Southern Vectis who, in 1987, investigated the company and found their behaviour to be anti-competitive. It was alleged that Southern Vectis was engaged in "duplication", running buses immediately ahead of competitors' where routes coincided, and having their drivers lie in wait for competitors' vehicles in order to beat them to waiting passengers. In 1991, duplication tactics were seen again when Southern Vectis shadowed an Isle of Wight County Council contracted bus run by Norman Baker Taxis. In 1986, Southern Vectis acquired Newport bus station as part of their privatisation and refused competitors access to it. The Office of Fair Trading report, published
Southern Vectis scrap their car. Southern Vectis announced that five vehicles had been scrapped within the first fortnight of the promotion and it had received around 6,000 enquiries. As a result of deregulation in 1986, several competitors started and others increased existing services. These competitors included Gange's Minicoaches, Grand Hotel Tours, Island Travel (Cooke's Coaches of Porchfield), Moss Motor Tours, Seaview Services' RedLynx and Wiltax of Shanklin. Island Travel and Gange's Minicoaches established routes between Cowes and Ryde. The newly privatised Southern Vectis responded with a number of new business practices. These practices raised the interest of the Office of Fair Trading