One-man buses UTA leads
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THE Ulster Transport Authority is far in advance of any other transport company in the British Isles in the operation of one-man buses. This claim was made by Mr. Noel Flanagan, road passenger manager, when he revealed recently that a massive switch-over was taking place.
By the end of the summer no fewer than 424 of the Authority's 594 single-decker buses will be one-man operated. Mr. Flanagan stated that this was where the future lay and that larger-capacity single-deckers were the coming thing.
The Authority's view was that the future for double-deck buses was becoming limited. The UTA is 'likely to concentrate on the construction of 36 ft. single-deckers with 53 or 54 seats.
The UTA began the gradual switch-over in January, 1965 and by January 13, 1966,329 buses were one-man operated. During the last year 161 conductors took driving courses and opted to become one-man operators. A total of 322 drivers also participated