Bus transport in the United Kingdom

Buses play a major role in the public transport of the United Kingdom, as well as seeing extensive private use. While rail transport has increased over the past twenty years due to road congestion, the same does not apply to buses, which have generally been used less, apart from in London where their use has increased significantly. Bus transport is heavily subsidised, with subsidy accounting for around 45 per cent of operator revenue, especially in London.
In 2014/15, there were 5.2 billion bus journeys in the UK, 2.4 billion of which were in London. The UK bus network has shrunk by 8% over the past decade due to government subsidy cuts and a reduction in commercial operations in the north of England.
History.
The horse bus era.
The first omnibus service in the United Kingdom was started by John Greenwood between Pendleton and Manchester in 1824. Stagecoach services, sometimes over short distances, had existed for many years. Greenwood's innovation was to offer a service which did not require booking in advance, and which picked up and set down passengers en route. Greenwood did not use the term omnibus, which was first used in France in 1826.
In 1829 George Shillibeer started the first omnibus service in London. Over the next few decades, horse bus services developed in London, Manchester and other cities. They became bigger, and double deck buses were introduced in the 1850s. The growth of suburban railways, and later horse trams (from 1860) and electric trams (from 1885) changed the patterns of horse bus services, but horse buses continued to flourish. By 1900 there were 3,676 horse buses in London.
The first motor buses.
There were experiments with steam buses in the 1830s, but harsh legislation in 1861 virtually eliminated mechanically propelled road transport from Britain until the law was changed in 1896. From 1897 various experimental motor bus services were operated with petrol-driven vehicles, including a service in Edinburgh which ran from 1898 to 1901. In 1903 motor bus services were started in Eastbourne, and in the same year a motor bus service was started between Helston and The Lizard by the Great Western Railway .
Motor bus services grew quickly, and soon eclipsed the horse buses. Early operators were the tramway companies, e.g. the British Electric Traction Company, and the railway companies. In London, the horse bus companies, the London General Omnibus Company and Thomas Tilling, introduced motor buses in 1902 and 1904, and the National Steam Car Company started steam bus services in 1909. By the time of the First World War, BET had begun to emerge as a national force.
Between the wars.
By the time of the First World War, the LGOC had achieved dominance in London, and its two major competitors, Tilling and National (in 1919 renamed National Omnibus and Transport Company) looked elsewhere for expansion. After the war, many bus companies were started by ex-servicemen who had learnt mechanics in the Army. The 1920s were an era of intense competition, but BET, Tilling and National gradually acquired more companies. Tilling had shares in BET as well as competing with BET, and in 1928 the two companies formed Tilling & British Automobile Traction Co., which continued its acquisitions. At the end of the 1920s the railways mostly ceased direct bus operation, but acquired interests in many bus companies. The National transferred its operations to three companies jointly owned with the railways, Eastern National, Southern National and Western National.
The Road Traffic Act 1930 ended the period of competition and introduced a new system of regulation of bus services. One effect was to eliminate many of the smaller operators. In 1931, Tilling acquired control of the National. In England outside London and towns where municipalities ran their own buses, the industry was dominated by Tilling, BET and their joint company TBAT. In Scotland, Scottish Motor Traction came to be the dominant force.
In London, including the surrounding area up to 30 miles from London, bus services were effectively nationalised in 1933, when operations were compulsorily transferred to the new London Passenger Transport Board.
In 1942, TBAT was wound up, and its companies transferred to Tilling.
Nationalisation.
The post-war Labour government embarked on a programme of nationalisation of transport. Under the Transport Act 1947, the British Transport Commission acquired the bus services of Thomas Tilling, Scottish Motor Traction and the large independent Red & White. By the nationalisation of the railways, the BTC also acquired interests in many of BET's bus companies, but BET was not forced to sell its companies and they were not nationalised.
In 1962 the BTC's bus companies were transferred to the Transport Holding Company. Then in 1968 BET sold its UK bus companies to the Transport Holding Company. Almost all of the UK bus industry was by then owned by the government or by municipalities.
Bus passenger numbers declined in the 1960s. The Transport Act 1968 was an attempt to rationalise publicly owned bus services and provide a framework for the subsidy of uneconomic but socially necessary services. The Act:
Privatisation.
In 1980 the new Thatcher government embarked on a programme of deregulation and privatisation of bus services. The National Bus Company and Scottish Transport Group divided some of their larger subsidiaries into more saleable units. In 1986, under the Transport Act 1985, all bus services apart from those in London and Northern Ireland were deregulated. The NBC's and STG's subsidiaries were then sold, in most cases to their management and employees.
Bus services in London were transferred to a new company, London Buses in 1984, split into smaller companies in 1989 and then privatised. The PTEs were also required to sell their bus operations. Local authorities had to transfer their buses to arms length companies, some of which (but not all) were sold off.
Post deregulation, the intended model had been for competition between private companies to increase services. Regulations prevented neighbouring state owned companies being sold to the same concern, to create a 'patch-work' distribution of the operating areas. Competition law prevented private companies acquiring more than a certain percentage of geographical market share.
Competition did occur in many areas, in some cases causing bus wars. However, many of the smaller start up operators were bought up by their larger neighbours after a few years. After some initial mergers, five large bus groups emerged - two (FirstGroup and Go-Ahead Group) were formed from NBC bus companies sold to their managements, two (Stagecoach and Arriva) were independent companies which pursued aggressive acquisition policies, and National Express was the privatised coach operator which diversified into bus operation.
There were few cases of long term competition. As competition often occurs on frequency, resulting in a period of loss making competition, where both operators operate a high frequency, ending with an operator leaving the route.
In the early 1990s it seemed all services would fall into the hands of the few major groups, but recent trends have seen the disposal of relatively large companies where revenues do not meet shareholder expectations. The Stagecoach Group went so far as to dispose of its two large London operations, citing the inability to grow the business within the London regulated structure. They later repurchased their London operations in 2010, after it entered administration.
Some large overseas groups have also entered the UK bus market, such as Transit Systems, who purchased First's London operations, under the Tower Transit name, and ComfortDelGro, who own Metroline, and recently purchased New Adventure Travel
Regulation.
Today, bus service provision for public transport in the UK is regulated in a variety of ways. Bus transport in London is regulated by Transport for London. Bus transport in some large conurbations is regulated by Passenger Transport Executives. Bus transport elsewhere in the country must meet the requirements of the local Traffic Commissioner, and run to their registered service. Under the free market, the barriers to entry into public bus service operation is aimed to be as low as possible.
Operators of service buses and coaches (PSVs) must hold an operating licence (an 'O' licence). Under an O licence, operators are registered with the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) under a company name, and if applicable, any trading names, and are allocated a maximum fleet size allowed to be stored at nominated operating centres. An O licence is required for each of the 8 national Traffic Areas in which an operator has an operating centre. Reducing the vehicle allocation on, or revoking, an O licence can occur if an operator is found to be operating in contravention of any laws or regulations.
In Northern Ireland, coach, bus (and rail) services remain state-owned and are provided by Translink.
Using the example of bus passenger growth seen in London under the changes made by Transport for London, several parties have advocated a return to increased regulation of bus services along the London model.
The Transport Act 2000 made certain provisions for increased cooperation between local authorities and bus operators to take measures to improve services, such cooperation was previously barred under competition law. Under the act, Quality Bus Partnerships were enabled, although this had limited success. In Sheffield the first Statutory Quality Partnership was introduced along the Barnsley Road corridor, shortly followed in Barnsley with a Partnership introduced covering the A61 (north) and the new Barnsley Interchange. In Cardiff, the Statutory Quality Bus Partnership has also been used, with the introduction of new buses on Cardiff Bus routes. The Act also included measures allowing the registration of variable route services, as demand responsive transport.
In 2004, regulations were amended to further allow fully flexible demand responsive transport bus services.
Changes to regulations regarding bus operation are proposed in the 2007 Local Transport Bill.
Operating companies.
While most bus operating companies are private, some are operated as community based or not for profit entities, or as local authority arms length companies, as municipal bus companies.
The majority of bus services in both urban and rural areas are now run by subsidiaries of a few major bus groups, many of which also hold the franchises to many train operating companies and light rail systems.
Subsidies.
For 2014/15, subsidies (including the cost of concessionary fares) in England were £2.3 billion, made up of £826 million for London, £516 million for metropolitan areas outside London and £951 million for non-metropolitan areas. In Scotland, they were £291 million for 2013/14.
Types in use.
Historically, full size single and double-decker buses formed the mainstay of the UK bus fleet.
In the 1980s, minibuses were developed from so-called, 'van-derived' minibus chassis, such as the Ford Transit and the Freight Rover Sherpa. As their popularity increased, designs have become more bus focused, with the numerous Mercedes-Benz models.
Following abortive purpose built designs such as the Bedford JJL, and the limited use of shortened chassis such as the Seddon Pennine and Dennis Domino, the Dennis Dart introduced the concept of the midibus to the UK operating market in large numbers in the 1990s. Beginning as a short wheelbase bus, some midibus designs have become as long as full size buses.
Developments such as the Optare Solo have further blurred the distinctions between mini and midi buses.
Since the mid-1990s, all bus types have had to come into line with Easy Access regulations, with the most notable change being the introduction of low-floor technology. As of February 2008, 58% of the UK's bus fleet was low floor.
Apart from a brief experiment in the 1980s in Sheffield, with the Leyland-DAB, articulated buses (artics) had not gained a foothold in the UK market. In the new millennium, artics were introduced in various parts of the UK, following a controversial initial introduction in London. However, the London artics had all been withdrawn by 2011.
Services.
Aside from normal urban and inter-urban services, bus transport in the UK also has a number of niche uses:
Park and Ride.
Buses play an integral role in park and ride schemes in the UK, with operations across the country, having been implemented in volume since the 1980s and 1990s. Schemes now range in size from small standard liveried buses, to large dedicated route branded fleets. The majority are permanent, government supported public transport schemes, although operating contracts must be competitively tendered. Some schemes branded park and ride are for private use, such as airport buses. Others cater for specific events or segments of passengers, such as National Health Service staff.
Private uses.
Private use of bus transport in the United Kingdom encompasses tour buses, vehicles for hire, and holiday excursions/package tours.
Preservation.
Interest in preservation of historical buses is maintained in the UK by various museums and heritage/preservation groups, ranging from attempts to restore a single bus, to whole collections. While many preserved buses are vintage, increasingly, 'modern' types, such as the Leyland National, and the Optare Spectra are being preserved. With the fleet replacement of the major groups, it is not uncommon for many preserved buses to still have contemporary models still in service.
Manufacturers.
Early UK bus manufacturers included private companies such as Guy Motors, Leyland Motors and AEC. Some bus operating companies, such as the London General Omnibus Company and Midland Red, also manufactured buses.
During nationalisation, two UK manufacturers fell under government ownership, Bristol Commercial Vehicles and Eastern Coach Works. Later, Leyland Bus was also effectively nationalised.
Before, and increasingly after privatisation, foreign manufacturers such as Scania entered the UK market, followed by the likes of Mercedes-Benz.
Current British bus manufacturers include Alexander Dennis, Optare and Wrightbus.
Bus rapid transit systems.
Following the failure of some light rail proposals in some UK towns to gain national funding on the Department of Transport's value for money assessment, several towns have turned to enhanced bus services as a cheaper alternative. Following limited historical use, such as in Runcorn and Birmingham, the use of guided bus technology and bus rapid transit schemes has increased in the UK. Among these are the longest guided busway in the world, the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway which opened in 2011, and the Luton to Dunstable Busway, the second-longest guided busway, which opened in 2013.
Other busways in operation include Ipswich Rapid Transit, Crawley Fastway, South East Hampshire Bus Rapid Transit, Leigh-Salford-Manchester Bus Rapid Transit, and Bus Rapid Transit North, using a variety of technologies.


