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Blazing a Trail
Page 88
Page 89
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in passenger transport Large-scale Operation by the Largest independent Operator of Passenger Road Transport in the North
of England
SO much attention has been focused upon the activities in road passenger transport of what are generally known as the combine companies that there is danger of a lack of balance in the transport picture, due to underestimation of the importance of the independent operator. It is surely fitting that the subject of an article in this special issue should be an outstanding example of large-scale operation by an independent operator—the business controlled by Mr. Samuel Ledgard, of Armley, Leeds.
One of the pioneers of mechanical transport by road, Mr. Ledgard not only helped to blaze the trail, but so firmly has he trodden it that he is the largest independent operator of passenger road transport in the North of England, and probably the largest in the whole of this country. The stagecarriage services controlled by Mr. Ledgard not only operate in the thickly populated areas of Leeds, Bradford and intermediate districts, but they run in Airedale and Wharfedale to serve such places as Otley and Ilkley, and they extend northward to Harrogate. The express services link the West Riding with the Yorkshire and Lancashire coasts, and the excursion services cover a wide range of beauty spots.
From the Days of Horse Transport.
The history of the business mirrors the development of road transport from the days of horses, through the steam stage to the use of the internal-combustion engine. Although passenger transport is now the dominating feature of the undertaking, Mr. Ledgard entered the mad-transport industry as a haulage contractor, and he first adopted mechanical transport in 1906, in the form of a steam wagon. Subsequently, at intervals, he acquired five other steam wagons, making a fleet of six. It was in September, 1912, that Mr. Ledgard bought his fast petrol lorry. Within a few months he had an interchangeable coach body fitted to this machine.
154 a His entry into the field of passengercarrying by road motor may be said to date from February, 1913, when lie procured the lease of the Bridge Garage, Lower Briggate, Leeds, the proprietors of which were themselves pioneers in this direction. From these premises, Mr. Ledgard 'began running weekly services to Scarborough and Blackpool, and extended bookings were granted to passengers going to these places for a holiday. These services, therefore, were the forerunners of the present express services.. Two further petrol lorries with interchangeable coach bodies were purchased by Mr. Ledgard before the outbreak of war in 1914.
One of these vehicles was commandeered by the military authorities, and the other two were hired by the Terri tonalArmy.
After the war Mr. Ledgard lost no time in resuming the interrupted development of his passenger-carrying business. Purchasing four new 33seater coaches, and reconditioning four lorries, each of which had an into.changeable body for carrying passengers, he thus had eight vehicles—at that time the largest fleet in Leeds owned by any individual.
The pre-war services to Scarborough and Blackpool services were resumed in the summer of 1920, and in 1924 began a period of rapid development, in the form of new services or those acquired from other operators.
In July. 1924, in conjunction with Messrs. John Coles and Sons and Mr. G. F. Tate. Mr. Ledgard made his first venture in an all-the-year-round daily ho s service—between Leeds and Otley,
via Lawnswood, which, known as the. Red Bus -Service, was extended to Ilkley in 1935. Also, in 1924, Mr. Ledgard took over from Mr. Ward, of Horsforth, a service between Leeds and Horsforth, via Woodside, which he later augmented to a half-hourly service, and started a hall-hourly service between Leeds and Pudsey. Early in 1925, a two-hourly service between Leeds and Calverley (via Pudsey1 was added and, in the same year, Mr. Ledgard acquired a controlling interest in Cream Bus Service, Ltd., an operator of a service between Otley and Ilkley, which had been started in 1922.
The Business Expands.
In 1926, permission was obtained to extend the Leeds-Pudsey service to Bradford, and, in 1927, this pioneer not only took over the service which Mr. Jules Antichan had operated between Leeds and Ilkley, via Guiseley, but also purchased from Messrs. Barrett and Thornton their service between Leeds and Otley, via Lawnswood, which he continued to operate under the name of the Blue Bus Service.
There were further acquisitions in 1932 and 1933, during which years Mr. Ledgard took over the Otley-Wetherby service operated by Mr. Thornton, the Horsforth-Yeadon-Otley service operated by the Moorfield Bus Co_, and a local town service at Otley operated by Mr. Rathmell. .
