PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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MOTOR BUS ROUTES "95" & "95A" PLYMOUTH to ORESTON, and HOOE or PLYMSTOCK Mr J G S Pullen of Southside Street, Plymouth, started the first motor bus services to Plymstock, Oreston and Hooe sometime before 1924. He traded as 'Palace Saloons'. Another operator, Messrs W T Coath & Son, trading as 'Eddystone Motors', started a similar service on March 3rd 1928. This service was acquired by HB Buses Ltd. Being fearful that HB Buses would try to acquire the Palace Saloons services as well, at the end of 1928 National commenced negotiations to buy out Mr Pullen. On May 23rd 1929 agreement was reached with National's successor, the Western National Omnibus Company. The services were allocated National service numbers 215A (Plymouth to Plymstock and Goosewell); 216 (Plymouth to Oreston and Goosewell) and 216A (Plymouth to Oreston, Dean Cross and Hooe). From Wednesday January 1st 1930 service 216A became Western National's service 95. From April 1st 1931 Western National and the Southern General Omnibus Company, successors to HB Buses, worked the routes jointly until November 1st 1931 when the latter Company was absorbed into Western National. The service ran from Notte Street in Plymouth through Athenaeum Place, Princess Square, Westwell Street, Basket Street, Old Town Street, Drake Circus, Ebrington Street, Beaumont Road, Tothill Road, Embankment Road, Laira Bridge Road, Billacombe Road, Oreston Road, Plymstock Road, Dean Cross, Radford Park Road, and Hooe Road, terminating at Hooe Lake. Service 95A started on April 1st 1931 and ran the same route until Dean Cross, where it diverged to Plymstock Church. Its route was amended as from November 23rd 1935 to run to Billacombe and then to Dean Cross. During the winter of 1935-36 there was an fairly intense service on both routes. The first bus left Notte Street at 6.25am on weekdays, with a second at 7am. Thereafter they ran at a frequency of every half-hour until 10.30pm. On Wednesdays and Saturdays there was an additional service at 11pm. The first bus left Hooe Lake at 6.55am and then ran at half-hourly intervals until 10.55pm, with the additional service returning to Plymouth on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 11.25pm. There was even a half-hourly service on Sundays, commencing at 9.30am. On the service 95A buses left Plymoutn at 7.30am, 7.50am, 8.20am, 8.50am and 9.20am. From then on there was a half-hourly service but some services ran only as far as Dean Cross. The last bus left Plymouth at 11.10pm and from Plymstock Church at 11.30pm. There was a Sunday service between 1.20pm from Plymouth and the last bus leaving Plymstock at 11.30pm. Adult single fares from Plymouth during 1935-36 were: to the Morley Arms, 2½d; to Pomphlett and Oreston, 3d; to Dean Cross and Radford (Underlane), 4d; and to Hooe Lake (95) or Plymstock Church (95A), 5d. The return fare to Dean Cross was 6d and to Hooe Lake and Plymstock Church was 8d. It was reported in August 1941 that services to Plymstock were being operated by a London-red 54-seat double-deck vehicle borrowed from the Brighton and Hove Omnibus Company. An advert in the Western Evening Herald on October 4th 1941 announced the intention of introducing a registration scheme for passengers who made the journey in to Plymouth before 9am. They were to be issued with a permit. As from Thursday October 1st 1942 Western National services 95 and 95A became Plymouth Joint Services routes 95 and 95A. RETURN TO Motor Bus Services, Western National Omnibus Company Ltd
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