Stanton St. Quintin Quarry and Motorway Cutting

Stanton St. Quintin Quarry & Motorway Cutting () is a 2.2 hectare geological Site of Special Scientific Interest southeast of Stanton St Quintin in Wiltshire, England, notified in 1971.


Gibson ticket machine

The Gibson A14 ticket machine is a handheld, hand-powered apparatus for issuing bus tickets from a blank paper roll, formerly used by London Transport (LT) and operated by a conductor or guard. It was in use from 1953 until 1993, was designed by former London Transport Superintendent of fare collection at LT's Effra Road ticket machine works, George Gibson. S It was manufactured by Ticket Issuing Machines Limited.
Background.
Prior to the Gibson, LT and its predecessors had generally used the Bell Punch system of ticket. Bell Punch ticket cancellers were invented and introduced to used to combat fraud. Some conductors would often keep some of the day's takings for themselves, and the driver could also often expect a share. There was no effective method for correlating the money from the number of tickets sold, and the amount of money received at the depot - plain clothes inspectors being the London General Omnibus Company's best attempt to combat this, but it was not very effective. The LGOC was so desperate to solve the problem that in 1877, they ran a competition for ideas for solutions with a £1000 prize, but none of the 671 entries (including one from famous magician John Nevil Maskelyne suggesting use of serial numbers on tickets) met of all the conditions.
In Bell Punch system, numbered tickets, colour-coded to a specific value were selected from a set in a rack carried by a conductor. Tickets had the appropriately marked section for the journey hole-punched by the machine. The machine stored the chads (punched circles) which could later be counted, and the value of the tickets sold calculated and compared against the takings from the conductor, to stop fraud. The conductor kept their own record of their takings in a waybill. In a further effort to stop misuse, when a hole was punched in a ticket the machine rang a bell, giving a distinctive 'ting' - so that, for example, a conductor could not take the money and simply pretend to punch a ticket (and so prevent the chad being stored in the machine).
They were mainly produced by the Bell Punch Printing Company Ltd, London (who typically also made the tickets to go with them), although other companies, such as Williamson, produced their own varieties of machine.
Bell Punches were first used by London Roadcar, a private bus company and predecessor of London Transport, from its inauguration in 1881, and most companies (including tramway operators) except the LGOC were using them by 1890 (the LGOC was reluctant to, partially for fear of staff strikes). Eventually they were introduced by the LGOC, in June 1891, and in their heyday 4 billion tickets were produced each year for operators in London.
The Bell Punch system had many disadvantages - it could be slow to use, and the conductor was encumbered with both a long rack of tickets and a heavy metal ticket machine. The counting of the chads was necessary to prevent fraud but was very time consuming and labour-intensive. It was still not impervious to some forms of fraud - some conductors, when handing in their machine, would claim that their counter was broken to account for the missing cash (that they had actually pocketed)
The Gibson.
The Gibson used a very different system. Rather than using pre-printed tickets, information was printed onto a paper roll as part of the process of issuing the ticket. Altering various dials on the machine could alter the information printed, e.g. the ticket type (adult, child, single, return etc.) or the fare. Therefore, the ticket machine could be made much more compact.
The Gibson also improved upon the Bell Punch system by having meters to record the numbers of each individual type of ticket issued. Other advantages included faster issuing of tickets, that the conductor would have more hands free, and that tickets did not need to be specially pre-printed. The latter also meant that companies was no longer had to account for an asset that needed to be audited, as the paper rolls have very little worth in comparison to a pre-printed ticket that could be stolen/pilfered. By October 1958 Bell Punch machines on LT had been completely replaced (Poplar and West Ham trolleybus depots being the last to use them).
Nearer the end of their use and after decimalisation of UK currency, LT dispensed with having the machines recording specific values for fares, as changing the printed plates at each fare increase was becoming expensive. Instead, they machines used letter codes, and passengers on the bus could see which letter corresponded to which fare by a notice at the entrance to the vehicle. In this way, only the notice would have to be changed at fare rises.
They are often associated with Routemaster buses, as Gibson machines were most often used on crew-operated (driver and conductor) buses. The Routemasters were some of the last buses to be crew-operated in London, due to their open rear entrances. However, some types of buses, including the "GS" and "RF" types, did have adapted versions of the machine for use on driver-only buses.
The Gibson was last officially used on 21 August 1993. It has become considered an iconic design within London transport history, due to its longevity, its use on the iconic Routemaster, and also due to the very distinctive whirring sound they produced when the handle was turned to issue a ticket.


