When Stroud's buses were green (and even red)
History of Stroud's Buses
1960s
The 1960s started optimistically for both Bristol Omnibus and Stroud's passengers with the opening of a new Bus Station at Merrywalks in 1960 as part of the company's programme of terminus improvements at that time. It ended the particularly difficult practise of on street running in the town… for the time being.
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| Stroud Bus Station in the early 1960s - notice the crowds |
Not only were passenger facilities enhanced - with a café, booking office, and ease of interchange - drivers and administrative staff benefitted from a canteen and modern offices. During the construction of the Merrywalks Shopping Centre, completed in 1972, the bus station was altered slightly but from then onwards changed little over the years save for a general air of decay and the closure in the 1980s of the newsagent once occupying the entire passenger platform.
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| An early view of Stroud Bus Station |
From 1957 and throughout the sixties, Bristol Omnibus progressively introduced one man operation on its buses, first with the conversion of Bristol LSs, continuing with MWs at the withdrawal of half-cab single decks. It was not until 1979, however, that the last of the vehicles requiring both driver and conductor were withdrawn at Stroud, even though conductors lasted a little longer.
Also throughout the decade, more one man operated vehicles adopted a more modern image with a wide cream band between window and skirt to mark such vehicles out as different. Crew operated double decks continued in Tilling green with two cream bands. These liveries lasted until repaints in leaf green started in 1972.
The only major changes to passenger services were a renumbering of routes in 1967 and the introduction in 1966 of a through service to South Wales in the form of a Stroud-Dursley-Chepstow service (415) - upon the completion that year of the Severn Bridge. So it was that Stroud-based Bristol Omnibus vehicles operated into the heart of Red & White territory in a remarkable turn of events when compared to the situation 16 years earlier. It was curtailed at Berkeley, Gloucestershire in 1972.
A passenger travelling towards the end of the sixties would have seen little difference in the network compared to that of the beginning of the decade, with departures from Stroud dropping by only 4 per cent. Cross-subsidy between trunk and rural routes plus continued OMO ensured this was so. By 1968, that position had changed and would do so even more dramatically over the coming years…
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