Municipal Bus Enterprise in South Wales
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THE passenger-transport position in the densely populated areas of West Monmouthshire and East Cdamorganshire differs radically from that in the industrial area of South Lancashire, as described in. "The Commercial Motor" on Janitary14. In the latter case, municipal operators predominate and the various systems are linked together by complicated inter-Working arrangements, many of them dating back to the tramway days, when most of the undertakings had their origin..
In the part of South Wales now to be described, the company vehicles (mainly those of the Rhondda Transport, Western Welsh and Red and White companies and their associates) which operate in and between the territories of the mUnicipaI oPerators' Probably equal in total those of the corporations and district councils, but the most striking differences are in the simplicity of the inter-running arrangements, where they exist, and in the fact that over much of the ground they do not exist at all. There are many inter-urban routes without inter-working arrangements. Or, to put it more bluntly, on many routes the companies started through services before the municipalities Woke up to the advantages of participation.
Municipal fleets in the area vary greatly in size, as the following tableshows:—
This grew out of a train system which began in 1874 and at its maximum worked seven short radial routes.
Buses were started in April, 1924, and trams were finally abandoned on September 5, 1937. Under its 1914 Act, the Corporation obtained bus powers only for the borough and the rural district of St: Mellon', but another Act in 1925 gave poWers for a distance of two miles from the boundary.
In fact, however, services (except that to Caerleon) were restricted to the borough until, in 1945, Newport
at last arranged to participate on a 50-per-cent. basis in the service to Cardiff which the corporation of that city had bought from a private opera-tor some 20 years previously. Until joint working was instituted, the service had not entered the centre of Newport.
In addition to the Cardiff service, Newport works 10 routes (two of them having alternative suburban ter Mini) and a number of peak-hour extras. With the influx of workers and the building of new factories, the provision of an adequate service at morning and evening is a serious problem-. which is not made easier by the way in which the borough is cut into two by the River Usk. There is only one bridge over 'which buses can be run.
If a normal type bridge existed, instead of the transporter, it would be .a great help in avoiding a long detour. Another crossing to the north is planned to attract through traffic away from the centre, but it may not be built for many years.
The .main street of the:town was becoming so congested, because of the long queues at all stopping places
• at the evening peak, that the corporation has just opened a temporary bus station between Dock Street and Kingsway to take waiting passengers. It is planned to build a station near the new Civic Centre for company buses
entering the town, but whether the corporation vehicles will eventually be dealt with on the same site is as yet uncertain.
Newport has been connected by bus with the mining valleys of West Monmouthshire ever since the 1920s, but the services have always been run by private concerns. A series of purchases has, in effect, given control of these inter-urban routes to either the Western Welsh or Red and White undertaking. or companies associated with them. • The nearest municipal undertaking to Newport is that of Bedwas and Machen Urban District Council, which for many years had the distinction of possessing the smallest municipal fleet in Great Britain—three buses. Now that it owns nine, that honour has gone to Colwyn Bay, with six. Bedwas and Machen obtained powers to run a bus service in 1917 and started with three StrakerSquires on a service to Caerphilly, which is still the main route. A service is also run locally in Bedwas and another from Caerphilly to Pandy Road.
Fleet Likely to Increase
Considerable house building is going on in the urban district, and as the Northern Aluminium factory at Rogerstone calls for workers' buses three times a day. it is likely that the fleet will expand further if nationalization does not take place. The threat of this has stopped the building of a new garage at Trethomas, which would have added greatly to the efficiency of the undertaking. At the present time the vehicles have to be parked in the open at the back of the council offices and the repair facilities are inadequate. The fleet is made up of two Albion double-deckers, two Leyland double-deckers (exWigan) and five Bedford single-deckers with austerity bodies. • Season tickets are interchangeable with -those issued by "Western Welsh," but there is no pooling or co-ordination with any other undertaking. Originally, Caerphilly Urban District Council, which also obtained bus powers in 1917, worked between Caerphilly and Trethomas jointly with Bedwas and Machen, but when Caerphilly sold its rights on that route to "Western Welsh," joint working ceased.
Whatever motives prompted the sale of the Trethomas route, Caerphilly has not been slow to join in interB12 urban working in other directions. The longest route in which it participates is that run jointly with Cardiff and the West Monmouthshire Omnibus Board from Cardiff to Tredegar, via Nantgarw-33 miles. There is joint working with Pontypridd Urban District Council to that town, and Caerphilly is one of the four partners in the service from Pontypridd to Bedlinog and to Blackwood, via Nelson. These services were bought from Messrs. Jones Bros., of Treharris, jointly by the West Monmouthshire Omnibus Board and Caerphilly, Pontypridd and Gellygaer Urban District Councils.