BSA B40

The BSA B40 was a series of unit construction single-cylinder OHV four-stroke motorcycles made by the Birmingham Small Arms Company. Developed from the BSA C15, the machines were produced between 1961 and 1967 for civilian use. Military versions were manufactured from 1967 to 1970. Around 14,000 machines were built in total.
Overview.
As a reaction to the emergence of high-tech, high performance Honda lightweights that were starting to appear (Mike Hailwood had won the 1961 Lightweight TT on a DOHC, twin-cylinder, 125 cc machine), BSA increased the performance its lightweight by boring the C15 out to 350 cc.
The 67 mm bore of the C15 was increased to 79 mm to give a capacity of 343 cc for the new B40 model. Although the bottom end was beefed up, it still retained the plain big end. Concerns over reliability led to the compression ratio to be reduced to 7:1. A new cast iron barrel was produced with the pushrod tunnel built in. The engine produced 21 bhp (16kW) at 7,000 rpm.
C15 cycle parts were retained except for heavier duty front forks, a 7" front brake and 18" wheels.
Sports, enduro/trials, military and police versions were produced during the model's lifetime.
Models.
B40 Star.
The first model of the series was the B40 Star, introduced in 1961. The new 350 cc engine had 21 bhp, which gave a cruising speed of 50 - 55 mph and a top speed of 75 mph. The Star had deeply valenced, painted mudguards; metal fork shrouds and the headlamp was fitted in a nacelle. Finish was red with black frame and forks or all black. American variants had chrome sides to the petrol tank.
In 1962, the big end was changed from plain bearings to roller bearing, and in 1965 the points were moved from the 'distributor'-type device behind the cylinder to the timing case, and the clutch operating mechanism redesigned.
Very few machines were made in 1967, its final year. These machines were fitted with a roller bearing timing side main bearing. These engines, prefixed BD40G, are generally acknowledged as having the most robust bottom end.
The model was initially known as the "Star Sportsman" in the US, but this was changed to the "Star" in 1962 ahead of the SS90 model being launched. In 1964 the name was changed again in the US to the "Super Star".
B40 Sports Star SS90.
Launched in June 1962, the B40 Sports Star SS90 had similar tuning modifications to the "C15 SS80". The compression ratio was raised to 8.75:1, larger valves and a bigger carburettor, which raised the power to 24 bhp (18kW) @ 7,000 rpm. The machine was fitted with a roller bearing big end and a close ratio gearbox. Initially UK SS90 models were distinguished by the chrome sides of the petrol tank.
Introduced in the US in 1963 as the "BSA SS90", the American model was finished in blue and had chrome mudguards and rubber gaiters instead of metal fork shrouds. In 1964, the US model was referred to as the "Sportsman", and the UK model was fitted with the chrome mudguards. In 1965 both variants were fitted with a separate headlight, the US version now being called the "Super Sports".
B40 Enduro Star.
First introduced in 1963 in limited quantities the US-only B40 Enduro Star went into full production in 1964. The model was built around a trials frame a 19" front wheel to give good ground clearance. It had an alloy tank, single seat, high-level exhaust and a half width 7" front brake. The machine had the low compression engine and a wide ratio gearbox. Although the machine was street legal and fitted with lights, no battery was fitted.
The model won numerous competitions in America, including the 1963 500 mile "Jack Pine Lightweight Competition" and the "1964 National Championship Endurance Run". The model was discontinued after 1965.
B40 Police.
A special police version, the B40 Police, was produced in 1964 and 1965.
Military versions.
B40 WD.
In 1965, the newly formed Royal Corps of Transport, who took over the responsibility from army transportation, issued a requirement for a motorcycle to replace its ageing fleet of mainly BSA M20 and Matchless G3/L machines. BSA submitted four B40s built to army specifications for evaluation by the Fighting Vehicles Research and Development Establishment near Chertsey, Surrey. Triumph also submitted four 500 cc machines. Both types had major defects and modified versions were submitted for further evaluation. After an 10,00 mile reliability test, an order was placed for 2,000 B40s, 880 of these being destined for the BAOR. The initial order was delivered in 1967 and further machines supplied until 1970.
Part of the army specification was that the machine should have a butterfly carburettor as they were concerned that a carb with a slide throttle may stick open in adverse conditions. Although a Solex carburettor was fitted to the machine displayed at the 1966 Earls Court motorcycle show, production models used an Amal 398 butterfly carb, which was usually fitted to stationary engines. This carb restricted engine performance.
Air and oil filtration was upgraded for the WD machines, a large paper air filter was fitted behind the left-hand side panel. This necessitated the battery to be moved to a new carrier between oil tank and engine. A fibre glass cover protected the battery. An external Vokes oil filter was fitted on a bracket above the primary chaincase.
The machine was built around an all-welded frame derived from the C15 competition machines. Heavy duty front forks and quickly-detachable wheels were fitted with 7" brakes front and rear. Frames were fitted to both sides of the rear wheel to accommodate panniers. The rear chain was fully enclosed and a 3.5 gallon tank fitted. Chrome parts were dull-chromed to reduce reflectability and paintwork was "deep bronze green".
In total, around 3,000 machines were supplied to the British Military including 141 to the RAF and 34 to the Royal Navy.
The Royal Danish Army ordered an initial batch of 400 machines in 1967 to replace their fleet of Nimbus Model C machines. Further machines were ordered in 1969 and 1970, bringing the total number purchased to 1,100. The machines had rear mudguard stays fitted, which distinguish them from the UK model. Used for escort and messenger duties they were replaced in 1980 with Yamaha DT250MX machines.
B40 AWD.
The Australian Army stated negotiations for a supply of motorcycles in 1960 with BSA, Triumph, Norton, Velocette and Royal Enfield. The BSA C15 was not suitable as it wouldn'r run on 85 octane petrol. Prior to the B40s release to the public, BSA supplied some C15 Trials/B40 hybrids for evaluation. In early 1964 BSA supplied a further 20 of these hybrid machines for an "Extended User Trials" programme. A single UK specification BSA B40WD was also supplied in 1965.
An order for 450 machines was placed in November 1966, the machines being delivered in early 1967. The Australian machines were fitted with an Amal Concentric 926 carburettor. These machines remained in service until 1972, when they were replaced with the Suzuki GS400.
B40 WD Mk2.
For 1968, BSA updated the WD inline with the changes to other single cylinder models. The front forks and wheel assembly was the same as used on the B25 Starfire/B44 Shooting Star, as were the swinging arm, chain guard and rear wheel. A wider 400 x 18 rear wheel was fitted. The Vokes oil filter was replaced by a "British Filters" item and an Amal 626 Concentric carburettor fitted.
Sales were slow, existing customers not wanting to complicate their stocks of spares. Australia did order 48 machines for evaluation, but no further orders were placed. The main customer was Jordan's Arab Army, who ordered 200 machines finished in sand colour.
B40 Roughrider.
With poor sales to the military, BSA produced a civilian version, the B40 Roughrider, aimed at Australian sheep farmers. A batch of 108 machines was made from July 1969. Although most went to Australia, 22 were sold in the UK, 10 going to the Hampshire Forestry Commission. As an option, a high-level exhaust and a single seat could be fitted.


Grosvenor Carriage Company

The Grosvenor Carriage Company Ltd was a British coachbuilder founded in around 1910 and based in Kilburn in North West London. They ceased operations sometime in the 1960s.
With premises at Welbeck Works, Willesden Lane, London NW6, Grosvenor gained a reputation in the years up to World War I for high quality coachwork on leading makes of car including Rolls-Royce.
During World War I they made ambulance bodies.
By 1920 they had joined up with Shaw & Kilburn who were the main Vauxhall dealer in London and although they still supplied coachwork on other chassis their main customer was from then onwards Vauxhall. From the late 1920s Grosvenor became responsible for building most if not all or Vauxhall's specialist bodies and in 1929 were responsible for the Hurlingham and Melton bodies on the Vauxhall 20-60. From 1932 it seems they only built for Vauxhall, effectively becoming their in-house coachbuilder.
All luxury coachbuilding stopped in World War II. This was not the end for Grosvenor as in 1954 they were advertising a 10-passenger bus and also a pick-up conversion of a Bedford van. Their final offering seems to have been in 1956 with an estate-car conversion of the Vauxhall Velox.
By the late 1950s or early 1960s the name seems to have been allowed to lapse.


School Streets

School Streets is an initiative in the United Kingdom to implement School Streets outside schools. A school street is a road outside a school with a part-time restriction on motor traffic outside schools during drop-off and pick-up times. The programme is supported by Sustrans, a sustainable transport non-profit in the UK.
One of the first schools to trial the scheme was Gayhurst Community School in Hackney in 2018. As of November 2020, Transport for London has funded 430 new school streets. Legislatively, the scheme is achieved by restricting access to motor vehicles at certain times.
Nearly two-thirds of UK teachers are in favour of roads around schools being closed. A study has shown that School Streets reduce Nitrogen Dioxide levels by up to 23 per cent during morning drop-off.
The scheme aims to:
History.
In March 2018, some parents in Belgium closed the road outside their school instead of going for coffee. They called the movement . Over the next two weeks, 42 more schools joined as well.
Criticism.
One limitation of the scheme is that the time restrictions during drop-off and pick-up only do not help to reduce pollution during other times when children are outside.
In 2021, some residents in Ilford, Greater London, opposed the introduction of 10 new School Streets in their borough, Redbridge. They said that the traffic would just move to another area. Instead they favoured introducing a no stopping zone, which would allow through-traffic to continue.


Conegar Road Cutting

Conegar Road Cutting () is a 0.15 hectare geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Dorset, notified in 1996.


