Marked Increase in One-man Bus Operation
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THE most significant factor in the "Summary of' the Annual Reports of the Traffic Commissioners, 1958-59" (Stationery Office. 3s. 6d.) is the rise in the number of dispensations granted to allow the operation of one-man buses. There were fewer applications for increases in fares, and those that were made had been delayed until necessity left no choice. Some adjustments were made to bring fares into line with those of other operators using common routes. Others were made to counter a decline in traffic, or because of the rising costs of operation, mainly through wage awards.
Extracts from the Commissioners' reports are detailed below.
Northern Area Generally the decline. in traffic continued, as more people acquired their own transport and television.sets, Operators were forced to make economies by amending services.
One proposal by a rural operator to withdraw his two services because of lack of revenue and the need for a new bus was considered. As the result of a public meeting, passengers agreed to a fare increase of 20 per cent., a large company sold the operator a bus at a reasonable figure and the 'County -Education . Autbority extended their contract. These factors enabled the serVices to •continue.
Many more vehicles were adapted for oneman operation and one operator with more than 40 services was granted dispensation front carrying conductors on all his routes. The number of current .services covered by dispensations increased from 142 to 253. Recruitment of staff became remarkably easier during the year. Larger operators tendedto increase the mileage between overhauls, but the standard of maintenance remained satisfactory.
Yorkshire Area: The demand for express services from large centres to London and thecoast continued, The trend in excursions and tours was to vary routes and destinations. The position of rural services tended to worsen. Dispensations for oneman operation were granted to seven more operators on 88 services, raising the number to 65 operators and 330 services, The recruitment of bus crews continued to improve.
North Western Area : A number of applications to re-route express services along the Freston by-pass was granted. Many excursions and tours along it were also sanctioned. The opening of the new Conway Bridge enabled Crosville Motor Services, Ltd., to use double-deck vehicles on 18 services. This saved annually some 400,000 miles' running and £2,700 in tolls.
The decrease in the number of passengers in urban and rural areas continued. Many services in sparsely populated districts were reorganized, but only four were withdrawn, One-man operation on 620 services and 267 vehicles was permitted for the first time. Forty operators were authorized to run oneman vehicles on stage services, The demand for high-capacity double-deck vehicles and the conversion, for one-man operation, of single-deckers continued.
West Midland Area A licence was issued for an express service from Birmingham to London via the new motorway. Authority was also given for the existing. non-stop
service to use the new motorway. An experimental limited-stop service during peak hours in Birmingham was authorized.
The drift from public services to private transport continued, but most operators were reluctant to discontinue unremunerative rural services. Only five were withdrawn. Dispensations from carrying conductors, which helped operators to maintain rural facilities, were in . force on 178 services. In all cases permission was given for eight standing passengers to be carried. There was no great use of 12-seaters. although there were signs of increasing interest in them. There was a satisfactory drop in the number of suspensions of licences. Many operators economized by
more frequent preventive maintenance inspections and longer periods between overhauls.
East Midland Area: Applications for oneman operation continued to increase. At the end of the year, 61 operators held dispensations for 431 services. In some eases, one-man vehicles were permitted as relief buses on stage services. The 12-seat bus had made little contribution towards.solving the rural transport problem, but interest in its use was growing, South Wales Area: Seven rural services were withdrawn, but most of the routes were covered by other services and only small sections were left without public transport. .. Dispensations . from carrying conductors were granted for 49 stage services, making the current total 286. Authority was given to carry standing passengers on 13 one-man services, bringing the total to 24.
There was a marked irtcreaSe in the number of 11-12-seat vehicles, but they were used mainly on • private-hirework and school . contracts.
Western Area: A • number of services, including those to military camps on Salis7 bury Plain, was recast and merged. The decline in the number of passengers continued. Although operators generally showed unwillingness to cut services, eight had been withdrawn because they were unremunerative. Several additional rural services were introduced experimentally. Some were not supported and later withdrawn.
Only one 12-seater was operated under a road service licence. Operators serving rural areas adapted a large proportion of their single-deck fleets for one-man operation. By the end of the year, dispensation from carrying conductors was held by 40 operators for 345 vehicles on 1,291 stage services.
South-Eastern Area: The operation of extended tours continued to flourish. The use of short-distance diesel trains had some effect on traffic, but generally the trend away from public transport diminished. One company found it possible to restore a number of unremunerative rural journeys as a result of the Budget taxation relief. Although reorganization of unremunerative services continued, few were completely withdrawn. The use of 12-seat vehicles for stage services had not so far increased. A total of 79 dispensations from carrying conductors was granted.
Metropolitan Area: To meet the need for major•economies in urban areas, 53 London Transport central services were withdrawn, some on Saturdays or Sundays only. Curtailment affected 22 others. To compensate for the withdrawals, 28 services were altered and nine new ones introduced cn Sundays only. Some 16 London Transport country bus services, mostly on Sundays, were withdrawn and the frequency of about 90 others reduced. One-man operation was authorized for 22 London Transport routes and 16 services of other operators. Operators with inadequate garage and maintenance facilities were encouraged to adopt organized maintenance systems.
Scottish Area: Traffic continued to fall. There was a further p`runing of services, but few were totally withdrawn. Some new country services were introduced and 12-seat buses helped small rural operators. One-man operation was in force on 209 services, mostly rdral.