now turning its attention to its operations in the east of England.

First Essex and First Eastern Counties will be joined as one. While First Essex has quietly got on with its day-to-day affairs, Eastern Counties has been something of a problem child in recent years. An unprecedented six managing directors have inhabited the Eastern...