A390 road

The A390 is a road in Cornwall and Devon, England. It runs from Tavistock to north west of the city of Truro. Starting in Tavistock, it heads south-westwards towards Liskeard, crossing over the River Tamar and into Cornwall, then through Gunnislake and Callington. Immediately before Liskeard, it merges with the A38 north of the town. It diverges from the A38 at Dobwalls, where it then runs in a south-westerly direction to Truro via Lostwithiel, St. Blazey, and St Austell. It then forms an upside down elongated square loop, and bypasses Truro City Centre. It then heads north west out of the city, where it forms the main corridor into Truro from the west. It passes the Royal Cornwall Hospital and skirts the village of Threemilestone, before linking up with the A30 road at Chiverton Cross, where the A390 terminates. Chiverton Cross is where the A390 trunk road from Truro and the B3277 to St Agnes meet the east–west A30 trunk road. Before the A390 was rerouted away from Chacewater it ended at its junction with the A30 at Scorrier.
It forms part of the main route (the Truro to Dobwalls section) from Truro to Plymouth, although after a severe accident in Lostwithiel in 1999 heavy goods vehicles are diverted from it at the top of Edgcumbe Road, Lostwithiel.
By far the busiest section of the road is known as Truro Road between Truro City Centre and Chiverton Cross, where it carries through traffic to West Cornwall, as well as commuting traffic to and from Truro, and traffic for the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro College and the Richard Lander School. There are many residential new housing estates in this area which have created further traffic. The section from Truro College heading into Truro from the west also includes a Bus lane and some dual carriageway sections.


British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association

Established in 1967, the British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association (BVRLA) is the UK trade body for companies engaged in vehicle rental, leasing and fleet management.
On behalf of 980+ member organisations, the BVRLA works with governments, public sector agencies, industry associations, consumer groups and other stakeholders across a wide range of road transport, environmental, taxation, technology and finance-related issues.
BVRLA members are responsible for a combined fleet of almost five million cars, vans and trucks on UK roads, or 1-in-8 cars, 1-in-5 vans and 1-in-5 trucks. The vehicle rental and leasing industry supports over 465,000 jobs, adds £7.6bn in tax revenues and contributes £49bn to the UK economy each year.
It seeks to look after the interests of, and sets standards for operational quality for, both the contract hire and leasing sectors and the daily hire (car rental) sectors. The BVRLA represents both the business contract hire and personal contract purchase industry. The BVRLA's activities also include lobbying government in respect of any fiscal matter which may affect the industry, and shaping policy and regulation changes. This involves developing policy areas across the wide range of industry issues, lobbying decision-makers in the UK and in Europe.
Organisation.
The association's Chief Executive is Gerry Keaney, who joined in 2013. Keaney succeeded John Lewis as Chief Executive, who held the position for 13 years before stepping down.
Members.
As of 1 January 2019, the BVRLA had more than 980 members.
Legal and Policy work.
The BVRLA is committed to working with public sector agencies, industry associations and key business influencers on key road transport, taxation and finance-related issues.
In 2014, it argued that the DVLA's plans to move driver records online would not make renting a car "quicker or cheaper than the current system of checking the paper driver licence counterpart".
In 2016, the BVRLA called on the government to tackle the challenges of the UK’s 'grey fleet', following the publication of a new report that showed the true cost of employees using their own cars for work purposes.
Consumer advice.
The association regulates the industry through a regular series of quality assurance inspections and mandatory codes of conducts. It also offers a free conciliation service to help resolve disputes they may have been experienced with member companies.


Smarter Travel Sutton

Smarter Travel Sutton is the first phase of Transport for London's Smarter Travel initiative aiming to ease congestion in London by enabling and encouraging people to substitute car journeys for more sustainable forms of transport, and to ensure that public transport systems, footpaths and cycle paths are running at optimum capacity.
The Project is a joint venture between the Transport for London and the London Borough of Sutton, with support from the Mayor of London.
Schedule.
Phase one, which ran between September and October 2006 covered the Worcester Park region.
The next phase will cover the entire London borough of Sutton and will run from April to September 2007.
Similar schemes will be run in other London Boroughs, such as Camden.
Methods.
Personalised Travel Planning.
Following a letter informing residents of the project, teams of Travel Advisors trained in the borough's transport infrastructure will visit every household in the borough aiming to discuss one-to-one with the residents their travel habits and main modes of transport. They will then talk with them about possible alternatives they may not have considered, which may suit them better, save them time, money or hassle, or be more sustainable and less congested. They can supply them with information and incentives which can inform them about local transport, amenities and organizations, and assist and encourage them to more comfortably make changes to the way they travel.
Business & Schools Travel Planning.
Travel Advisors will also be visiting businesses and schools to advise them on what they could do to assist their employees and students in changing their travel, for example allowing flexible hours so the rush-hour can be avoided.
Grants will also be made available for minor engineering projects for example, shower facilities or secure bicycle storage to encourage traveling by bike.
Feedback.
Participants will be given the opportunity to voice their views on Sutton's transport in order for the borough to gauge public opinion and the issues the public think need to be addressed.
Resources.
A wide range of information is available to be freely delivered to residents, this includes…
Other.
The requested information is delivered personally to the householders by Bicycle Courier.
Events.
On Sunday 13 May an event will be held in Sutton Town Centre to raise awareness of the project.
Groups.
The project is collaborating with a number of groups representing various demographics within Sutton's population.


A380 road

The A380 is a road in South West England, connecting the Torbay area to the A38, and hence to the rest of Great Britain's main road network.
Route.
The A380 leaves the A38 at Kennford, some from that road's junction with the M5 motorway, and from the centre of the city of Exeter. It then proceeds in a generally southerly direction, climbing over the Haldon Hills before descending past the towns of Kingsteignton and Newton Abbot and continuing on a single carriageway flyover over the Penn Inn roundabout heading towards Torquay.
Beyond Newton Abbot, the road bypasses the village of Kingskerswell on the South Devon Highway. The road soon comes to Edginswell (a signal controlled junction) at Torquay where it meets the A3022 that (as Dual carriageway) serves the large seaside resort of Torquay. The road then heads right up a hill towards Gallows Gate roundabout then Preston Down roundabout and then Churscombe Cross roundabout on the Paignton ring road where the road reduces to single carriageway and enters Paignton finally ending at Collaton St Mary inland from Paignton, where it meets the A3022 (again) and the A385 at .
Kingskerswell bypass.
There have been plans to alleviate the traffic congestion on the stretch of the road between Newton Abbot and Torquay since 1951. Construction of a bypass around Kingskerswell was almost authorised by the Department for Transport, with construction to start in 2010 and completion in 2013, but in March 2009 it was suggested that with the economic recession there may not be sufficient money left for constructing a bypass, since money was awarded to other road building schemes elsewhere in the UK the previous autumn. A public enquiry was held in 2009. In October 2010 the government refused to fund the scheme, and placed it in a funding pool to compete against 33 other schemes nationwide for a £600 million development fund. However, in November 2011 the government awarded £74.6 million towards the cost of the bypass, with construction to start the following year. Construction began in October 2012 with the road completed and opened in December 2015. This new section of road is designated the South Devon Highway.
Penn Inn Roundabout.
The Penn Inn Roundabout is a signal-controlled roundabout interchange at Newton Abbot where the A380 used to meet the A381 and an unclassified road at one of the busiest roundabouts in Devon. The A380 now continues over the roundabout on a single carriageway flyover continuing to Exeter as part of the South Devon Highway (Traffic can still get to the roundabout off the dual carriageway using the other lane). This is to relieve congestion especially at peak times. There is a completely separate system of subways for pedestrians underneath the roundabout.
It is a junction which is noted for being subject to very high vehicle flows (in 2008, 73000 vehicles per day entered the roundabout) and as a result can be subject to long queues at peak times. Various upgrades have been made to the junction since its construction in an effort to increase capacity; it now has four lanes on the A381 approach and northern section of the roundabout. The Kingskerswell bypass completed in December 2015 has a single carriageway flyover north–south so that through traffic on the A380 dual carriageway does not have to negotiate the junction.
The junction takes its name from the similarly named adjacent Pen Inn pub which in May 2015 was acquired by Mitchells & Butlers and rebranded as Toby Carvery.


