LONDON'S INDEPENDENT BUS GROUP.
Page 47
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Some Details of the Growing Activities of the Organization Formed by a Number of the Independent Owners Operating in the Metropolis.
AFORTNIGHT ago, in dealing with the first of the covered-top double deck six-wheeled buses to be put into service by the London Public Omnibus Co., Ltd., we found it appontune to give brief details of the immediate and future intentions of the company so far as its bus operations in the Metropolis are concerned. As we have alrektdy mentioned in our pages, the company was farmed as a result of a number of the independent owners operating buses in Landon deciding to band together and to work under the direct control of a common undertaking. At the moment, about 200 vehicles, both single-deckers and double-deckers, are being run under the cognomen "Public." The administrative headquarters of the company are at 5, Gordon Square, London, W.C.1. Its board of directors consists of the Marquis of Winchester, Sir Charles Cleveland, K.C.I.E., K.B.E., Mr. A. T.
Bennett, M.I.Mech.E., and Mr. H. C. Back. Mr. Bennett, who is the managing director of the company, has played a particularly active part in connection with the development of the independent bus services in London.
In the early days of the operations of the independent bus owners, when no restrictions on routes and the number of buses in use on them were in force, an impression was created in some quarters that such owners only set out to skim the cream of the traffic on paying routes and that their vehicles were only to be found in service during those hours when traffic was •at its height. The assertion may have been true of a few of the independent owners, but they were certainly in the minority, and now, of course, they are one and all compelled to observe the provisions of the London Traffic Act.
Ill-formed impressions are not readily
erased from the public mind, however, and even to-day there is still a certain section of the travelling public which is prone to underrate or ignore the allround service which the independent owners are giving in all pants of London at all times of.* day. The lie to its misgivings on this point can best be provided by the accompanying map, which gives an excellent indication of the extent of the operations of the London Public Omnibus Co., Ltd., and by the list of routes which. we publish. Districts north, south, east and west of the heart of London are served, and, in a number of instances, suburban areas, hitherto unprovided for in the mattez of efficient road transport facilities, have been opened up.
The ramifications of the company cover, in all, 50 different routes, and, with one exception, the services are maintained every week-day. In a few eases two and three services operate over the same routes, a prolongation or curtailment of the main service being indicated by a serial letter after the route number. The map and the list of routes show only those routes on which • the base; controlled by the London Public Omnibus Co., Ltd., are run, and there is a number of other services maintained by independent owners which are operatirig outside the co-ordinated organization.
Below is the list of routes on which the Public buses are in service
Ca Konen' Rise Station and Hackney Wick.
116' Shepherd's Bush Green and Liverpool Street Station.
14 Hampton Ccurt and Horrisey Rise.
14a Pntney High Street and liornsey Rise. 14c Kingston Vale and King's CTOSS. 15a Ladbroke Grove and East Ham.
17 Southall Town Hall and London Bridge Station.
17b Southall Town Hall and Oxford Circus.
17d Southall Town Hall and Shepherd s Bush Green.
21d Wood Green and Lewisham Obelisk.
25a Victoria Station and Aldgate.
27a Highgate and Twickenh'ain Station. 29 Hadley Woods and Victoria Station. 29a Southgate and Victoria Station. 34 Liverpool Street Station and Croydon. '
36 West Kilburn and Either Green Station. 57b Richmond and Peckham yi,oh Street.
42a Finsbury Park Station and Camberwell Green.
47a Shoreditch Church and Farnborough.
49a Shepherd's Bush Green and Streatham Common.
581 Camden Town and Coulsdon Oda W"hite horse Road'.
59a Camden Town and Coulscion (via Lou den Road).
69 Wornaley and Camberwell Green. 69a Waltham Cross arid Camberwell Green.
73s Richmond and Stoke Newingtnn.
75a South Croydon and Cation' (Saturdays only).
96d Leytonetone and Lougliton. 100t Loytonstone and Ii:pping Town. 159(t Camden Town sod t.'aterham.
170b Southall Town Hall and Ltverpnot Street Station.
173d Hammersmith Broadway and Stoke New. ington. 173e Hammersmith Broadway and King's Cross.
201 Stroud Green and Edmonton.
212e Waltham Crass and Charing Cross. 247 Mermen and King's Cr088.
263 Finsbury Park and Lepton.
284a Hadley Highsterie and Victoria Station. 286a Sonthall and Southall Town Ball. 297a Tufnell Park lintel and King s Cross. 306f Waltham Croon and Waltham Abbey. 4013a West Croydon Station and Beddington. 5115 Chingford and Stratford Broadway. 525 Enfield Town and Cubitt. Town. 526d North Finehley and Wandsworth Bridge, 52'T East Acton and Hither Green Station.. 529 Winchmora Hill and Victoria Station. 529e Winchmore Hill and Charing Cross. 538 Forty Hill, Enfield; and Strond Green. 538a Winehmore Hill and Stroud Green. 551 Whetstone and Edmonton.