EAST KENT 50 NOT OUT
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Oo Tuesday the East Kent Road Car Co. Ltd, celebrated its golden jubilee with a lipcheon in Folkestone.
East Kent Road Car was first registered on Augu4t 11 1916 and commenced operations on September 1 that year. It was formed by a combination of five separate I bus undertakings one of which, the Deal and District Motor Services was operating as early as 1908. But even comments on those far-off days hav a modern ring: five of the Deal vehicles were fitted with bodies built by Birch Bros. of Kentish Town with the sixth having an Olympia Show double-dee er body built by the Brush Co.
The combinati n of the five concerns to form East Kent resulted in a very mixed fleet of 71 vehicles with premises at Deal, Canterbury, Folkestone and Margate. In addition to currently wellknown names the fleet included Burford, Ensign, Alcre, Maltby, Straker Squire and Tilling Stevens vehicles. But, it is reported, within four months of commencement only 40 vehicles were in running order. Modern operatclrs understandably complain of being hemmed in by regulations but in those days the licensing of hackney carriage vehicles, drivers and conductors was undertaken by local authorities of which East Kent had to deal with 22. Whilst running on coal gas one day during World War I. two gas bags were blown off the roofs of buses operating between Folkestone and Dover and, disappearing out to sea, were never seen again.
After the armistice many new bus companies appeared in the area, often with only one or two vehicles with or without licences. Competition became so intense on the Dover to Folkestone route that there were up to 18 departures in 20 minutes. But most of the new concerns failed to survive the empty East Kent winter and were either absorbed or disappeared. In September 1919 a railway strike stranded holidaymakers in East Kent coastal towns and the company ran coach services to London, causing something of a sensation at the time. As an outcome regular express services were inaugurated between London and East Kent in May 1921.
During World War II East Kent Road Car was very much involved in the war effort including loss of staff, vehicles and premises from every kind of enemy missile. At the time of the Dunkirk evacuation East Kent received orders at 4 a.m. one day in May 1940 to have 250 vehicles and drivers ready for urgent use and produce them by 6.45 a.m.
In post-war years a new type of traffic developed With Continental coach tours via the ports and later Kent airfields. Another new source traffic came along in 1953 with throu booking arrangements with the Eurot bus services on the Continent.
An outstanding contribution to i success of East Kent was made by I■ Sidney Garcke who was chairman 30 years from August 1916 to it 1946 when he was succeeded by 1 present chairman Mr. R. P. Beddow. A included in the list of directors is E. S. Shrapnell-Smith (1919 to 19: who earlier was founder editor of 1 COMMERCIAL MOTOR from 1905 to 19