CT4N ceased trading, making most of its 76 staff redundant

On 14 August 2026, Community Transport for Nottingham (CT4N), a bus operator running more than 20 local services across Nottingham, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, announced it had stopped trading and had made the majority of its 76 staff redundant, with steps under way to place the firm formally into administration. The directors said that after working with professional advisers to explore all available options, the company had 'no viable alternative but to take steps to cease trading immediately'.

The end came despite a rescue attempt: a Company Voluntary Arrangement had been approved in October 2025, and the management team cited 'significant efforts' since. But rising fuel, insurance, maintenance and employment costs, combined with 'regulatory pressures affecting its operations', had placed 'significant strain' on financial and operational viability — pressures that continued after the CVA rather than abating.

The company traced its origins to the formation of Nottingham Community Transport in 1979, and its loss landed as a public-service event: Nottingham City Transport immediately took over CT4N's service 18 and began reviewing options to replace others, while East Midlands mayor Claire Ward called the loss of a local bus service 'life-changing' and said the authority was working at pace to minimise disruption and keep communities connected.

Most of 76 staff redundant; more than 20 local bus services across Nottingham, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire lost or disrupted

The collapse arrived ten months after creditors approved a CVA — the restructuring had not fixed the underlying economics.

Sector-wide cost inflation hit every line at once: fuel, insurance, maintenance and employment costs rose together, with regulatory pressure on top.

A community-transport heritage going back to 1979 offered no shelter once the commercial cost base outran its revenue.

A CVA buys time, not viability: if the cost base keeps climbing after the agreement, administration is just the formal date on an outcome already written.

The East Midlands Combined County Authority said some services had already been replaced by other operators, with every option being explored to minimise disruption; redundant staff were offered signposting into EMCCA's employment and skills programmes. Nottingham City Transport took over the busiest route immediately, with replacements for the remaining services under review.