The Edwards family has operated buses and coaches in South Wales since 1925. The first coach or "charabanc" as they were commonly known, was a 1920 Spa. The adjacent photograph shows this vehicle with Cyril Edwards at the wheel. The gentleman with the 
moustache in the centre of the picture is the company founder George Edwards.
During the next 20 years or so, the company's main source of income was the "local bus service" into the market town of Pontypridd. Then as the near-by Treforest Industrial Estate expanded, many factory workers were transported to work and also to the munitions factory at Bridgend during the Second World War.
The fifties and sixties brought new ambitions for the company and indeed its clients. Our luxury coaches shown opposite which boasted a heater and radio, travelled from all over the South Wales Valleys to popular UK destinations, such as London, Blackpool, Bath and Stratford. During the early sixties the company organised tours as far afield as Paris, Belgium and Austria.
Since those early days, the company has expanded progressively, acquiring several smaller local firms. We now operate a fleet of over 100 buses and coaches from our operating centre at Pontypridd, employing 150 personnel. Last year we carried over 5,000 students to school each day and provided over 50,000 clients with our own customised package holidays. We also undertake day excursions and transfers for numerous organisations.
Our team of reservation staff who work at Head Office in Llantwit Fardre are Kelly Edwards (Director & Office Manager), Tracie Dulston, Julia Farrow, Davinia Morgan, Beverley Smith, Lorraine Stawicki, Rachel Thomas & Melanie Wilson. Behind the scenes are Mike Edwards (Proprietor), Jason Edwards (Director), Shaun Edwards (Operations Director), Jessica Edwards (Director & Management Accounts Assistant), Matthew Jones (Management Accounts), Alan Clough (Tours Manager), Wayne Randell (Private Hire), Lynn Morgan (Operations Supervisor), Roger Davies (Groups Manager), Fran Thomas (Groups Coordinator), Mark Cooper (IT Officer), Julie Lintern (Sales Executive), Julie Wood (Ecole School Tours Manager) and Elizabeth Lewis (Ecole School Tours Assistant). As they say ‘behind every successful man there’s a good woman’ & included in the team are Personal Assistants Susannah Harfleet, Lesley Jones, Nathalie Raffin & Lucy McGrath.Our travel shop based in Central Square, Cardiff - has been open since 2004 & our Manager is Sarah Murphy supported by three
reservation staff – Sally McGrath, Belinda O'Donnell & Lauren Maxwell. Our travel shop is open six days a week: - Mon - Fri 8:30 am - 6:00 pm & Saturdays 9.00 am - 5.00 pm.
The company has recently increased and renewed their holiday coach fleet, investing over 1 million pounds in the last two years. The executive style coaches purchased are to a common specification and are all fitted with air-conditioning, reclining seats, toilet/wash room, CD, VHS/DVD, players, satellite navigation etc, and with a maximum of 49 seats to provide adequate leg room.
Unlike some other coach tour operators, Edwards Coaches feel that by owning and operating their own fleet of coaches they not only have total control over the condition of the coach their customers travel on, but also the attitude and competence of the driver. Edwards drivers are the best in the business as verified by the many letters of thanks they receive from satisfied customers.
Members of the public booking a package tour with Edwards Coaches Ltd are financially protected by the CPT Bonded Coach Holiday scheme. In the unlikely event of the company getting into financial difficulty, customers are guaranteed that they will be recompensed for their loss, or if abroad on holiday they will be repatriated to the UK. The CPT is the foremost representative of the road passenger transport industry in the UK. It is officially recognised by the government and is the principal consultative body on local, national and EU matters.
Our air holidays are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority, Our ATOL number is 6176. In the unlikely event of the company getting into financial difficulty, customers are guaranteed that wherever possible arrange for a holiday or tour to be completed. Where failure occurs after a holiday has begun, arrange for customers to be returned by an appropriate means of transport to their UK area of departure. If the holiday or tour cannot be completed as planned, reimburse the customer for payments made to the member for that holiday or tour, other than payments made by credit card.
Not all coach companies are the same! These days, you just can’t be too careful. Even hiring a coach for a day out or a short break can bring risks. CoachMarque, an initiative of the Confederation of Passenger Transport is the UK coach industry’s only quality standard. Travelling on a CoachMarque vehicle means that you can be assured of a first-class service from your coach operator & that they are committed to the highest standards of coach operations & adopts where appropriate, relevant best practice. A distinctive logo has been designed so you can immediately recognise which coach companies have passed strict standards tests on safety and customer care.
