PASSENGER TRAVEL NEWS.
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The Latest Doings and Developments in the Bus and Coach World.
A BOON TO MANY KENTISH WORKERS.
How the Service of an Eynsford Operator has Assisted in Opening Up a New Residential Area near Dartford.
IN many large centresin which industrial interests have appreciably expanded, the housing accommodation for the greater number_of people employed is often found to be insufficient, with the result that the workers are naturally seeking to live in the neighbouring small villages. Regular and reliable transport services are, of course, essential in these outlying districts, and, particularly where railway facilities are quite inadequate, there is still much scope for small bus proprietors. The Eynsford district, near the busy Kentish town of Dartford is a case in point, and this has provided the opportunity for Mr. C. AL Hever, an enterprising Eynsford owner, to establish the Darenth,33us Service, as it is known.
Mr. Hever commenced passengervehicle operation about a year ago with an old-type W. and G. 20-seater, which was employed on private-hire work. In order to provide the present service between Eynsford and Dartford, two Bean 20-seaters and two Chevrolet 14-seaters have been purchased. About 5,000 passengers per week are now being carried over the route, which is via Horton Kirby and South Darenth, giving a return mileage of about 15. For the single journey the fare charged is 7d., workmen's tickets also being issued at 10d. for the return trip. Incidentally. the service has proved so popular that Mr. Hever is now consideeing the augmentation of his fleet with a view to the early establishment of new routes. The present service connects at Dartford with the buses of the Maidstone and District Motor Services, Ltd., running to Chatham, Sittingbourne and other centres.
The Eynsford-Dartford service was commenced in a small way on March 15th last, when Mr. Hever had taken delivery of only one of his present fleet. Now, however' the headway maintained Is 45 minutes from Mondays to Fridays and 20 minutes on Saturdays, a timetable being issued and strictly adhered to in order to comply with local licensing conditions.
It is interesting to note that each of the two Bean buses has completed approximately 24,000 miles of strenuous service without a vestige of trouble. One of these vehicles is equipped with Eaton coachwork, and the other and both the Chevrolets have Willowbrook bodies. We inspected the Eaton body, and, considering the class of service on which the vehicle is employed, we were favourably impressed by the high quality of the equipment used. The spring-back seats are all placed in transverse pairs except for two single seats situated longitudinally and partly over the wheelarches. The central gangway. is wide and gives ready access to. the rear emergency door, the step to which folds up when not in use and thus encloses the spare-wheel loeker.
All the machines in the fleet are fitted with forward folding doors on the near side, and are thus suitable for one-man operation, conductors being carried only during rush periods. The upholstery and decorations of the two Bean vehicles are smart, yet simple, grained brown Rexine cloth, moquette seat-back .covers and nickel-plated metal fittings being used to the best advantage. Other equipment includes strap rails, drop windows and adequate interior electric lighting. The heacrroom and legroom are ample in all the four vehicles, which are mainly finished, so far as their exteriors are concerned, in two distinctive shades of brown.
Other transport woris undertaken by Mr. Hever includes the carrying, under contract with the Kent Education Committee, of school children from the surrounding parts to the Eynsford Central School. Private hire also forms a portion of the firm's activities, whilst, during the summer months, a feature is made of week-end trips to Eastbourne (68. exl. return), Margate (7s. return), Folkestone (7s. return) and Brighton (7s. return).