Bus Services are With a
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ACCORDING to the latest figures. Bedford is one of the four major towns in England and Wales which have had the most rapid rise in population during the past 10 years, and this trend is expected to continue. Several new factories have been built, whilst the local brickworks have attracted a large number of foreigners to the area who have now settled down there.
Bedford's first bus service was started before 1914 by the Bedford Motor Bus Company, but there have been many changes over the years and now the major operators are the United Counties Omnibus Co., Ltd. Before the war the Eastern National Omnibus Co., Ltd., had a big stake in the area, extending their scope by buying out several small operators. They were still expanding, particularly on town services, when their routes were transferred to United Counties in 1952.
From the days of the Bedford Motor Omnibus Company right up to the end of the last war there was only one town service in Bedford—it stretched from Wendover Drive, on the Cambridge side of the town, through the town centre, and out to Kingston. However, at the end of the war Eastern National began remedying matters and inaugurated another service which passed through the town centre. This one started at Stanley Street, beside Bedford Park, took in the Midland Road Station, and finished at Kcmpston.
Mecca of the tourists who visit Bedford, John Bunyan's town, is this statue of the writer at a busy jwtction on many United Counties' routes. The Leyland doubledecker is bound for Keysoe. It is a PD1 53-seater, due to be replaced this year.
Further developments took place in 1947 with the building of a large housing estate in the London Road area, on the south side of the town. Eastern National were operating a service connecting the Elstow and Clapham districts, lying south and north of Bedford, so they were able to divert this to serve the new estate.
The same route was extended at its northern end to the Royal Aircraft Establishment, a large experimental base which has attracted many people to the area. But it was soon evident that these moves could not cater adequately for the demand, so two new services were introduced.
One of them was a circular route, starting and finishing at the Midland Road• Railway Station. From the station it ran c 12
through the town centre and out to the London Road Estate, making a wide sweep there to return on a parallel route back to the town centre and so to the station again. The second service catered for the new Putnoe Estate in the north, running down through the town to Elstow.
When United Counties took Over, they were soon faced with the same difficulty of meeting the needs of an ever-growing population. Big housing projects were rapidly being completed which meant that new, services had to be introduced, and now the people of Bedford have eight town services from which to choose.
In the south-west, Queen's Park area has been developed, and at Clapham the population has risen so quickly that two services are now operated. Services to Putnoe Estate have also been revised— one cuts across Bedford to Cardington Camp in the south-cast, whilst another runs along the main street and out to London Road Estate.
Now that much of the building area in and around the town has been occupied, it should be possible to consolidate these eight services, which have, until recently. lived rather a chequered life. Developments are taking place in the Kimbolton Road area, but slight variations to the Putnoc services should meet all requirements there.
Bedford's out-of-town services have remained basically the same for a number of years, with the exception of the Bedford-Northampton a n d BedfordCambridge links, which have now been combined into one route. The original Cambridge service was unusual in that it was the only one to start from Midland Road Railway Station, a considerable distance from the bus station. With the through service, the extra mileage involved has been eliminated, as buses from • Northampton pass the railway station on their way out to Cambridge.
Apart from United Counties there are still a few other operators providing facilities for residents in the surrounding country districts. Birch Bros., Ltd., cover a wide area in the county, but they have mainly concentrated on Luton. Their routes affecting Bedford are confined to a local service connecting the town with Harrold and some neighbouring villages, together with a regular run between Rushden and I onclon. .t of Bedford is Turvey, the base iiley Bros., who connect the town Lavendon on Wednesday, Thursday ;aturday. In the north is Keysoe, 'rom there G. Woolston and Sons Ito Cambridge on Tuesday, Wednestad Saturday—they have a fleet of vown and cream coaches, four of Bedfords.
: blue buses operated by Premier ff, Ltd., Cambridge. are also seen in ord, as Premier run igular service into own from Huntingand St. Nevis. On
express route ,een Cambridge and )rd, which passes ough Bedford, tier work jointly
Percival's Motors abridge), Ltd. This ice was originally ed to cater for. :rgraduates travel between the two ersity cities. 'allace Arnold rs, Ltd., pick up at Peter's Church on r extended tours to land and, in the :ess field, Associated :orways take i n dford on their ice linking Chellam, Cambridge and wich.
lith so much indusin and around the n, good works ser
s are an essential ure. Horseshoe Coaches, Ltd., London, have a base at Bedford from which they operate to Ridgemont for the Marston Valley Brick Co., Ltd, Workers at the Unilever plant in Shambrook are provided with transport by Ouse Valley Coaches, who now have a new garage for their vehicles just off Goldington Road. Ouse Valley also hold school contracts, and cater for private hire requirements.
The London Brick Co., Ltd., also pro
vide facilities for their workers, but they have equipped themselves with two double-deckers for the task—both of them RT-type vehicles acquired from London Transport.
To meet the growing needs of the town, the corporation are building a new bus station behind Midland Road, close to the main shopping centre. This will relieve .congestion at United Counties' station in Broadway, and will possibly accommodate Birch Bros.' services, which now terminate nearby in St. Peter's Street.
Congestion plays a major part in reducing the average speed of town services, and the position is not helped by the fact that United Counties' garage is at the opposite end of the town to their bus station. This garage houses their entire Bedford area fleet, providing covered accommodation for nearly 100 vehicles, and there is a large open space at the side for expansion.
Most of their vehicles are Bristols, although there are a few Leyland PD1A Titans which were bought by Eastern National in 1947. One of these has a Gardner engine.
Birch Bros. have no depot in the town and Ii ave to keep their vehicles at Rushden or Henlow. On their London route they operate a fleet of Leyland and G u y double-deckers, but all their recent coaches have been A.E.C.s. two of them Park-Royalbodied Reliances for one-man operation