Council Seeks Omnibus Solution

The Council has tackled the motor omnibus problem with the seriousness it warranted. A Committee was set up, and this recommended that licences should be issued for six months to Barnsley District Traction Company for 24 buses, allowing substitution for all drivers and conductors in the employ of the company, and to all Messes Guests buses drivers and conductors. Strict adherence in running to schedule is to be insisted upon, and it is to be a condition attached to licences that any material departure from the scheduled time skills will affect future issues.

Regarding timetables, the subcommittee recommended that the present ordinary timetable of the Barnsley and District Traction Company be approved with the exception that the running time between Mexborough West Street and Conisbrough Star Hotel would be increased from 10 minutes to 15 minutes. This timetable is to operate on Tuesdays to Friday and on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays this service will be augmented by running of relief buses 7 ½ minutes after the buses running at the ordinary schedule.

With regard to the Blue Buses, it was recommended that the time table is altered to give a 30 minute service from Mexborough to Doncaster, and vice versa in mid-May, and to be sought time that a cup Was leaves a terminal 50 m after this scheduled time of the Barnsley boss and for an augmented service on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, the Low Bus Company to run a relief but every 7 ½ minutes after the scheduled times.

The effect of buses running to such timetable would be to give a continuous 50 minutes service between Mexborough and Doncaster and vice versa in midweek, with a continuous 7 ½ minutes service at the weekend.

Perhaps the most striking of the innovations is a suggestion that in order to ensure that the timetables be adhered to, time recorders be fixed at the Star Hotel, one for each service is this be practical on account of costs. Particulars of this are to be ascertained

In effect, this would mean that a blue bus would leave the Star for Doncaster at five minutes past the hour, with a Red one at 20 . Another blue 13 1/2 minutes past, and another red 150 minutes past. On the return journey a blue bus would leave Doncaster at five minutes past the hour one at 20. Another blue 35, and another red at 50 minutes past. These would arrive at the Star hotel at 25. 40. 55 And 10 minutes respectively, and at Mexborough terminals at 40. 55. 10. and 25 minutes past respectively.

Of course, the weakened relief buses would be sandwiched in between these times are intervals of 7 ½ minutes. During the last week no one should have to wait more than a quarter of an hour even if going haphazard to catch a bus. And during the weekends this period is reduced to 4 minutes. Such an operation should materially assist in the reducing the crowding of the buses.

These are only suggestions, and are not yet in operation, but the council has requested the subcommittee to get into communication with the managers of the bus services, so that shortly the whole of the running should be on the sound basis suggested. When all is completed the committee will have done a work which should receive the banks of the community.

Before leaving the question, I wonder how long the railway company will be before the realises this serious competition of the buses and reduces its fares to Doncaster and Mexborough. Bus competition has been felt in many places, and I notice reduced fares in the Leeds and Bradford area are shortly to some into operation on the railways through bus competition.