A LARGE PROVINCIAL BUS FLEET.
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The Latest Activities of One of the Largest Provincial Bus operating Companies, who have just Taken Over the Bus and Coach Business of Another Owner.
AN IMPORTANT amalgamation of motorbus services has just been consummated in Cheshire, where the Grosvilla Motor Co., of Chester, have assumed control of the services operated by Mr. John Pye, of Ileswall.
Mr. Pye, who has been in the motor omnibus and motor coach business since 1919, has a fleet of about 20 vehicles, and these were employed on three routes : (1) 'Birkenhead and Heswell via Thurst
aston; (2) Birkenhead and Beswell via Pensy, and (3) Birkenhead and Heswell via Barnston. These cervices will bow be conducted by the Crosville Co., who have taken over Mr. Pye's business.
The Crosville Motor Co. have developed one of the most extensive motorbus undertakings in the provinces, and, already owning a fleet of 130 vehicles of the saloon type, they will posse, a fleet of 150 machines when Mr. Pye's vehicles have been absorbed. Although they concentrate on providing passenger travelling facilities in the Cheshire area and especially on the Wirral Peninsula, the company's services run well into North Wales, where the buses link up with certain services for which North Wales owners are responsible.
For instance, at Bettws-y.coed, the Crosville service joins up with those run by Bangor Blue Motors, Ltd.; the RhylAbergele route worked by Messrs. Brookes Bros, of, Rhyl; NerthwichMiddlewieh and Warrington service of the Mid-Cheshire Motor Bus Co.; and the Wrexham-Chester-Farndon-RuthinMold and • Whitchurch services of the Wrexham and District Transport Co., Ltd. Crosville buses are also in operation between Barrnouth and Barlech and between Barmouth and Dolgelley. The
Wirral Peninsula and the districts surrounding Chester have been honeycombed with bus routes, whilst in the north contact has been established with the city of Liverpool at three points, where the Crosville buses link up with the corporation tramway and omnibus services. In the Wirral, the Crosville buses connect up with the Wallasey and Birkenhead Corporation tramway services, and thus a network of communication of great public utility and convenience is provided.
Excluding the services of M. Pye just taken over,. the Crosville Motor Bus Co., operate independently 600 miles of bus routes, which serve 150 towns: and villages, possessing a total population of 2,000,000. The company maintain 65 services in all, and these branch out into nine counties. This huge enterprise was founded on a successful bus service inaugurated in 1906„ when the Crosville Co. ran a vehiale between Chester and Kehall (four or five miles away). The company intend to maintain a depot at Heswall (that which was used by Mr. Pye), but it will be modernized by being provided with up-to-date waiting rooms and a new garage.
A Devon Passenger-vehicle Business Purchased.
A trade deal of considerable importance is announced from Plymouth, where the Devon Motor Transport Co., Ltd., have acquired the business of Turner's Tours, which includes the fleet of chars ,ii-bancs, ten in number, and the bus garage for 50 vehicles in Kirkby Place, belonging to MrA. C. Turner.
The chant-it-banes have been taken over with their old drivers, and when they have been thoroughly reconditioned will be put into commission in the spring on a tours service similar to that in which they have hitherto been engaged. The garage is one of the most extensive and best equipped in the town, and will be used by the Devon Motor Transport • Co. in conjunction with their present bus depot.
The company, who are now operating a very large fleet of buses covering almost every part of Devon and Cornwall, are shortly mat:Irking upon further
developments. New routes are beinb opened up, better service given on the existing ones, and many additional vehicles put on the road. A considerable proportion of these new machines will be Bristol buses of the latest type, each giving accommodation for 20 passengers_ Some vehicles of this type are already in commission on routes leading out of Plymouth.
Where the Small Bus Scores.
Whilst pneumatic tyres are not so generally used on motorbuses operating in the Tyneside districts as in many other parts of the country, they have certainly proved their utility during the recent snowstorms which have visited the district. In more than one instance in the Tyneside neighbourhood, largecapacity buses have been unable to negotiate the ice-clad gradients, whereas lighter craft on pneumatics were able to score by maintaining passenger transport facilities -throughout, much to the general convenience of inhabitants in the districts affected by the heavy falls of snow.