Reshaping of LTB country fleet
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• Although there has been a lull in the large-scale reshaping of London Transport central (red) bus services since the Ealing scheme introduced last November, it was the turn of the country (green) buses on Saturday February 15 to undergo major changes in operation. Three autofare services were introduced in the Watford area, one in Welwyn Garden City, five in Hemel Hempstead, four in St. Albans and one in Tring. A major reorganization of other services in Hertfordshire also took place.
Changes in the Windsor and South Bucks area also took place at the same time, while the introduction of seven autofare routes in Slough is scheduled for March 15. Six routes in Hertfordshire were changed to o-m-o with 45-seat dual entrance MCWbodied AEC Merlins replacing double-deckers.
The autofare buses seat 25 passengers and carry 41 standing passengers; seven additional seats will be fitted in the standee area at a later date. Passengers place 6d coins in Autoslot ticket-issuing machines; those without change pay the driver. The fare-scales have been simplified to 6d stages to facilitate the use of these buses.
An exception to the above is the Tring service, which is operated by the last of the 15 Strachans-bodied AEC Merlins bought in 1966 to enter regular service. The dualentrance body of this bus now seats 31 passengers and carries 40 standees. It is fitted with an Autoslot Mk II machine. On the other coin-in-the-slot buses, Mk IIA machines are fitted, apart from the Watford routes, where the latest Mk V machine is employed.
The next stage of the central area reshaping plan is due to come into operation on March 22, when six routes in the Morden area will be subject to major changes and a new flat-fare suburban service MI (Hackbridge to Raynes Park via Morden station) will be introduced. On the same date three more autofare routes are due for introduction in Harlow.