A bus company running services across Sussex has been bought by an international transport firm.
Southdown Buses has been taken over by Brighton and Hove Buses owner Go Ahead.
Soouthdown operates a fleet of 30 buses across 18 routes in Sussex, Surrey and Kent.
The change was made with effect from Wednesday.
Stephen Wallis, managing director of Southdown Buses, said: "I'm delighted to announce that Southdown Buses will become a subsidiary of Brighton and Hove Bus and Coach Company and thus part of Go-Ahead group."
Go Ahead is one of the leading transportation operators in the UK, holding the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise under the name Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), along with Brighton and Hove Buses, Metrobus and some Transport for London services.
In an email to existing Go-Ahead staff, Brighton and Hove Buses and Metrobus managing director Ed Wills said: "We are pleased to announce that Brighton and Hove Bus Company Ltd has acquired Southdown PSV.
"This is an exciting step for our company that will see us gain a new operating location, and we welcome 43 colleagues into our team.
"Southdown will continue to operate as an individual business and will initially retain its local identity."
The bus company's headquarters is in Copthorne, near Gatwick.
The change was announced in an enthusiasts' group on Facebook, and it was met with strong opinions.
One commenter said: "It's always sad when an independent operator becomes part of a huge company". Another said: "This is very unexpected, but totally understandable in the current climate."
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