PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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MOTOR BUS ROUTE "H" Plymouth's motor bus service "H" was approved in March 1926 and started on Monday July 5th 1926. It followed the tram route 8 for most of its route: Morice Square, Devonport, to New Passage Hill, William Street, Keyham Road, Saltash Road (RN Barracks), and Wolseley Road, to St Budeaux Square. From there the bus service ran up Victoria Road and in to Crownhill Road, terminating first at Higher St Budeaux and later at the City Boundary at the junction with Little Dock Lane. The initial service was not well utilised and it was withdrawn again from Monday January 31st 1927. It may have re-started again in the summer of 1927 but was certainly running again in 1928 by when the Devonport terminus had become Princes Street (although listed as Fore Street). It was extended at peak times from Higher St Budeaux to West Park. After the creation of Marlborough Street as "One Way", service H ran into Fore Street via Marlborough Street and outward via King Street. It was proposed that as from Monday October 27th 1930 motor bus route H and tram service 8 would be discontinued and that a new service using double-deck motor buses be instituted between Fore Street and alternately Higher St Budeaux and Saltash Passage. Under the new route licensing regulations that came into force on Wednesday July 8th 1931, route H was officially known as H.1302 and was licensed to run from Fore Street, through Morice Square, Saltash Road, Clifford Terrace to Higher St Budeaux. the companion service, H1, H.1303, ran from Fore Street through Morice Square, William Street, RN Barracks, and Saltash Road but then via Morice Park Terrace to the Saltash Ferry. When the whole network was renumbered on Monday April 5th 1937, the H became route 27 and the H1 became route 28. In addition there was an H2 service (H.1304) from Fore Street to St Budeaux Square only, which ran on week-days only starting at 11.55am from Fore Street and 12.10pm from St Budeaux. The last bus from St Budeaux was at 7.30pm but on Saturdays the service was extended until 11pm. This became bus route 29 when the renumbering was carried out on Monday April 5th 1937. A service H3 was also licensed (H.1340) in 1931 as Fore Street to west Park terrace.
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