South London Tr Year: £4,600,000 ams to Go Next Garage Scheme
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DIANS announced last week by i Lord Latham, chairman of the London Transport Executive, included the replacement of the South London trams by motorbuses, starting in October, 1950; a garage building and conversion scheme costing £4,600,000; and the introduction of a fleet of radio vans to deal with Underground railway breakdowns. He said that important works pre
paratory to the abandonment of the South London trams had been started.
Tram depots at Wandsworth, Clapham and Camberwell were being converted to 'receive buses, and next January the • Executiye hoped to begin reconstructing the •Streatham, New Cross, Abbey Wood and Thornton Heath depots to serve as bus garages.
Early in the New Year the L.T.E.
• would start to build two entirely new garages, one at Stockwell for 200 buses, and the other at Rye Lane, Peekham, for 125. These garage and depot works would cost £2,800,000.
Referring to the bus-supply position, Lord _Latham said that the rejuvenation of the fleet was proceeding, and next year some expansion could begin. With a few conversions of existing vehicles, the Executive would obtain some 1.600 new buses this vear. Nearly 650 had been delivered already.
[Mr. A. B.13: Valentine, a member of the Executive, said later that these figures did not include, vehicles diverted from the ex-Tilling cornpanics. Those buses would gradually be returned in the first Six Tonths of next year.] This year rather more than 1,600 of the oldest buses would be withdrawn, and next year the supply position should be improved. The Executive might then be able to begin the expan sion of services. : More than 700 buses were parked in the open, hut in 1949-50 the Executive was starting to build or reconstruct seven bus garages in addition to the seven tram depots being converted. The first was at Bull Yard, Peckham and would accommodate 150 buses.
Early in the New Year the Eisecutive hoped to start building garages at Garston (Watford) Kingston and Loughton, and to reconstruct the Shepherd's Bush and Hounslow garages. .Next summer a start would be made on a new garage at Romford. These seven buildings would cost about £1,800,000.
In the autumn, a mobile radio net-. work would be set up to reduce delays caused by breakdowns on the Underground railways.
. Ten breakdown vans would be linked by radio-telephony with a'control centre,