[citation needed] When deregulation took effect and Merseybus commenced operations on 26 October 1986, some services across the Merseyside area saw reduced bus frequencies as a result of the introduction of new timetables, as well as fare rises ranging from between 55% and 150%.

[12] By early 1989, however, this profit had turned into a £40 million (equivalent to £125,699,000 in 2023) loss as a result of Merseybus losing out on subsidised Merseytravel services to independent bus operators.

In what was viewed by bidding employees as an attempt to derail a deal for the ESOP, Merseytravel introduced the £9.70 (equivalent to £25 in 2023) Solo all-week ticket in March 1992 in partnership with 29 other independent bus operators on Merseyside.

[26][27] As a result, Glenvale Transport was formed by former Gillmoss depot management in July 2001, acquiring CMT Buses two years later and continuing as an independent operator until being purchased by the Stagecoach Group in August 2005.

MTL sought to bolster the Lancashire Travel fleet with second-hand MCW Metrobuses mainly acquired from London,[31] as well as with 13 new Wright Endurance bodied Volvo B10Bs in Spring 1994.

[36][34][37][38] This agreement was subject to a study by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission which found MTL, the GM Buses companies, North Western and other Merseyside bus operators working in collusion and in breach of fair trade regulations, resulting in fines for all concerned.

To attract passengers, the drivers of 'Silver Service' buses were given special customer care training, while MTL advertised a weekly ticket lower than four days' tunnel toll fees.

[44] At the end of 1995, this operation was augmented with a batch of 30 similar specification Northern Counties Palatine II bodied Volvo Olympians, which were also used on other cross-river services.

Merseymini used a fleet of Alexander and Northern Counties bodied Dodge S56s, including some bought secondhand from GM Buses, and its most notable routes were two Merseytravel contracts and two commercial services.

Other services between Huyton, Old Swan and Belle Vale were quickly dropped and the Merseymini name quietly vanished around 1992, when the low-cost MerseyRider unit became more involved with minibus operation.

These Titans, following mechanical assessment by MTL Engineering and an initial period of running in London configuration, were extensively refurbished to have centre exit doors removed, seats retrimmed into standard MTL moquette, fitted with accessibility features recommended by the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DiPTAC) and being painted into standard Merseybus livery before re-entering service in Liverpool.

These were branded in yellow, black and white Merseytravel livery for use on a series of circular and north-south Liverpool bus services, bought as part of Merseytravel's £4 million (equivalent to £10,049,000 in 2023) SMART project, intended to improve the quality of Liverpool's bus services through investment in low-floor buses, traffic priority measures and improved infrastructure.

[45][51] A further 22 Palatine II bodied Volvo Olympians were introduced in 1998 for operations based at Gillmoss depot in North Liverpool, branded as The Millennium Fleet.