On weekdays the first bus from Pontypridd is sup• plied by Caerphilly and the first from Blackwood by the Board, vehicles of the two undertakings then alternating throughout the day. Pontypridd works the whole Sunday service and supplies the weekday duplicates, in addition to working shorts between Pontypridd and Treharris. The Potitypridd-Berlinog route is worked entirely by Gellygaer. The mileage is apportioned s6 that on the basic timetable each operator works 25.per cent. All receipts are pooled and divided annually in proportion to the vehicle-mileage actually' run by each partner.
Caerphilly has no interworking with the companies whose services pass throngh its area, although daily returns are interavailable. Company buses cannot both pick up and set down in the urban district.
Pontypridd was another municipality which was rather slow to develop bus services outside its own area, a surprising fact in view of its experience with the through running of trams. This began in 1919, when a joint service with the Rhondda Tramways Co. was instituted from Pontypridd to Forth, where connections were made with the company routes to Maerdy,, Blaenrhondda and Williamstown. The basis of the agreement was that the mileage of the company's cars; in the council's area should equal that of the council's cars in the company's area. ach party supplied the other with tickets for use in its area and special tickets were issued for through bookings, the receipts from the latter being divided on a basis of route-mileage.
After August 30, 1931, the trams on this route were
replaced by motorbuses, but the same arrangements were continued and still hold good. The other tram route—that from Treforest to Cilfnydd—was converted in 1930 to trolleybus operation and is still so worked, but the single-deck vehicles formerly used on it were sold to Cardiff for service on the Pier Head route (via Bute Street), and eight double-deckers are now employed.
The joint service to Caerphilly, already referred to, was started in 1932; in this case revenue is pooled-and divided according to the vehicle-mileage run. The other joint services are those to Blackwood and Bedlinog. It teems strange that Pontypridd Council has never participated in the service from Cardiff to Merthyr, Aberdare and Ferndale, all of which pass through its territory, nor even in the Rhondda Transport Company's short workings from Pontypridd itself to Cardiff.
Tha: the private operators got in quickly is shown by the fact that in 1927 Rhondda Tramways, in conjunction with three other operators (since absorbed), was giving a 10-minute headway between Cardiff and Pontypridd. whilst five other firms combined to give a service of equal frequency from Pontypridd to Aberdare. P..otection in regard to picking up and setting down has, however, been secured for the local undertaking and in its own sphere it has been extremely active.
26 Double-decker Loads in 30 Minutes
Development of the Treforest Trading Estate has meant providing a service for the shifting of 26 doubledeck bus loads in 30 minutes at the evening peak. It is unfortunate that Treforest was laid out without proper consultation with the transport undertakings and, as a result, instead of there being a proper bus station in the estate, people have to queue up on the footpath alongside -the main road without any shelter whatever. So great was the traffic during the war that double-deck trolleybuses had to be hired from Portsmouth and Hull to augment the it cal fleet.
Services other than thos: already mentioned are: Trehafod — Oaklands; Pontypridd —Pen-y-coedcae; Pontypridd ---Rhyd-y-felin: Pontypridd—Ynys-y-bwl; Llantw it Road—Pantygraigwen; Maesycoed—Common —Trallwn. On the Pen-y-coedcae, Common and Pantygraigwen routes, higher fares aie charged on the run up the hilly portion than on the journey down, to compensate for the extra working costs caused by the severe gradients. Completely isolated from the other municipal operators in the area is Aberdare Urban District Council. Its system, although small, is of great interest to the student of transpott history. Until about 1910 local services were provided by 12-seater horse-drawn brakes. Then several local firms began to experiment with motorbuses. The council eventually decided to secure tramway powers, and on October 9, 1913, began a service on a 21-mile route from Trecynon to Aberaman. In 1914 services were opened to Abernant (1 mile), from Trecynon terminus to Cwmdare (1 mile), from Aberaman terminus to Abercwmboi (2 miles), and from the same point to Cwmaman (21 miles).
Cedes-Stoll "Trackless Trolleys" These extensions, however, were not worked by trams, but by Cedes-Stoll "trackless trolleys." Instead of having the ordinary pole, these vehicles drew their current from overhead through cables hanging from a four-wheeled trolley which ran on the wires. It was hardly possible to run a frequent service under this system and when vehicles met it was necessary to detach the cables and change over, there being Only one set of wires.
