MUNICIPAL BUS PROGRESS AT ROCHDALE.
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How the Present System has Evolved from a Tramway Organization Commenced in 1902.
R0 CHDALE CORPORATION opened its first electric tramway in May, 1902, and has (until recently) consistently developed its system, which not only serves the borough and the immediately stirrounding distriets, but also extends into Littleborough, Bacup and Heywood, joint inter-running arrangements also existing with Bury and Manchester Corporations.
The trend of events, however, has turned the tables wholly in favour of motorbuses, a scheme of gradual replacement of the trams to save heavy track renewal charges having been accepted as economically sound.
The first tramway service to be dealt with in this manner will be that via Smallbridge to. Littleborough (express services at present operating on this road), and the new vehicles requiredi.e., 14 double-deckers—have been ordered.
lip to 1926 there were no municipal bus services ; in fact, no regular bus services of any kind ran. into Rochdale until January of that year, when Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., of Preston, established its Rochdale, Blackburn and Burnley routes...
In 1925 the corporation sought authority to operate buses and obtained it, further 'powers having since been granted in relation to tramway abandonment, outside districts, itd. The pioneer services from Rochdale town centre to Castleton, via Queensway and to Healey, commenced simultaneously on March 17th, 1926.
The three original 26-seater buses then put into commission have now been dissoarded, although the fleet has grown very rapidly within the past four years. At-the moment the 'fleet is composed of 34 vehicles, 33 of which are Dennis machines, 30 being 32-seater saloon
buses and three 26-seaters. The latest acquisition is a Crossley double-decker.
Altogether a total route mileage of over 90 is covered by the municipal vehicles, joint and inter-running agreements existing with no fewer than six municipalities, viz., Manchester, Oldham, Ashton, Bury, Bolton and Todmerden, without which the extension of the services to the present area would not have been possible. Agreements are also in force with theNorth-Western Road Car Co., Ltd., of Stockport, which operates on a joint service between Rochdale and Shaw, and the L.M. and S. Railway Co., the vehicles of which work the Rochdale-Halifax route,' via Littleborough, Blackstone Edge and Ripponden.
The routes may be classified into two types—local services and express intertown services.
Express services are run as follow :To Todmorden, Bury via Bamford, Bolton via Heywood and Bury, Ashton via Oldham (each of the corporations having a share in the running) ; also from Flixton to Bacup via Manchester and Rochdale, and Altrincham to Littleborough, these two being operated jointly with Manchester Corporation.
A service to Blackstone Edge via Littleborough is also run. •