Duple Coachbuilders

Duple Coachbuilders was a coach and bus bodybuilder in England from 1919 until 1989.
History.
Duple Bodies & Motors was formed in 1919 by Herbert White in Hornsey, London. Before World War I, he had briefly built cars under the Bifort name in Fareham, Hampshire.
Early days.
The name Duple is intended to convey the principle of a single vehicle being suitable for a dual role, an idea Herbert White developed. The first vehicle of this type was called the Bifort. Subsequently, former military Ford Model Ts were fitted with the newly designed dual-purpose bodywork. The bodies looked like a small touring car, but could be transformed into a van by removing the decking at the rear of the car and fitting a van top. This type of vehicle had enormous appeal to the owners of small businesses, who were able to obtain a working vehicle and private car for little extra, and soon bodywork of this type was being produced in substantial numbers. The 'convertible' body, as it was known internally, was built on Morris Cowley and Oxford chassis as well as the Ford T; as well as the standard van top there was a pick-up and even a version with raising sides and slide-out display shelves for use in markets, production ceasing around the end of the 1920s although Duple continued to repair and service examples for many years afterward.
In 1926 a new factory was opened in Hendon to meet growing demand.
Coachwork had been built on occasions since the inception of the company, including a six-wheeled Lancia-Barton Charabanc. but in 1928 it was decided to make an effort to increase output of this body type substantially. As a result, the order book began to grow and within ten years the number of people employed had risen to around 800.
In 1928, Walter Ernest Brown, a former partner in the Strachan & Brown bodybuilding business, joined the firm, and he had a major influence on the company's future expansion.
Major clients of this period included the Great Western Railway, who ordered a number of bodies for its expanding bus fleet, and Elliott Brothers' Royal Blue fleet.
1930s.
By 1930, the total number of coach and bus bodies produced was 250, establishing Duple as an emerging bodybuilder of some stature, whose distinctive design features were able to influence national trends.
The depression of the 1930s coupled with the introduction of the 1930 Road Traffic Act brought about changes in the bodybuilding sector, which led to a stabilising of the transport industry, established operators feeling secure now that the threat of unregulated competition had been removed by the licensing system. Accordingly, there was a trend towards vehicles with higher standards of finish and more comfortable interiors.
In 1930, Duple received the largest single order to date, for 50 bodies to be fitted to the AEC Regal chassis for Green Line Coaches, the newly established express service arm of the London General Omnibus Company.
In August 1931, two Bedford passenger chassis (the 14-seat WHB and 20-seat WLB) were announced. Duple had built early bodies on the WLB chassis for the Vauxhall Motors (the parent company of Bedford), and was listed in publicity material as one of the four bodybuilders recommended for the WLB chassis. As demand for the type rose, Duple's ability to produce in quantity set them apart from their competitors, and soon Duple-bodied Bedford WLBs were in service around the country. The association with Bedford was to last over 50 years.
In 1932, Duple acquired the business of London Lorries who, despite the name, were heavily involved in the manufacture of coach bodies.
By the middle of the 1930s, Duple was widely regarded as a coachbuilder, although bus bodies were still produced in quite large numbers. An order was received from Vauxhall Motors for special sports tourer bodies on Vauxhall 14 hp light six chassis and a stand was taken at the 1933 London Motor Show to display them. They were advertised by Vauxhall up to 1935 and may have been Duple's last car bodies made in quantity, although they also bodied Canadian-assembled Buick 8-50 cars for General Motors in the UK. Also built in the 1930s was a special coupé on an Alvis speed 20 model for Lloyd Thompson of the Holdsworth Moquette company, a major supplier to Duple and many other coachbuilders.
Export business had been developed early, based mainly on the travels of the Duple directors, including W. E. Brown, who had already been to the United States and Canada and now embarked on a Mediterranean tour, taking in Greece, Syria and Egypt. Export orders were also received in quantity from East Africa and Argentina, and closer to home in Europe. This in part helped to compensate for the reduced demand for UK bodywork, which tended to be seasonal.
By 1934, the original site had become inadequate and 3½ acres of adjoining land were purchased for expansion. Although car body production was coming to an end, major contracts for the GPO were obtained during the 1930s, for telephone repair vans in the main, on either Morris Minor or larger Morris Commercial Chassis, although two specials were BLB444 of 1934 the blue streamlined van designed to publicise the air mail service, which was modelled as a Dinky Toy. and GPO1 which was a Morris Commercial Leader tractive unit coupled to a Brockhouse semi-trailer upon which Duple built a travelling post office for use at agricultural shows, race meetings and other major public events.
The late 1930s saw the era of the classic coach design, with operators becoming increasingly conscious of the appearance of their coaches. Many coach bodies were of individual design, but readily identifiable as Duple. The introduction of sloping pillars, curving roof- and waist-lines along with shaped mouldings on the side panels all contributed to a new 'aerodynamic' style that was increasing in popularity. Although coachwork continued to be Duple's main product, single-deck bus bodies formed a good part of the production from the mid-1930s, with one customer, Barton Transport, placing a bulk order for such bodies to be delivered over an extended period.
In 1936, Duple introduced the Vista design of bodywork, primarily for the Bedford WTB chassis. It had curved roof- and waist-lines, and featured a sliding roof as standard. In 1937 a revised design of the Vista, the Vista II, was introduced together with a new design - the Hendonian. Both of these remained in production until the end of the decade.
In 1939, Bedford introduced a new range of goods models, which included the 'O', with characteristic 'bullnose' grille. The passenger version was named the 'OB' and Duple modified the Hendonian body to fit the chassis, which at 14 ft 6 in, was longer than the WTB. With the advent of World War II, Bedford production was turned over to the war effort, with only 73 OB chassis produced, and it was not until after cessation of hostilities that the Bedford OB with Duple Vista bodywork was to become a familiar sight on British roads.
Wartime.
During World War II, as a member of the London Aircraft Production Group, Duple built fuselages for the Halifax bomber, along with a variety of military products. Duple also built double-deck highbridge and lowbridge buses to utility specifications, and the only new single-deck vehicle to be produced from 1942 to 1945, the Bedford OWB.
Postwar expansion.
In 1946 the name of the business was changed to Duple Motor Bodies Limited.
The first postwar production model to appear was the Duple Vista body on the Bedford OB chassis. The standard seating capacity soon became 29, although models with different capacities were still available. The Vista coachwork remained Duple's standard OB body until production of the OB chassis ceased in the early 1950s.
Deliveries of Duple bodywork on full-sized chassis (such as the AEC Regal) began in May 1946, and were known as the A-type, although its curved lines had their origin in the prewar period, so it was not strictly a new design. Before long the order book was filled for several years ahead. Postwar rebodying became common practice as new chassis were initially hard to obtain and Duple built many A-type bodies on different chassis that helped to make it, with its distinctive side 'flash', a familiar sight in postwar Britain. Alternative styles were available, all with alphabetic codes, such as the B-type and C-types, which differed in detail only and were regarded as 'dual-purpose' bodies, whilst the D-type was Duple's own design of bus body.
After the war, there was a move towards metal-framed bodies, partly because of their greater durability and partly because of a shortage of timber for traditional bodywork. Duple designed a metal-framed body (the Almet) for export models on the OB chassis, as well as producing a body design for the new SB chassis, then under development. By 1948, Duple had developed a metal-framed double-deck body, examples of which were delivered to the Red & White group and Scottish Motor Traction.
1950s.
In 1950, a range of full-fronted coach bodies named the 'Ambassador' was produced, but with the maximum permitted length for coaches increased to 30 ft and the maximum width to 8 ft, a series of new designs was prepared. Many were given names, such as the Roadmaster and Vega, all intended for use on specific chassis. The Roadmaster particularly was unlike anything Duple had previously produced, with its high, straight waistline and small windows. It earned the nickname 'Iron Duke' and was intended for underfloor engined chassis, hence the higher waistline. The Vega was intended for the new production model of the Bedford SB, and the bodywork featured a gently curving waistline typical of Duple.
The 1950s brought a difficult time for the bodybuilding industry: the end of the increased postwar demand led to a rapid decline in orders, and competition for the remaining ones became intense. Many of Duple's former customers were by then in the Tilling Group, which standardised on Bristol chassis and Eastern Coach Works bodywork. Disputes among union labour resulted in a 36-week strike that was catastrophic for Duple. It began to lose significant amounts of business to other companies and a move out of London was considered.
In 1952, Duple acquired Nudd Brothers & Lockyer Limited, based in Kegworth. The newly acquired firm was used to produce metal-framed bodies in the Duple standard range.
Further premises were acquired in Loughborough in 1955, and in 1956 the Kegworth and Loughborough factories were renamed Duple Motor Bodies (Midland) Limited. In 1958, the business of Willowbrook of Loughborough was acquired, although the business continued to operate under its own name for some time.
Throughout that period, Duple continued to produce new body designs: the Elizabethan, for underfloor-engined chassis, was introduced in 1953; the Britannia, based on the Elizabethan but with vertical pillars, was introduced in 1955, and the Loughborough-built Donington, for dual-purpose use, was added to the range in 1956. The designs for Bedford chassis had continued to be produced, now known as Super Vista (modified C series goods chassis) and Super Vega (SB).
Sixties Moves.
The business of H. V. Burlingham, of Blackpool, best known for the 'Seagull' body of the 1950s, was taken over in August 1960, adding a northern arm to Duple's production. The Burlingham name was retained until 1962, when it was changed to Duple Motor Bodies (Northern) Limited.
Towards the end of 1961 Bedford introduced the VAS chassis and Duple produced a completely new design - the Bella Vista - for it. That year the maximum permitted length for coaches was increased to 36 ft and the maximum width to 8 ft 2½ ins, and Duple (Northern) designed and produced the Continental, with seats for up to 51 passengers. At the same time the Bedford Super Vega was replaced by the Bella Vega, using similar styling to the Bella Vista, and when Bedford announced the six-wheeled VAL in 1962, Duple introduced the Vega Major. For 1964, Duple introduced the Commander, initially built at Hendon but switched to Blackpool later, and in 1966 the Viceroy range replaced the Bella series on most Bedford or Ford chassis.
From 1968 Duple coach production was concentrated at Blackpool, and the company was renamed Duple Coachbuilders Limited. The Hendon factory finally closed in 1970. The Willowbrook subsidiary continued in business under its own name until it was sold in 1971.
Dominant 1970s.
At the 1972 Commercial Motor Show, Duple introduced a new range of bodies called the Dominant, which were similar in appearance to the Plaxton Panorama Elite, already in production since 1968. The Plaxton Supreme range was introduced in 1974, and in response Duple introduced the Dominant II in 1976 with a restyled front and rear end by Michelotti of Turin. The style was cleaner than earlier models with rectangular headlamps in an integrated grille panel and a much deeper windscreen and driver's window. The Dominant and Supreme body styles were the ubiquitous British coach of the period, with very little competition other than small numbers from Willowbrook. The thought of importing coach bodies from abroad was only just being considered towards the end of the decade.
1980s.
The Transport Act 1980 saw the introduction of deregulation of coach services over 30 miles in length. A growing trend towards heavier-duty chassis that had been found more reliable for the high mileage and fast speeds of the motorway, caused the market for light coach chassis from Bedford and Ford to collapse in 1981. Duple's output fell from 1,000 bodies in 1976, to 800 in 1980 and to just over 500 in 1981, which resulted in a reduction in the workforce.
In 1980, the Dominant range was extended with the Dominant III and IV, with similar front ends to the Dominant II, but with reduced brightwork and bumpers. The Dominant III had high-set forward-angled trapezoid windows with thick pillars. Features of all four versions could be mixed and matched. In 1981, the Goldliner was introduced. This was similar to the Dominant, but with a higher floor to allow increased luggage accommodation and improved passenger sightseeing. The initial Goldliner styling featured a stepped roof behind the entrance door and was available in Goldliner II, III and IV designations, similar to the those of the Dominant. In 1982, the Super Goldliner was introduced for a fleet of twelve rear-engined Dennis Falcon V coaches developed in conjunction with Dennis and the National Bus Company for high-speed Rapide service. The project was conceived and developed in a very short time, allowing inadequate development, and the resultant vehicles developed a reputation for poor reliability. The Super Goldliner styling, including a continuous flat roof in place of the stepped roof, was mixed and matched on subsequent Goldliner vehicles.
Imports of foreign makes, such as Neoplan, Bova, Van Hool and Jonckheere, began to make inroads into the UK market. To compete with them, two new body designs, the Laser and the Caribbean, were introduced in 1982. The Laser was a normal-floor body that resembled the Dominant, but with a rounder front and body-coloured front grille. The Caribbean was a high-floor design with a very square appearance. The Calypso was added in 1983 and was a low-floor version of the Caribbean on a Bova underframe. These new designs did little to halt the slide in production and in 1983, Duple output was just 340 bodies.
In June 1983, Duple was sold to the Hestair Group, which had already acquired the long established business of Dennis Brothers of Guildford. Duple was renamed Hestair Duple and the Laser and Caribbean were given a facelift to try to improve their popularity. In 1985, a new coach model, known as the 300-series, was introduced. A bus version of the 300 was introduced in 1987, replacing the successful Dominant bus that had continued in production after the coach version had been replaced. A new integral coach of exciting design, with Dennis running units, was added soon after. Known as the Duple 425 (its coefficient of drag), it was greeted with enthusiasm, but the close tie-in with Dennis as chassis maker made dealers of other chassis manufacturers reluctant to use Duple coachwork. The business continued to struggle, but the deregulation of bus services, in 1986, caused uncertainty amongst bus operators and, as a result, little investment in new vehicles was made. By 1988, Duple's output was just 250 bodies. However, at the October 1988 Motor Show, Dennis introduced the Dennis Dart, a midibus chassis that would go on to be one of Britain's most successful buses. Duple displayed a bus body for the chassis, the Dartline, that was based on the 300-series but with a distinctive front design, featuring a stepped windscreen and curved lower panel.
In November 1988, Hestair announced that they were selling the Dennis and Duple businesses to a management buyout team, operating under the name Trinity Holdings. The company was renamed Duple International. With declining coach sales, attempts were made to increase the sale of the bus bodywork, including plans for a design for the Scania N113. However, in July 1989, the decision was made to close down the Duple operation. The jigs for the Duple 300-series and the Duple 425 integral were sold to domestic rival Plaxton. Plaxton also bought Duple Services Ltd., the spares and repair business. The Duple body designs for the Dartline were sold to Carlyle Works of Birmingham. Thus ended 70 years of Duple Motor Bodies Limited.
Products.
Early Duple bodies were not given individual model names. The practice of using model names began with the Vista in 1936 but names were not applied consistently across the coach range until the 1950s, and even in the late 1950s some low-volume coach models were not named. Bus bodywork was usually un-named, until the Dominant Bus of 1974. Bodies given specific model names were as follows (all coach bodies unless specified):


