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PROGRESSIVE BUS-WORKING in a Populous Industrial Area
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One of the A..E.C. 54-seaters used on express service by the Newcastle Corporation.
ALTHOUGEE north-country municipalities, as -a whole, did not take kindly to motorbuses—perhaps even less kindly to trolley-buses—when such vehicles first began to make their presence felt as serious rivals to the tramways, now even the most deep-rooted prejudices have been overcome, and authorities which a few years ago were unswerving in their allegiance to fixedline .transport are now among the warmest advocates of the newer and more up-to-date forms of passenger locomotion.
Just how far these newer modes have progressed in the north can be summed up concisely in a sentence or two. Whereas six or seven years ago the total number of municipally owned passenger vehicles, other than tramcars, did not exceed 70 or 80 in the area (situated between Newcastle-on-Tyne and York, to-day seven municipalities and one joint undertaking (owned by two adjoining 1 o c a 1 authorities) control between them a fleet of over 250 buses and trolley vehicles of the latest types. The systems worked by these bodies cover an aggregate route mileage of between 250 and 300 in the most densely peopled portions of the industrial north, and provide speedy, regular and adequate transit facilities for two to three million people every day.
Whilst one or two authorities owned motors so long as 10 or 12 years ago, the actual history of municipal passen ger transport in the north may be said to have had its real inception about six or seven years ago, for it is in the years which have• intervened since approximately 1923-24 that the presentday fleets have been established.
Here is an interesting table showing the fleets now worked by leading north-country municipal authorities :-.1k In more than one instance orders on hand for new vehicles will further increase these totals. In addition to the above municipally owned fleets account must be taken of the Tees-side Railless Traction Board, an undertaking which is jointly owned by the Middlesbrough Corporation and the Eaton Urban District Council/ This was the pioneer trolley-bus system in this country, and, at present, the Board, besides working a network of trolley-vehicle routes in thickly populated Tees-side districts also owns a number of buses which is used to permit of expansions to the system without entailing the heavy cost of erecting new overhead equipment.
Even this, however, does not exhaust the possibilities of municipal passenger transport in this area, for at present the Sunderland Corporation is engaged . upon the task of establishing its own motorbus system, and has on order 12 Leyland single-deck pneumatic-tyred buses, which will shortly be put into commission on a numberof routes in the town.
Although local authorities are naturally restricted, so far as expansion is concerned, it cannot yet be said that finality has been reached in any of the areas mentioned. Each authority has under contemplation development and improvement schemes. In some cases this has reference to the inauguration of new routes and in others to fleet augmentations, whilst efforts are being directed towards the attainment of greater riding comfort or the provision of greater security for passengers before or after a journey by providing bus stations, waiting-rooms or shelters.
Newcastle Corporation, the largest municipal operator in the area, has built up its presentday fleet in the course of the past three or four years. This includes six Associated Daimler double-deck vehicles, each capable of accommodating 54 passengers, whilst the
single-deckers include Guy, Dennis, Daimler and Assnciated Daimler buses, all 30-seaters4
Eleven services are now worked to various parts around Newcastle, up to a radius of 9 miles to 10 miles. the total route mileage being approximately 80. The vehicles carry from 6,000,000 to 8,000,000 passengers
Per annum and cover an annual mileage little short of 2,000,000. For the past complete year, in respect of which figures are available, working costs averaged 8.22d, per mile and the receipts amounted to 10.470. per mile. The corporation's total expenditure: upon motorbuses up to the end of the past financial year was £66,609.
The double-deck vehicles are employed on express services between Newcastle and Gosforth (three miles distant) and provide rapid _through facili ties, leaving the trams to cater for short journey traffic. '
In addition to the pioneer efforts of the Tees-side Railless Traction Board, the north-country has given further useful leads to the remainder of the country in respect of trolley-bus working, for Darlington was the first town in England to decide upon the wholesale substitution of its trams by the more flexible type, and West Hartlepool is proud of the distinction that it was the first authority, probably in the world, to place in service an all-pneumatic-tyred trolley-bus fleet.
At Darlington, where the fleet npw numbers 26 vehicles, made up of 24 Clough-Smith 31-seaters and two Lansome 32-seaters, attention is now being focused upon the necessity of coaversion to paemnatic-tyred equipment. The corporation has accepted a tender for the conversion of one vehicle and the results obtained from this, together with statistics in reference to the two Ransorne machines, which were fitted with pneumatics when purchased, will determine the future course of events.
The corporation has also recently obtained sanction to open up a number of new areas for trolley-bus working. A surplus of nearly £4,000 is anticipated for the year 1928-29.
The West Hartlepool fleet comprises 12 Garrett 32-seaters, 12 Clough-Smith 32-seater vehicles and seven Rakes trolley-buses, of which six are 36seaters and one a 48-seater doubledecker ; the corporation also has 16 Bristol 31-seater petrol buses in operation. The Bristol buses are employed largely upon the route along the New Tees Road, via Seaton Carew.
One of the most successfully operated manicipal fleets in the area is that worked by the Stockton Corporation. For several years past a steadily increasing net surplus has been shown, the highest being over £8,000. This authority has adopted the course of making fleet augmentations largely out of income, and each year a portion of the profits is set apart for the purchase of new vehicles. Of the 37 motorbuses in commission 26 are Leylands, six being 51-seater double-deckers.
Middlesbrough, which has traffic problems similar to those of the adjoining borough of Stockton, is now turning its attention to the merits of double-deckers and has on order three Guy six-wheeler 60-seaters. This authority, after experimenting with services to outlying districts, now colleen
trates upon the provision of in-town facilities, with satisfactory results. A number of short, circular routes receives excellent patronage. The following vehicles are now in service :—Eight Guy 26-seaters, five Dennis 18-seaters, four Leyland 32-seaters and two Bristol 28seaters.
York has worked buses successfully for several years and frequent pur chases have been necessary to enable the corporation to meet public demands. The fleet at present comprises 18 Leyland buses, including 20 26-seatere and 32-seaters and two Karrier 32-seettns, whilst, hi addition, one short section of route is worked by Railless 20-seater trolley-buses. ,