BUS PROBLEMS AT BRIGHOUSE.
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A Busy Yorkshire Centre in which Many Passenger Transport Difficulties Have Arisen.
A T the present time the passenger tt transport situation at Brighouse is in an interesting state. The borough authorities have never acquired powers to provide their own transport facilities, but the town is surrounded by large centres of population with a strong community of interest between them, and this has provided an opportunity for the development of passenger services.
Recently the borough has attained to a position of importance, being in a key position -with regard to the development of inter-town services. Huddersfield and Halifax Corporations have tramway routes into the centre of Brighouse, whilst the Bradford Corporation tramways extend from• that city to the terminus of the Halifax trams at Bailiff Bridge, on the Bradford side of Brighouseand on the Bradford and Huddersfield road. The tramway tracks are of different gauges, however, and through running is impossible. Consequently, the inaugura
tion of motorbus services was essential if a through service was to be provided from Bradford to Brighouse, or from Bradford to Huddersfield.
When such arrangements were contemplated Bradford Corporation refused all licences and continued to do so until an Order of. the High Court, enforcing a recommendation of the Ministry of Transport, was obtained. When services into Bradford were sanctioned the Calder Bus Co., of Bailiff Bridge obtained licences for the Brighouse to Bradford route, and Huddersfield Corporation also obtained permission to run a through service. Bradford had no powers to run outside its own area at that time, but after one attempt to get such powers had failed, the necessary sanction of Parliament was obtained in May of this year, and certain routes were granted to the corporation.
The route through Brighouse was of considerable importance in the negotiations in Parliament, and while they were taking place arrangements were made for the Bradford Corporation to purchase the business of the Calder Bus Co. Presumably it was the intention to make a joint running arrangement with the Huddersfield Corporation, but in some way difficulties have arisen and it has been found that Bradford cannot carry out its intentions.
Instead of the Calder Co.'s services being taken over by Bradford, the company still continue to operate as heretofore, an extensive network of services in and around Brighouse being worked, in addition to the through service from Bradford to Huddersfield. Bradford proposed to purchase the Halifax tramways route between Brighouse and its own terminus at Bailiff Bridge and to lay a third rail to bring the gauge up to the Bradford standard, but that arrangement also fell through.
The Calder Bus Co.'s services should have been taken over by Bradford Corporation on October 1st, but when Bradford's inability to do so became known the borough became literally a cock-pit of competing interests, municipal and private. Several conferences with the interested parties and repro, sentatives of the Brighouse Corporation were 'held and, as no amicable agreement could be arrived at between the motorbus operators, the local watch committee issued a statement as to whet it was prepared to do.
It has been stated that the principal difficulty arose in consequence of the failure of two of the corporations Concerncd to come to an agreement between themselves. Halifax, Huddersfield and Bradford are all concerned, and the position which has arisen in regard to the Bradford and Huddersfield route is full of complications. Tramway problems are not the only bone of contention, and it is intereSting to note that the Huddersfield Corporation pays a certain sum annually, based, apparently, on the number of passengers carried, to Halifax Corporation for the privilege-of running over the Halifax tram route, and that, presumably, in the area of the Brighouse Corporation.
The buses passing through Brighouse pick up passengers on the tram route, brit the „square in front of the municipal offices is the recognised starting place for most of the services. When the negotiations referred to above were in progress, no fewer than 17 vehicles were assembled in the square at one time and there was a constant change of vehicles from morning to night. The services of the following concerns run into the square, several operating a number of routes :—Hebble Bus Services, Halifax; Calder Bus Services, Bailiff Bridge: Ideal Services, Dews bury; Huddersfield Corporation; County Motors, Pluddersfield; Yorkshire (Woollen District) Tramways Co., Saone Town, Dewsbury; and Halifax Corporation.
There are some very steep gradients out of Brighouse, and traffic conditions generally are very difficult. Recently the proposal was made that the Brighouse Corporation should get powers to operate motorbus services, but the proposal was turned down, it being Stated that it was considered the needs of the residents of the borough would be best served if the watch committee used its endeavours to get the best possible use from the services offered by outside operators. Thighouse has
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endeavoured to obtain facilities for services running into the area of neighbouring authorities, equal to those which it gives to these entside authori ties, but so far it has not been successful, the tramway interests in these centres being, according to reports, too strong.