Siva Motor Car Company

The Siva Motor Car Company was a British manufacturer of automobiles active from 1970 to 1976.
Company History.
The designer Neville Trickett and Nick Jenke set up a company called Neville Tricket (Design) Ltd in April 1967 based in Blandford Forum, Dorset. At the suggestion of Michael Saunders, who ran a company called Siva Engineering in Bournemouth, the pair set out to design a series of Edwardian-looking cars. A sales company, Siva Motor Car Co. Ltd was based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. Production ended in 1976. In total, about 185 cars were made.
Vehicles.
The Edwardian series had bodies largely made of glass fibre that could be fitted to a chassis supplied by the customer. The first in 1969, pre-dating the founding of the Siva company, was the two seat Roadster and four seat Tourer on a Ford Popular chassis. For GBP125 the builder received a body, scuttle and bonnet, four wings, wheel covers and a basic instruction sheet. Extras included a windscreen, weather equipment and upholstery. Complete cars were also available at GBP355. The last cars were made in 1974 after around 80 Tourers and 25 Roadsters had been made. A Tourer named Bessie first appeared in Doctor Who and the Silurians (1970). She provided a transport solution throughout the era of the Third Doctor, but was also used by the Fourth, and by the Seventh. The first Edwardians were followed by the Raceabout and San Remo on a VW Beetle frame and Parisienne on a Citroen 2CV. 126 Edwardian kits were produced.
A more successful model was the Mini Buggy similar to VW beach buggies, but based on the Mini. The kit with chassis and body cost GBP 195. By 1976, 95 had been made. The project was sold to Euromotor in Amsterdam who continued production until 1976 when a fire destroyed their factory. The Mule was similar to the Mini Moke. A steel tube frame with Mini subframes formed the basis. Between 1970 and 1975 Siva made 12 of them.
The S160 coupé was based on a still born Hillman Imp powered car exhibited at the 1969 Racing Car Show. At the 1971 show an incomplete and now Volkswagen powered S160 was displayed. The closed body has gullwing doors and rectangular pop-up headlamps and a fully trimmed bodyshell was priced at GBP895 rising later to GBP1,225. A bare bodyshell was however also available at GBP525. At least one open version was made. The similar S530 was produced for the 1971 London Motor Show and sponsored by the Daily Telegraph newspaper. It was a larger car; longer and wider and used a 3 Litre Ford V6 engine. An Aston Martin V8 engined version did not get beyond the prototype stage and was replaced in 1974 by the Siva V8 with a Chrysler 7.2 litre engine. Twelve of the coupés were made.
Following on from the coupés, the Siva Saluki was launched at the 1973 Racing Car Show. The VW base was retained, but both the front and headlights and the windscreen were changed from the S160 and in front of the doors additional windows were fitted. The kits were priced at GBP450 and included the glass fibre body tub, gullwing doors, nose and tail sections, seats and dashboard. The car is long, wide and high. Produced from 1973 and 1976 around 20 were made. The Saluki was later built by another company, Embeesea Kit Cars.
The Llama was the successor to the Mule and was based on the rear-engined Hillman Imp. It could be made as a two or four-seater, open or closed or as a van and came in a standard colour of ivory. The dimensions are: length , width and height . Between 1974 and 1976 around 50 were made.
Less successful was the 1976 Jeep-like Sierra based on the Ford Escort; only three were made.


