Badger Vectis private transport groups in the United Kingdom, FirstGroup in June 1995. Both Wilts & Dorset and Southern Vectis also continued to operate, ironically coming together under common ownership, both being acquired by the Go-Ahead Group, and now both operating as part of its Go South Coast division. Badger Vectis Badger Vectis was an English bus company based in Poole. A post-deregulation joint venture between Weston-super-Mare based bus company Badgerline and Isle of Wight bus company Southern Vectis, it was set up in September 1987 to compete with incumbent operator Wilts & Dorset. The buses all used the Badgerline brand. After
Southern Vectis buses). There was no stop at the Bembridge Coast Hotel or Sandown Esplanade. In 2009, there was only one morning and one afternoon journey each way, one of which terminated or started in Shanklin rather than Ryde and reached from Freshwater Bay to Yarmouth, but not reaching Alum Bay. Coaches were used rather than buses. In 2011, "The Shanklin Steamer" (to Old Village, Shanklin Esplanade, Shanklin Chine and the Shanklin railway station) commenced operation.. Until September 2009, three tourist road trains operated along the seafront of three island towns, Ryde, Shanklin and Sandown. The services were run by Southern Vectis