Modern Transport in an Ancient Island
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TnE holiday island of the Channel group is Jersey, which is 45 sq. miles in area, with a network of roads over 500 miles long. This beautiful island has a charmand distinction curiously its awn. Each year roughly 150,000 visitors enter Jersey from Southampton or Weymouth, whilst the resident population is just over 50,000. Petrol is not taxed raid is sold at 9d. per gallon.
Not the least interesting feature of the island is the bus fleet of the Jersey Motor Transport Co., Ltd., which consists of four Leyland Titans with Hybridge double-deck bodies, three new Leyland L.T.2 single-deckers, and a number of older types of this make, including five P.L.S.0.1 models and two P.L.S.0.3 types, together with other makes, there being a total a 45 buses.
The J.M.T. is the only company serving the whole island, and the popularity of its buses can best be gauged by the fact that during the winter months, when there are few visitors in Jersey, the average number of passengers carried per week exceeds that a the resident population. Over 1,500,000 passengers are carried per year and the number is rapidly increasing.
Each of the main-route buses travels 175 miles per day, and the weekly fleet mileage is at present about 33,000. The four double-deckers and the three L.T.2 types have been introduced during the past 12 months. The first Titan doubledecker was placed in service at the beginning of August, 1931, and has now completed 65,000 miles.
One of the L.T.2 models was introduced in July, 1931, two L.T.2 types in October, 1931, the second Leyland Titan double-decker in January of last year, and the most recent were the two further Titans, with Hybridge bodies, put on the road last month. The combined mileages of the first two Titans and the three L.T.2 vehicles is 270,000, which is something of a record on the Jersey roads under all weather conditions. The cost of mechanical replacements for these machines has not been more than The introduction of double-deck buses into Jersey created rather a sensation. This can be readily understood, as many of the inhabitants had never been out of the island. Mr. F. H. Blakeway, the general manager, and his assistant, Mr. A. S. Glassford, at first had tonsiderable difficulty in showing the people how safe modern bus travel by welldesigned vehicles can be.
In winter time, despite gales and an exposed coast, these double-deckers have never had to be taken out of service. At times the severe gusts bring the buses right down into second gear.
Country people are now asking Mr. Blakeway to run double-deckers through to the villages outside St. Helier, and have even cut down trees to ensure that there shall be no obstructions. Doubledeckers have come to stay in Jersey, but they will always be working under arduous conditions.