Baycar

Baycar (also styled as baycar) is a bus service in Cardiff, serving the city centre and Cardiff Bay.
The service forms part of the wider Cardiff Bus network, but is unique in that the entire Baycar bus system includes its own branded vehicles, bus shelters and boards.
History.
The service was introduced in 2006 to connect the city centre to the old Cardiff docklands redeveloped to create Cardiff Bay, a primarily entertainment and retail area.
In 2007, the service was used by 39,000 each week.
Under the 5-year contract, the bus service was subsidised £200,000 per month by Cardiff Council, which owns Cardiff Bus, and by the Welsh Government.
The Baycar system came second to consumer watchdog Bus Users UK Cymru Wales, under the Best Example of Participation in Transport category, at the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Wales' National Transport Awards in 2007.
Service pattern.
Services run from around 06:00 until 23:30 Monday to Saturdays (from 08:00 on Sundays and Bank Holidays). Buses run every 10 minutes Monday–Friday daytimes, every 15 minutes Sat-Sun daytimes and every 20 minutes Monday–Friday late evenings.
The core service operates runs from the Wales Millennium Centre to the northern city centre. The route is extended during peak times (Monday–Friday 0645–1930 (to Civic Centre) / 0645–2010 (to Porth Teigr)) so that the north of the route runs through Cathays Park (the Civic Centre) and the south of the route extends to Porth Teigr.
Fares on the service are, a with all Cardiff Bus services, £2.00 for a single, or £4.00 for a return/day-to-go ticket (as of December 2019).
Vehicles.
The vehicles, all presently articulated Scania OmniCity, have their own distinct livery. They are equipped with seats with leather headrests, air-conditioning, reserved spaces for buggies and wheelchairs, CCTV, free WiFi, on-bus screens with local travel information, hearing induction loop and next stop information.
Route.
The route leaves Cardiff Bay and then circles the city centre anti-clockwise, returning south to towards Cardiff Bay. On Friday and Saturday nights and during events at the Millennium Stadium, only the eastern and northern parts of the city centre are served due to road closures to vehicles. In this case, the baycar service terminates in the city centre at Greyfriars, not continuing down Kingsway and St. Mary Street.
Amongst the landmarks and attractions served are:


BSA Rocket Gold Star

The BSA Rocket Gold Star (RGS) was a air-cooled parallel twin motorcycle produced by Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) at Small Heath, Birmingham. Launched in February 1962, it was one of the final range of A10 twins, using a tuned A10 Super Rocket engine in the double-downtube Gold Star frame.
Rocket Gold Star production ended in 1963 due to the development of new unit construction successors, designated as A65 in the 650 cc capacity.
Development.
Gold Star tuner and dealer, Eddie Dow, had a customer that wanted to be supplied with a Gold Star fitted with a Super Rocket engine. BSA supplied a Gold Star less engine and a separate Super Rocket engine. Dow assembled the special. The special was well received and the BSA management decided to put the concept into limited production. BSA had previously produced a bike with an A10 engine in a Gold Star frame - the 1957 Spitfire Scrambler. It has been suggested that as both the Gold Star and the A10 were at the end of their production life, and BSA wanted riders to switch to the new unit twins, this was a convenient way to use up the stock of pre-unit parts.
The later (1961-1963) 9:1 compression ratio Super Rocket engine was used with a 357 "Spitfire" camshaft and a 1 5/32" bore Amal Monobloc carburettor which gave as standard. Options such as an Amal GP2 carburettor, "siamesed" exhaust pipes and a close-ratio RRT2 gearbox could increase this to – and add 30% to the price. Nine specials were made for export to California and one was fitted with a sidecar by Watsonian for the Earls Court Show in October 1962.
Production.
The first pre-production bike was road tested by Motorcycle Sport magazine. The second was used as a TT marshal's bike, although a conrod broke during testing. It was repaired before the racing started. The bike was later loaned to Worcestershire County Constabulary to test.
The Gold Star frame used on the Rocket Gold Star has a frame number prefixed GA10. All other A10s have a frame number prefixed A7, including the 1957 Gold Star framed Spitfire Scrambler. The Gold Star singles required a kink in the bottom run of the frame to clear the oil pump. The kink is not present on the RGS frames.
The total Rocket Gold Star production was 1,584 bikes, of which 272 were off-road scramblers. Most were finished in red, but a few were manufactured in black or silver. The model was also known as the Gold Star Twin.
Scramblers.
272 of the model were produced as scramblers. BSA already had a similar scrambler range in the US, the Spitfire Scrambler. (The RGS, Super Rocket and Spitfire Scrambler all had the same specification engine in 1962/3) In 1963 the two model lines were merged and the RGS Scrambler was renamed the Gold Star Spitfire Scrambler in the US.


Transport Scotland

Transport Scotland () was created on 1 January 2006 as the national transport agency of Scotland. It is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government and accountable to Scottish Ministers. It was established by the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005.
Organisation.
Transport Scotland’s overall purpose is to support and advise Scottish Ministers on strategy and policy options for transport in Scotland, and increase sustainable economic growth through the development of national transport projects.
Their core working principles are to:
Directorates.
The agency is made up of eight directorates.
Aviation, Maritime, Freight and Canals.
Promotes Scotland’s international connectivity and transport links to its remote and island communities. The directorate is responsible for:
Bus, Accessibility & Active Travel.
Responsible for the Scottish Government’s policy relating to bus, active travel, smart and integrated ticketing and accessible travel, including:
Finance and Corporate Services.
Supports the operation and governance of Transport Scotland, including:
Low Carbon Economy.
Responsible for creating the strategic framework to coordinate the decarbonisation of Scotland’s transport system, including:
Major Projects.
Responsible for design, development, procurement and construction of major trunk road improvement projects across Scotland, alongside:
Rail.
Responsible for Scotland’s rail policy and delivery, including:
Roads.
Responsible for:
Strategy & Analysis.
Responsible for transport strategy and integration, transport futures, transport analysis and strategic transport planning, including:
Current strategic documents.
A second National Transport Strategy for Scotland was published in February 2020. The vision for the next 20 years is underpinned by four priorities of reducing inequalities, taking climate action, helping deliver inclusive economic growth and improving health and wellbeing. There are three associated outcomes for each priority.
Traffic Scotland.
Through the Traffic Scotland service, Transport Scotland provides a public service that aims to deliver safe and reliable trunk roads. The focus of Traffic Scotland is to minimise the effects of congestion, breakdowns and unforeseen events on the trunk road network. The Traffic Scotland service delivers traveller information for the Scottish Trunk Road network through a process of 'monitor, control and inform'.
Traffic Scotland also provide Freight Information which is a real-time traffic information website aimed at logistics operators and HGV drivers operating in Scotland. This section of their site provides the same functionality with some additional freight related information and web-links.
In November 2016 they introduced a real-time service to allow drivers to track which roads had been gritted in the form of the Trunk Road Gritter Tracker.
Regional Transport Partnerships.
The role of Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs) is to strengthen the planning and delivery of regional transport developments.
The first task of each RTP was to prepare a regional transport strategy. This is supported by a delivery plan where RTPs set out when and how projects and proposals would be delivered.
Some RTPs are also responsible for the delivery of transport services. In particular Strathclyde Partnership for Transport owns and operates the Glasgow subway and major bus stations across the west of Scotland.
The seven RTPs are:


Scott Flying Squirrel

The Scott Flying Squirrel was a motorcycle made by The Scott Motorcycle Company between 1926 and the outbreak of World War II.
Development.
The "Squirrel" name was used for Scott motorcycles since 1921 but with the death of the founder Alfred Angas Scott in 1923 the unorthodox Scott two-stroke motorcycles began to become more conventional. Development of the three-speed Scott Flying Squirrel began in 1922 as the company was in severe debt and faced receivership. Launched at the 1926 Earls Court motorcycle show, the Flying Squirrel was expensive - nearly twice the cost of a sporting four-stroke motorcycle of the time. The unique water-cooled circulation used a convection method known as the thermosyphon system. The bottom end block was painted either green or red for racing or road respectively and featured a centrally positioned flywheel, twin inboard main bearings, overhung crankpins and doors to enable ease of access to the engine. The redesigned three-speed gearbox, multi-plate clutch and the repositioned magneto were all significant improvements.
In 1929 Scott achieved third place in the Isle of Man TT and launched a road going TT Replica Flying Squirrel. Following cost cutting the factory also launched a basic touring model in 1929 for under £70. Financial problems continued, however, and in 1931 Scott were unable to enter the TT or the Earls Court show. A three-cylinder prototype was developed but Scotts lacked the resources to develop it and on the outbreak of World War II production ended.
Between 1935 and 1938 the factory at Shipley in Yorkshire produced the B2592 air-cooled Aero engine, based on the Scott Flying Squirrel motorcycle unit. A version was also specifically developed to power the notoriously dangerous Flying Flea aircraft.
In 1950 the rights were bought by the Birmingham based Aerco Company and in 1956 they produced what are known as the "Birimingham Scotts".
In the late 1970s, Silk Engineering produced the Silk 700S, which comprised an uprated Scott engine fitted into a modern Egli-type frame made by Spondon Engineering.


