PASSENGER TRAVEL NEWS.
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The Latest Doings and Developments in the Bus and Coach World.
BUS TRANSPORT AT LEICESTER.
How a Large Provincial City is Adequately Served by Municipal and Private Bus Services.
THEHE Leicester City Tramways and Motor Department, as it is now styled, first embarked on the operation of motorbuses in 1924. During the intervening four years between then and now the bus fleet has been gradually increased until it at present totals 33 vehicles, all of them up-to-date machines, the earlier purchases having by now been converted from singledeckers to covered-top double-deckers.
There are 14 of these vehicles. incorporating Tilling-Stevens model TS4, Petrol-electric chassis, and they are per-' forming their duties quite satisfactorily —incidentally, they are still run on solid tyres.
The Leicester authorities were quick to recognize that the six-wheeler is a practical and economical proposition, and 11 Guy six-wheelers with 56-seater double-deck covered-top bodies, built by the Brush Electrical Engineering Co., Ltd., of Loughborough, have been purchased. There are also eight fourwheeled Guy one-man-controlled-type saloon vehicles, these being used on those routes which do not call for the employment of large-capacity machines.
Quick headway services are maintained on routes to Saffron Lane and Coalpit Lane, from Welford Place, and from Humberstone Gate to St. Philip's Church, Evington Valley, the buses running at intervals varying from four to 10 minutes, according to the period of the day. A suburban service is also operated from Humberstone Road to Melton Road, via Gipsy Lane, the single-decker being used on this route. Despite the fact that the Leicester municipal authorities have only been operating buses since 1924, they were early in the field in their efforts to secure powers to work this class of vehicle, and sanction to work motorbuses both within and outside the city was incorporated in their Acts of 1902 and 1913.
The local licensing committee has been liberal with the issue of licences for buses to ply for hire in the city and, although certain restrictive measures have been recently adopted, about halfa-dozen companies and numerous onebus owners run between Leicester and the surrounding towns and villages.
Seven stands have been allocated for the use of buses, all these being situated within a half-mile radius of the Clock Tower and, with a few exceptions —bused going southwards, for example —they use stands on the south side of the centre, whilst north-bound vehicles use north-side terminals and so on.
The main terminal points are the Newarke (this stand being employed exclusively by Midland " Red " buses), Newarke Street ; the Hind Hotel, London Road ; Humberstone. Gate ; Gt. Central Street; Belgrave Gate and Castle Street Amongst the most extensive services are those operated by the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., which has established a branch depot in Leicester with accommodation for some 50 buses. A few Tilling-Stevens petrolelectric open-top double-deckers are em played in the Leicester area, but the majority is composed of the now wellknown S.O.S. machines.
Apart from through services to Market Harborough, Loughborough,
.Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Burton-on-Trent, Coalville, Nuneaton and Birmingham, about 30 local services and special market-day runs to the smaller towns and villages in the district are maintained, the majority being operated throughout the whole week.
The tabulation 'published briefly indicates the activities of other prominent proprietors than those mentioned. In addition to these users, numerous other owners serve Cosby, Blaby, Groby, Enderby, Markfield, Anstey, CoeLille, etc., and Vulcan, Guy, Dennis, Bean, G.M.C., lieu and Chevrolet buses with seating capacities for from 14 to 30 persons are in commission on these routes, The Trent Motor Traction Co., Ltd., of Derby, also runs into Leicester in connection with the Loughborough service, which it operates jointly with the Midland "Red" Company.