BUS OPERATORS 1970: South-West and Southern England

Gavin Booth Bus Operators 1970: South West & Southern England:

At the start of the 1970s, the British bus and coach industry was radically different to that of today. Virtually every bus and coach on the roads had been built in the British Isles and concepts such as deregulation were unheard of.

By 1970, bus and coach operations in the south-west of England were dominated by the subsidiaries of the newly formed National Bus Company, most notably Devon General, Southern National, Western National, Bristol and Hants & Dorset, although there were still municipal operations in places such as Plymouth. Though municipal operation in Exeter had recently been transferred to the NBC, former Exeter vehicles were still in service. Whilst the NBC rapidly imposed its corporate image later in the decade, the older liveries were still in use and the variety of vehicle types was also impressive. As one of the country’s leading domestic holiday destinations, the West Country operators provided numerous summer-only services and these, along with the vehicles used, are also featured in the book.

Author: Gavin Booth
Format: Bus Operators 1970: South-West & Southern England
Title: Hardback Book 80 pages
Publisher: Ian Allan Ltd
Pub date: April 2006 
ISBN: 9780711030343