PASSENGER TRAVEL NEWS.
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The Latest Doings and Developments in the Bus and Coach World.
BUS DEVELOPMENTS IN SOUTH WALES.
Brief Details of the Remarkable Extensions Made During the Past Year in the Use of Regular-service Vehicles.
IJCRING the past year the development of bus services in South Wales has been such that the word " remarkable," if applied to it, will be no more than the truthful characterization of its growth. In this review, the continued expansion of such well-known services as those of the South Wales Commercial Motors, Cardiff, the South Wales Transport Co., Swansea, Messrs. Lewis and James, Newport and Abercorn, and Messrs. Green's Motors, Haverfordwest (who now run so far afield as Carmarthen), will be dismissed with but passing reference to their acknowledged enterprise and originality.
The general establishment of bus travel in popular esteem as preferable, or at least equal, to that provided by railways, for the short-distance convenience it offers and for long-distance travel, is worthy of mention. Cases could be cited of districts to which buses have been the means, as competitors, of not only introducing cheap road travel facilities, but in forcing the railways to reduce rates even to the extent of 50 per cent., so enhanced in popularity has road travelling become.
Not the least pleasing feature has been the overdue testimony forthcoming from public officials and tradesmen of the good done by, and the sympathy due to, bus service enterprise. As instance, at the Llanelly Chamber of Commerce dinner a few days ago, a prominent railway (G.W.I.) official lamented, in speaking to a toast, the loss incurred by his company by the vastly increased use of the bus. The town clerk pointed out in reply that on Saturdays alone on all routes 566 bus journeys were made to and from Llanelly, and 60,000 people were brought by bus to the town weekly, It was something that tradespeople bad to appreciate and be thankful for.
The increased popularity of the road system of travel in South Wales is due to the completeness of the services and their frequency. There are now few monopoly routes, which means frequent and fair-priced services. It is now possible to journey by bus service from Bristol via Newport, Cardiff, Bridgend, Swansea, Llanelly, Carmarthen and Tenby to Haverfardwest and Pembroke ; from remote south-west Wales to Carnarvon, across Wales from Cardigan to Hereford, and via Newtown to Cheshire.
From every centre radiate local communication services, and in places inaccessible to railways are services to be found. The overcoming of difficulties in achieving short direct routes by enterprise might be illustrated by the service of Messrs. David Morgan, Ferndale, who connected the two Rhondda Valleys by the bold idea of a direct route across Penrhys Mountain from Ferndale to Pentre, a great convenience to miners.
The Rhondda Valleys, too, afford an instance of enterprise and fleet expansion typical of the spirit of proprietors in the area during the past year. Three years ago the Rhondda Tramways Co. introduced buses in the district for the first time. In 12 months they have extended the fleet from 4 to 24 vehicles in service, and project putting on six buses in April. for a service linking the Rhondda area with the Glamorgan resort, Porthcawl, the service to run from Perth via the Vale and Glamorgan to Bridgend and on to terminus.
In the period services have already been introduced on Sundays from Pontypridd to the Rhondda, daily from Pontypridd to Cardiff, and in the past month in extension of the Porth-Llautrisant service to Cardiff ; these in addition to new Rhondda Valleys internal services.
The illustration of the standard-type saloon (on Bristol and A.E.O. chassis) should be supplemented by a statement that the best materials only are used in the body construction, and that, for all routes, seats have best antique leather upholstery over cushion springs, and that, for durability, all-teak frames and aluminium panelling are utilized for the buses.
A feature of mining areas service is the tendency of prorpietors to employ larger buses. This is necessary to satisfy public demand for accommodation, particularly in view of the police edict against overcrowding. Enterprise in this respect is shown in the two new buses, as per illustration, built by 2ilessrs. William Lewis and Son, Tudor Lane, Cardiff, for Messrs. Davies, Imperial Motors, Abercynon, who thus brings his bus fleet (one of uniform expansion since its inception) to ten vehicles, exclusive of Halley and Napier coaches, the Halley chassis being most in favour with the firm: A glass partition separates the saloon into two compartments, 24 seats in the front and 15 in the rear portion. Five seats are situated next to the driver's self-contained compartment. It will be noted that the new buses will, by the use of the partition, be enabled to cater for both working-class men and ordinary passengers— an important matter in mining districts.
Equally well served as the Glamorgan mining valleys are those operating in Monmouthshire. A most notable expansion of a fleet is that of the Western' Valleys Garage and Engineering Co., whose vehicles now number 20. Interdistrict services are complete, and facilities for workmen are granted and increasing.
Mention should be made of the progress of the firm and fleet of Messrs. Thomas White (Barry awl Penarth Road, Cardiff). An extension of routes has resulted in the fleet now traversing • the highways between Pontypridd and Cardiff, Bariy and Cardiff, Cardiff and Wenvoe, and Cardiff and Penarth. The fleet, standardized on A.E.C. machines, numbers 24 buses, and by Easter an increase of this number by 50 per cent is probable, in that the Ministry has now decided in favour of the firm in its appeal against the Cardiff corporation's decision declining licences for 18 buses for a circular service Cardiff, Wenvoe, Barry, Cadoxton, Sully, Penarth, Cardiff. In view of the Ministry's decision, the Cardiff council temporarily licensed the service, apd has now issued full liCences for Messrs. White to establish the service as from Easter.
The whole of the Glamorgan seacoast is now linked to Cardiff by buses, and the establishment of a service between mining district and seaside has been, and is to be, a feature of the current year.
An important development in connection with services in South Wales is the general tendency to fare reduction and the greater use of the short-stage fare. All the biggest firms have notified local authorities of contemplated fare reduc
tions, and already the issue of returnjourney tickets on buses at a much reduced rate for the two-way journey is general. This, except for one or two notable examples, is a development that has taken place in the winter months.
Short-stage fares are in general demand by local authorities in mining areas, whilst at Barry the Omnibus Proprietors' Association itself proposed the penny stage fare to the council as a means of improving trade. The halfpenny stage fare is, however, to be introduced iu South Wales. Does it exist elsewhere? Negotiations are now proceeding between the Aberystwyth Town Council and a London firm of bus proprietors for the issue of six bus licences by the council for the firm to ply for hire at Aberystwyth this summer. One of the inducements held out by the ap
plieanii, firm is half-penny stage fares. It is probable the licences will be granted.
In conclusion, a word is due to the conquest of Wales by English brothersin-trade. The Crosville Motors, Cambrian branch of service, has completely linked up Mid-Wales and North Wales in the past 12 months, and its ramifications now extend toward Tenby in West Wales. The Bristol Tramways Co. has rendered real public service in linking rural Monmouthshire the Forest of Dean coalfield, and Bristol. The Aberystwyth contingency referred to will complete a trio of Cambrian calonizing English firms. Their success has been partially due to a fair utilization of local labour instead of imported employees, a conclusion of which rural Wales would be very mindful.