Another development followed in 1935, when he took over the business-of B. and B. Tours, Ltd., an operator of a stage carriage service between Bradford and Harrogate, a twice daily express
service between Bradford and Blackpool, and a large number of excursions and tours with Bradford as the central picking-up point.
With the exception of a few modifications, all these services are being operated to-day, more than 80 vehicles being employed for the purpose. Latest ' figures show an annual mileage of 4,000,000, with over 8,000,000 passengers carried during the twelve months. The route mileage of the stage-carriage services totals 95, apart from certain special stage-carriage services for employees at particular works. Account must also be taken of the route mileage in respect of the express services to Blackpool and Scarborough, and the numerous excursion services. On the goods-carrying side, for general haulage and his own use, Mr. Ledgard operates more than a score of vehicles.
From "Mine Host " to Road Operator.
It is most interesting to note that in a special way Mr. Ledgard maintains the centuries-old link between the innkeeper and road transport. He is, in fact, still an inn-keeper as the licensee of the Nelson Inn, Armley, where he has held the licence for.over 40 years. The role of " mine host " led indirectly to his entry into the road-transport industry more than 30 years ago, for he extended his activities to catering at race meetings and other sporting events; and adopted steam road transport.
Mr. Ledgard still uses motors for his catering business, although the latter • is not now on such a large scale as in years gone by, when, on the occasion of a race meeting at Lincoln, he transported over 4,000 dozen bottles of beer the whole consignment being sold within three days.
The first time he used a steam wagon, which was away back in 1906, remains a vivid memory with Mr. Ledgard. The machine was a secondhand Coulthard, which he had purchased for 250. Its first job was to take catering materials from Armley to York for the races, and Mr. Ledgard went on this inaugural trip.
The first three-speed gear to be fitted to a steam wagon in this country was the result of Mr. Ledgard's initiative. Ordering a new Mann steamer he suggested this improvement on the old two-speed gear, pointing out the advantage which it would give when a vehicle was running empty, and, subsequently, the three-speed became standard fitting.
In later years, a similar pioneering spirit was shown by Mr. Ledgard in the adoption of improvements in transport by motors. He was one of the first operators in the North of England to use semi-pneumatic tyres, and, again, he was among the first in the North to use pneumatics.
Looking back on his experiences on the passenger side, Mr. Ledgard contrasts the driving ease of the vehicles of to-day with the conditions in the old days. Magneto troubles were a frequent worry—and, to make miters worse, service and repair facilities were few and far between in the country districts. Often, when a breakdown occurred, a relief vehicle had to be sent out to carry the passengers on to their
destination. Vehicles could get up to 20 m.p.h.-25 m.p.h., but they were restricted by law to the low speed of 12 m.p.h.
Before the introduction of the Road Traffic Act competition for traffic on stage-carriage routes developed, in some cases, 'into a sort of " catch-ascatch-can " game. There were legal battles, too, in which Mr. Ledgard took a hand. He went to Westminster on two occasions, to fight transport Bills which were promoted by Leeds an:1 Bradford Corporations. One alone of his accounts for legal expenses amounted to over azso.
To Those Who Still Fly the Flag of Independence.
He considers that, speaking generally, independent p.s.v. operators have largely themselves to blame for the strength of the combine companies. To those who still keep the flag of independence flying, his message is " The independent operator has nothing to fear, so long as he observes the Road Traffic Act."
Yet, although he so staunchly retains his independence, Mr. Ledgard has given an illustration of his willingness to co-operate for the common good. He and the West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd., are joint owners of a company, Otley Omnibus Station, Ltd., which was formed for the purpose of constructing a bus station for the use of all services operating to and from Otley. This station is now in course of erection.
In addition to his central depot at
Armley, where he accommodates 40 passenger vehicles and all his goods vehicles, with repair and bodybuilding facilities and storage for 12,000 gallons of petrol, Mr. Ledgard has depots at Ilkley, Otley, Yeadon and Bradford. The number of employees totals approximately 250.
Both Mr. Ledgard and his traffic manager, Mr. L. J. Mather, are members of the North Eastern Divisional Committee of the C.M.U.A., and Mr. Mather is a member of the C.M.U.A.'s National Council.