From 1920 to 1923 the Abercwmboi and Cwmaman spurs were converted to ordinary tramway working, Tilling-Stevens petrol-electric buses being employed during the conversion. At the same tune, TillingStevens buses were used to open routes to Hirwaun Llwydcoed and Cwmbach. The Abernant branch was converted to motorbus working in 1925. Trams were finally abandoned on March 31, 1935. Present-day services are from Hirwaun to Cwmaman; BwIlf to Abercwmboi; Llwydcoed to Abernant; Town Centre to Cvembach, and Town Centre to GIynhafod. There are also workmen's services to various destinations up to 11 miles away.
The physical nature of the South Wales coalfields—a series of long valleys divided by mountains—is well illustrated by the fact that the old Aberdare tram terminus at Cwmaman ;s only two miles from the former Maerdy terminus of the Rhondda trams, yet no road exists to connect them and to get from one to the other a detour of eight miles is necessary.
Merthyr Started Buses in 1924
In the next valley to the east is Merthyr Tydfil. In the early part of this century local transport was provided by the 16 trams of the Merthyr Electric Traction and Lighting Co., running from Merthyr to Cefn Coed and to Dowlais. In 1920 the corporation obtained bus powers, but did not exercise them until August, 1924, when services were started to Treharris and Aberfan. In the next three years routes were added to Nixonville and Perthygleision, Hoelgerrig, Pontsarn Dowlais, Fagwych and Twyn-y-rodyn. A through service to Cardiff was started on September 8, 1930. The trams were bought by the corporation in 1939 and .scrapped.
In addition to the places already mentioned, services are now operated to Abercanaid. Pant (by two routes) and Galonuchaf (near Pant), besides a number of workers' services. The corporation would have a monopoly in the borough were it not for a competitive Red and White service from Merthyr to Pant, via High Street (employing one bus) and the one bus of Mr. D. J. Davies on the Cefn route.
The Cardiff service is the only joint working in whieh the corporation participates, and the arrangement between the three parties (Cardiff, Merthyr and Rhondda Transport. which each provides one bus) is rather peculiar.
Suppose, for example, a passenger going from Merthyr to Cardiff boards the Merthyr Corporation bus and takes a 3s return ticket, and when he comes back gets on the Rhondda bits in Cardiff The company conductor will then collect the 3s. ticket and give the passenger a Is. 6d. exchange. The 3s. ticket will be forwarded in due course to Merthyr, when the corporation will credit the company with Is. 6d. 1f, instead, the traveller comes back on the Cardiff Corporation bus, the conductor merely cancels the ticket.
. Each quarter the two corporations pool their receipts after paying out to the company the latter's proportion of the return-ticket revenue (50 per cent. of the face value of the corporation return tickets collected by the company), and these net receipts are divided in proportion to the vehicle-mileage run. The corporations also include in the pool their receipts from single tickets, but the company keeps all the money it collects from the sale of singles_ The arrangement regarding duplication is that the company is responsible for duplicating its own departures, whilst. for ,the corporation departures Cardiff supplies any extras that may be necessary from that end and Merthyr 'any 'required from the other.
Gellygaer's Scattered 50,000
Continuing eastwards, the territory of Gellygaer Urban District Council's ,undertaking is reached. The council's name is rather misleading, as the real centre of the district is at Bargoed. .The municipal area is extremely large and the population of about 50,000 is scattered. Although the council obtained powers to run buses in 1921, it was not until September 9, 1928, that a service was started.
Nothing could have been more unpropitious than the beginning; the valleys were in the grip of the depression; there was d number of private operators already running; the Ministry of Transport was hostile and the council was so poor that it could not afford to._ buy buses, but had to start with five hired vehicles. Sufficient progress Was made by the end of 1928 to enable six new buses to be bought and four of the hired ones to be dispensed with. In March, 1929, two comitetitors were bought out and in the same year work started on a permanent garage.
