ENTERPRISE IN DORSET
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By F. K. MOSES
ONLY 10 per cent of all journeys in rural areas are by public transport, according to the recently published preliminary report prepared from surveys undertaken by the Ministry of Transport. If this position is true for the whole country, as well it might be (the
surveys were conducted in six specially chosen areas), it would confirm the belief that many rural bus operators only remain in business by developing another source of income.
One such operator is Here Regis and District Motors, which operates 21 services in the county of Dorset, virtually an of which are unrernunerative. The company balances these losses by the profitable operation not only of excursion and contract work, but also of a flourishing car-hire business and taxi service, and the company also operates four petrol-filling stations. A pointer to the enterprising outlook of Bere Regis and District is that it even operates its own commercial tyre retreading service. So extensive is the touring and contract business that although the stage services are relatively infrequent, only seven operating daily, and then not on Sundays (except one), the company nevertheless requires a fleet of no fewer than 92. coaches and buses.
The beginnings, of the company can be traced back to 1930, when several stage services were begun, whilst in 1934 the older-established business of the Davis Motor Service was incorporated. Until 1940 the company was based on Here Regis, but mowd that year to its present headquarters at Dorchester. About 20 other bus operators had been acquired by this time. Today there are depots in Wimborne, Bere Regis, Blandford, Sherborne, Dorchester and Radipole (Weymouth).
Bere Regis and District Motors is a private company 15'18
run by three partners — Mr. W. J. Ironside, managing partner; Mr. R. W. Toop and Mr. P. W. Davis. The general manager is Mr. R. E. J. Roper; Mr. A. Ironside is the chief engineer; Mr. M. Crocker is the traffic manager. and Mr. R. Roper is secretary of the company.
Licences are held for a total of 18 excursions and tours, serving places such as Devon and Cornwall, Bournemouth, Plymouth and, during the illuminations season, Blackpool. A radius of 150 miles is covered by the tours, all being completed in a day, apart from the Blackpool excursion, which takes two days. The excursions and tours pick-up in most of the towns or larger villages in Dorset, and an interesting point is the publishing of a monthly list of tours, rather than an annual list. In this way the programme can be constantly revised, and the running of unprofitable tours eliminated.
Excursions and Contract Services
All the express services operated by Bere Regis and District are special Services Leave journeys. Sixteen services are operated, most of them from Portland Dockyard, and the remainder from other camps in the area. Coaches leave on a Friday evening or Saturday afternoon, returning during the early hours of Monday morning. Places as far afield as Bristol, Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham and London are served by these routes.
Regular schools and works contracts services are run by the company, the schools contracts being obtained by competitive' tender. Wherever practicable, stage services are timed to work in with school journeys to eliminate as much " dead " mileage as possible. Primary, secondary modern and grammar schools are all served, the average journey under contract being 20 miles. Most of the stage services operate away from the main roads, including the services linking the principal towns, and are largely feeder services to Dorchester, the main centre served. Other centres include Sherborne, Sturminster Newton, Bere Regis and Blandford. Wednesday and Saturday are market days in Dorchester and, consequently, the busiest days of operation. Proposals under the Beeching Plan to close some 15 halts on the railways in
the area would lead to an increase in passengers on Some services, though the increase would probably only be mar
ginal. and restricted to peak times.
One solution to the problem of the evening decline in traffic is to withdraw services after six p.m. This may seem a rather drastic measure, but has been brought about by the public's travelling habits, and at least no services have
been withdrawn altogether. It is in this field where the company's six taxis come into their own. Rather than leave rural areas completely cut off in the evenings, or days when stage services do not operate, the taxis are available and well used by people in outlying villages who are without personal car transport. A flourishing side of the business is the self-drive car hire service, and 20 cars are maintained by the company for this work. The greatest demand is obviously in the summer months and at week-ends, most of the cars being hired by local people. However, Weymouth is the port of arrival for saihrigs from the Channel Islands, and self-drive cars can be made available there for use by visitors during their stay on the mainland.
Most numerous make of chassis in the Berc Regis and District coach fleet is the Bedford, with 46 models ranging from two 11-seaters to a total of 29 41-seaters. The 11-seaters are popular with small parties, and have been joined by one Commer and three Morris buses of similar capacity. The company also has a 35-seat Commer and four 41-seat Commers. Remaining vehicles are of the heavier duty type, with 21 Leylands, including five underfloor-engined models, and 16 A.E.C. models, of which eight are underfloor-engined. The latter include three 36-ft. coaches with 51-seat bodies, the first by Duple, and claimed by the company to be the first 36-foot vehicle in service in the area, and two with Plaxton Panorama bodies.
"Spirit of Adventure" Coaches are standardized in the fleet, rather than having two separate classes of vehicle. Some of the coaches are obtained secondhand, but many are bought direct from the manufacturers. In their newer days they operate on the excursions, tours and express services, later being relegated to the stage services, and contract work. Bere Regis does not have a central works as such—the nearest approach is probably at Bere Regis itself where major bodywork overhauls are undertaken when necessary, and where most of the repainting is done. The company undertakes all its own repairs, including preparation of coaches for M.o.T. eeertification, except upholstery trimming, which is done under contract.
Regular monthly docks are carried out at the depots from which the coaches operate. In the case of vehicles on long-distance services, which average 40,000 miles a year, two or even three docks may be undertaken in a month. It is interesting to note that some drivers can do all jobs, and help to overhaul their own vehicles, each driver usually being allocated an individual coach. This gives rise to a definite spirit of adventure, and drivers tend to compete with each other to possess the best-maintained vehicle. It is not surprising to learn that, with such a spirit abroad, many of the drivers are long-established employees of the company, some having been there since 1934. All stage services are operated on the " one-man " principle, so that many of the drivers are conductors as well.
It is at the Bere Regis depot where the company now retreads its own tyres. New tyres are always used on the front wheels of all vehicles. When the treads are wearing thin, the tyres are removed and thoroughly examined. If satisfactory, they are then retreaded and used on the rear wheels, 27,000 miles having been obtained to date with some of the retreads without a single failure. Bere Regis and District also retreads tyres for other commercial operators, this service being handled through the garage business.
The equipment used — the Kentredder system — was supplied by Retreading Equipment Ltd., Anstey Mill Lane, Alton. Hants., and is rented to the company.