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12th April 1957, Page 53
12th April 1957
Page 53
Page 52
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Page 53, 12th April 1957 — No Connton Denominator
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Review of Five Bus Stall,

By a Special Reveals Few Common Des Correspondent Features: Interesting Adapiat of Railway Station at Southp APART from the -obvious fact that bus stations exist for the convenience of passengers and traffic other than buses, and that their layout conforms to a certain basic formula, there is no criterion to apply a particular design in differing circumstances, In one town, it may be politic to provide an architectural masterpiece to blend with adjacent buildings (in which case, other towns served by the operator concerned expect similar treatment), whilst in another, the local authority is satisfied with an ugly and poorly sheltered patch of land, provided that it takes the bus termini off the streets.

The cost of a station and, more specifically, the site on which it stands, is a relative matter. So, too, is the position of the site, although in many towns this question has, in recent years, depended to some extent on the placing of bombs by enemy aircraft in the last war.

In short, with the exception of the considerations already mentioned, bus stations have no common denominator. To illustrate this, I have picked •at random five bus stations in different parts of England. Three of these have been provided by operators for their own use, the others having been built by municipalities.

Of the two municipal bus stations, that at Pond Street, Sheffield, is the most ambitious. Used chiefly by the c12 corporation's own bus services, it embraces an area of 150,300 sq. ft., of which 27,000 sq. ft. is under cover. As well as four covered platforms, there are underground toilets converted from air-raid shelters, a ladies' waiting room, and inquiry and left-luggage offices.

The main building embraces two platforms, one of them in Pond Street. This structure is 360 ft. long and has a continuous floor space of 12,250 sq. ft. Queue barriers inside the buildings can accommodate some 2,700 people, but up to 4,000 persons can queue under cover without, it is claimed, impeding circulation.

Pre-cast reinforced-concrete posts and panels, based on a standard 15-ft. bay, form the buildings. In the main building, a clear span of 34 ft. has been obtained by using a specially designed laminated timber arch rib, spaced at 21-in. centres and diagonally boarded. The concrete wall panels have an exposed aggregate finish to ease washing down.

Thirty-three services use the station, the number of vehicle departures being 14,000 a week. Between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays 12,000 people are moved from the station in some 240 buses.

Excursions, run by the corporation to beauty spots in North Derbyshire, leave 'rem another platform, which is on a slightly higher level than the station proper. It is normally in use only on Sundays and Bank Holidays. Adjoining is a platform, leased and developed by Sheffield United Tours, Ltd., as a terminal point for their excursions and tours. Yorkshire Pool Services also use it. S.U.T. have opened a booking and inquiry office near to their departure platform, and although is not an integral part, the form of construction employed harmonizes with that of the station's buildings.

The other municipally owned station, at Farnham Road, Guildford, is used chiefly by the Aldershot and District Traction Co., Ltd., although five other operators also run into it. 'Comprising three curved platforms, with the conventional type of open shelter running almost the full length of each, it provides an interesting comparison with its Sheffield counterpart.

In a normal week there are well over 4,000 vehicle departures from the station. Aldershot and District are responsible for 3,500 of these, the next biggest user being the London Transport Executive with 271. Four local independent operators have between them a weekly departure figure of 566.

Both local stage and long-distance express buses use the station provided at Macclesfield by the North

Western Road Car Co., Ltd. This is roughly semicircular in design, most of the station's facilities being provided in a building situated so as to form a runthrough for the buses. Attached to the station is a garage housing 56 vehicles.

The number of North Western's services operating from the station is 46. On weekdays there are 602 vehicle departures, Saturday and Sunday figures being c14 740 and 281 respectively. In the morning peak (7-8 a.m.) there is a maximum of 69 departures, the maximum number of buses leaving in the evening peak (5.306.30) being 61.

A station designed mainly for holiday traffic is that built at Scarborough by East Yorkshire Motor Services, Ltd. It is used by four services throughout the year, but one of these, from Hull, jumps from a two-hourly frequency in winter to a half-hourly headway in summer, a period in which it is also extensively duplicated. On a peak Saturday last year there were Si vehicle departures, 52 of them duplicates, on this service alone. The other services had a total departure figure of 22, of which seven were duplicates.

The design of the Scarborough station, therefore, provides rather more parking space than is normally the case. It is formed by two concreted areas at different levels, access to and from the lower level being gained by a concreted ramp at each end. This area is used solely for parking.

There is also provision for parked vehicles on the higher level, where passengers are picked up at two points on a single platform. Facilities in'kthe building adjoining the platform include a waiting room, inquiry and left-luggage offices, staff rest room and toilets. A reinforced concrete canopy, extending over part of the platform, forms the roof.

Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., were responsible for the most original of the five stations reviewed. At Southport they have successfully adapted for their own requirements a railway station which ceased to exist as such when a little-used branch line was abandoned five years ago.

The space between platforms along which the rail track lay has been filled and concreted to form a continuous floor level, conventionally raised platforms being provided for bus passengers. The interior of the building has been modernized, and an inquiry office and shops, accessible from both within and without the station, form a frontage on Lord Street.

Vehicles enter from Lord Street, unload just inside the entrance, proceed to the loading bays and stand facing forward at an angle to the platform. Passengers queue at barriers placed just beyond the bays. Departing buses reverse out of the bays, and leave via an exit situated at the rear of the station. Here, too, there is parking space for extra buses and coaches.

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Locations: Sheffield, Southport

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