To-day, the following routes are in operation:— Llechryd (Rhyrnney Bridge)—Ystrad Mynach, via Pontlottyn, Tirphil, Brithdtt, Bargoed, Gilfach, Pengam and Hengoed; Bargoed—Pontlottyn, via Den i and Fochriw; Bargoed—Ystrad Mynach, via Pengam and Gellygaer: Bargoed—Ystrad Mynach via Cefnhengoed; BargoedBedlinog, Via Nelson; Bargoed—Blackwood via Pengam; Bedlinog—Pontypridd, via Nelson; Bargoed--Heolddu
Joint Operation
The service from Blackwood via Pengam is jointly operated with the West Monmouthshire Omnibus Board, and Gellygaer is, as already stated, a participant in the service formerly run by Messrs. Jones, of Treharris. Return tickets between Rhymney Bridge and Bargoed are interchangeable with those issued by Red and White and a cash settlement is made, but there is no joint working with any small private operator, Ystrad Mynach is an important interchange place and it is possible to see there vehicles of five out of the nine municipal operators in the region, as well as of Western Welsh. Timetable connections are made as far as possible; in particular, buses on the CardiffTredegar service wait for those to and from Bargoed and vice versa.
Immediately across the county border from Gellygaer are the two urban districts of Beelwellty and Mynyddislwyn, which decided in 1926 to set up a joint board. This consists of six Bedwellty and three hat it is not required legally to report to the constituent !ouncils except to provide them annually with audited ice° unts
The undertaking, calling itself the West Monmouthhire Omnibus Board, began operations by buying out he local services of Messrs. Lewis and James (now 'art of Western Welsh), which the vendors had themelves acquired from the Sirhowy Valley Motor Transsort Co. Olher services were bought from the Griffin vlotor Co., of Brynmawr, and from the Valleys Motor 3us Service.
The Board did not, however, take over or participate n the through routes from Blackwood to Tredegar, .4ewport or Pontypool, or the route from Newbridge
o Den, but the companies' timings on these routes were ixed in the schedule appended to the Board's Act. :et-Min powers of acquisition were given to the Board Lnd, as a result of negotiations, considerable adjustment as taken place in the ownership and working of various out es.
To-day, in addition to the ex-Jones routes and the Fredegar-Cardiff service, ,the Board operates three ser• ices—New Tredegar—Crunalin, via Blackwood and 'ontllanfraith; Blackwood--Bargoed,.via Fleur de Lys nd Pengam (Glam); and Markham-Bargoed.
Landslide Stopped Settice
The New Tredegar service at one time continued to kbertysswg, but a landslide caused the withdrawal of hat part of it. In the Blackwood—Bargoed service there s joint working with Gellygaer, but no pooling. The vlarkhara--Bargoed • route is the show piece of the loard's operations, as it includes the hill between largoed and Aberbargoed, which consists of 1,220 ft. if 1 in 8, 500 ft.' Of I in 5, and 250 ft. of 1 M 41.
As if this were not bad enough, about half-way up, ruses have to pass under a low and narrow railway rridge and then immediately take two right-angle bends, irst to the right and then to the left. Fine judgment s required of the drivers (particularly on the downward ourney) if the piers of the bridge are to be avoided. Originally,. Saurers equipped with engine brakes were ised, but they were eventually superseded by an adaptaion of the Leyland Bull freight chassis. The three
buses employed are fitted with a sprag gear which would come into operation should a vehicle start to run away backwards, The hand brake is the service brake and is applied to all four wheels, whilst the foot brake works on the rear wheels. One of the Saurers has been kept and converted into a breakdown lorry.
On the Board's more normal routes no difficulty has been found in working an 8-ft.-wide double-decker originally intended for South Africa, but a single-decker 30 ft, long destined for Salisbury, Rhodesia, which was also in use during the war, proved awkward because of its length.
Individual Fare Arrangements
As may be expected, the nine municipal undertakings have no uniform fare or concession basis. All except Cardiff and Newport issue ordinary returns; all except Gellygaer issue workmen's returns; all except Ponty-. pridd issue weekly and/or monthly seasons—some at special rates for workmen. Children's fares are generally available until " school-leaving age," although most undertakings offer concessions also to technical and higher-grade students.
At Caerphilly and Pontypridd, old-age pensioners are carried in off-peak hours at reduced fares, and the blind travel free. Penny fares are in force on all systems. The Willebrew, TIM. and Automaticket systems are all in evidence, as well as the ordinary Bell Punch preprinted tickets. It is rather surprising to read on a joint ticket used for the Cardiff-Tredegar route by the three municipalities concerned: "Issued subject to company's regulations."
In view of the strong civic, spirit that has prompted so Many, small municipalities to engage in bus operation, it is not rernarkabIe that alarm and resentment were expressed when it seemed that an area scheme under the Transport Act might be prepared which would remove control to officials appointed from Marylebone Road. It is now well known that the .councils concerned have got together and worked out a grouping scheme which would leave the local authorities with a definite say in the control of services in South Wales and Monmouthshire.