Robert Jankel

Robert Jankel (1 January 1938 – 25 May 2005) was a British designer of limousines, armoured cars, and other speciality vehicles. He also founded the automotive company Panther Westwinds.
Early life.
Born in London in 1938, Jankel was educated at St Paul's School and studied engineering at Chelsea College. He was an avid sportsman and a member of the St Paul's rowing team. Jankel built his first car in 1954: a wrecked Austin 7 which he rebuilt and customised. After an unsuccessful attempt at selling cars he agreed to join the family fashion business, Goldenfelds. During his time as a fashion designer, he still worked on cars, including a classic 1930 Rolls-Royce, which he completely rebuilt in 1970. On a trip to Spain, a bullfighter offered Jankel £10,000 for the Rolls-Royce. It was this sale that inspired Jankel to found an automobile company.
Jankel married Jennifer Loss, daughter of bandleader Joe Loss, in 1962. The couple had three sons and a daughter.
Panther Westwinds.
In 1972, Jankel left the fashion industry to found motor company Panther Westwinds in Weybridge, Surrey, England. The company was named "Panther" because of its similarity to Jaguar and "Westwinds" after the Jankel family's home. The company's first car, a prototype two-seater called the Panther J72, was powered by a Jaguar engine and modelled after the Jaguar SS100. Although the asking price for the J72 was around twice that of contemporary Jaguar models, magazine advertisements generated enough interest for Jankel to produce one J72 a week during the car's production. Roughly 500 were produced.
In 1974, Jankel produced the Panther De Ville, powered by a Jaguar engine and modelled after the Bugatti Royale. The De Ville cost twice as much as a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, and only the wealthiest of collectors could afford it. The Panther Rio, launched after one year, was based on the Triumph Dolomite. The luxurious saloon cost three times as much as a Dolomite, however, and only 38 were produced.
The Panther 6, a two-seater roadster outfitted with six wheels, followed in 1977, but because of its high cost, unconventional design and relative obscurity, only two were produced one black and one white both cars made with powerful Cadillac V8 Turbocharged engine.
Jankel's most successful vehicle was the Panther Lima. The Lima was styled like a 1930s roadster but used modern fibreglass technology for the body, which was built around a steel framework and chassis. More than 1,000 of the two marks of this popular model were built.
The Jankel Group.
Despite the success of the Lima, Panther Westwind went bankrupt in 1979, and it was subsequently sold to South Korean businessman Young Kim. Jankel then turned his focus to the Jankel Group, a coachbuilding company he had founded in 1955 but the firm had been little more than a hobby.
For the Jankel Group, Jankel concentrated on building specialist versions of cars for other high-end manufacturers, mostly Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar. From 1983 to 1989, Jankel was the exclusive subcontractor to Rolls-Royce to build more than 100 units of the Silver Spur Limousine. For Range Rover, he built a number of specialist hunting and all-terrain vehicles for Middle Eastern customers.
In 1992 he built the Jankel Tempest, a Chevrolet Corvette-based super car, with ultra-luxury interior and 6.7 litre supercharged V8, which produced 535bhp and was capable of 200mph, as well as holding the 1992 "Guinness Book of Records" 0-60mph acceleration record of 3.89 seconds.
Most of Jankel's work from the 1990s to his death in 2005 was dedicated to building police vehicles, high-protection armoured cars and exotic luxury stretch limousines. In 1995, Jankel produced armoured cars for many police services, including the Metropolitan Police. All of Jankel's police vehicles were built on GM and Ford chassis. Jankel bought back the Panther name in 2001 and was working on a new Panther sports car when he died.
Jankel was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2001, but remained an active member of the Jankel Group until his death on 25 May 2005.
The Jankel Group continues to build made-to-order speciality vehicles to this day.


Crumlin Road

The Crumlin Road is a main road in north-west Belfast, Northern Ireland. The road runs from north of Belfast City Centre for about four miles to the outskirts of the city. It also forms part of the longer A52 road which leads out of Belfast to the town of Crumlin (). The lower section of the road houses a number of historic buildings, including the city's former law courts and prison, whilst the road encompasses several large housing areas, including Ardoyne, Ballysillan () and Ligoniel()..
Lower Crumlin Road.
The Crumlin Road begins at Carlisle Circus, a roundabout north of the city centre just past the Westlink motorway. It is one of four exits from Carlisle Circus, the others being the Antrim Road, a major arterial and residential route that forms part of the A6, Clifton Street which leads back to the centre, and Denmark Street which leads to the area of the lower Shankill Road.
The lowest section of the road contains a number of buildings of local and historic interest. The Mater Infirmorum Hospital, known colloquially as the Mater, is found just past Carlisle Circus and provides healthcare to the north of the city as well as the surrounding area. A 19th-century structure, the Hospital is beside the derelict Crumlin Road Gaol which, from 1846 to 1996 was the main prison in Belfast. After a number years of dereliction the venue opened as tourist attraction in 2013 and offers guided tours and venue hire. Facing the prison is the Crumlin Road Courthouse, which now also lies empty. Both buildings were designed by renowned local architect Charles Lanyon.
The Freemasons' Hall, the headquarters for a number of Masonic Lodges attached to the Provincial Grand Lodge of Antrim is adjacent to the prison. The hall was built in 1939, replacing an earlier building further along the Crumlin Road.
Oldpark to Ardoyne.
The road is intersected by Agnes Street and Clifton Park Avenue and at this section the Oldpark Road divides off. At this point the Crumlin Road remains a largely loyalist area although with much of the Oldpark Road republican it is witness to a series of sectarian interfaces. Belfast City Council has converted a section of waste ground at this junction into a greenfield space whilst local shops have also been redeveloped. Significant levels of new housing have also been built here and as of 2011 this area is still undergoing redevelopment. St Mary's Church of Ireland, another 19th-century building, is also to be found in this part of the road and it is noted for its historic pipe organ. A Presbyterian church further up the road also dates from the 19th century whilst further up the road, facing the Ardoyne area there is a Roman Catholic Church, the Holy Cross Church.
Commercially this area of the Crumlin Road contains some shops, notably a number of cash and carry and similar wholesale retail outlets on the Hillview Road, a conduit linking the Crumlin and Oldpark Roads. Historically however one of the most important commercial properties was the Crumlin Road mill. The mill was built for William Ewart, a cotton trader and politician who switched his interests to the production of linen, which at the time became the leading industry in the city. During the Second World War the mill was converted from the production of linen to the manufacture of munitions. The mill employed thousands of local people, mostly young women who were known locally as "millies". Although the mill is no longer in operation its industrial heritage is commemorated in a nearby statue of one such "Milly". The area around the mill, which straddles the republican Ardoyne area and the loyalist Shankill and Woodvale areas is a major interface area on the Crumlin Road with Flax Street, which runs along the side of the mill, ending in a peace line. Similarly access to the Crumlin Road from Leopold Street and Columbia Street, both part of the loyalist Woodvale area, is also blocked by peace lines. Another local mill, Edenderry Mill, which dates back to Victorian times, has been converted into an apartment complex consisting of 55 flats.
Interface areas.
The Crumlin Road reaches another junction just past the Holy Cross Church, where a number of streets branch off into different areas of the city. The Ardoyne Road is an interface area, containing both republican and loyalist sections, and it was the scene of the Holy Cross dispute, a series of clashes between the two communities at a Catholic girls school in 2001 and 2002. The school is close to Alliance Avenue, the effective dividing line between republican Ardoyne and loyalist Glenbryn, and the site of another peace line. The aforementioned junction also leads to Brompton Road, part of Ardoyne, the Woodvale Road, which leads backs down to the Shankill Road, and Twaddell Avenue, which leads to the loyalist Ballygomartin Road. The roundabout at this junction has been redeveloped as part of the council's initiatives aimed at regenerating the area. In 2013 the end of Twaddell Avenue, facing Ardoyne, became the site of a loyalist protest camp in support of the Orange Order, who had been barred from marching past Ardoyne by the Parades Commission. The protest, which has seen clashes between loyalists and police, is ongoing as of October 2013 with organisers sing that they are prepared to remain at the location until Christmas 2013 or even longer. As of February 2014 a presence is still maintained at the protest, with policing costs estimated at £7 million. Twaddell Avenue itself was named after assassinated Unionist politician William Twaddell.
Past the roundabout the Crumlin Road is largely made up of private housing for around a mile. Parts of the road in this area border on Forthriver Park, which separates the Crumlin Road from the Glencairn estate, whilst the Mercy Primary School is also found in this area. Ardoyne library is also located in this area, immediately after the roundabout.
Ballysillan and upper Crumlin Road.
The Ballysillan Road leads off the Crumlin Road and is a major area of loyalist housing. Containing the likes of the Silverstream and Carr's Glen districts, the Ballysillan Road continues as far as the North Circular Road, which, in turn, links to the Antrim Road, which also began at Carlisle Circus. During the Northern Ireland Troubles Ballysillan was noted as a centre for loyalist paramilitary activity and was the home base of "D Company" of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) under the command of John Bingham Along with Glenbryn, Ballysillan was also at the centre of a loyalist feud in 2003 when Jimbo Simpson, who had recently been ousted as head of the North Belfast Brigade of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), attacked a number of houses in the area as part of a failed attempt to retake control of the Brigade and force out his replacement William Borland. The Crumlin Road entrance to Ballysillan houses another historic church, the Ballysillan Presbyterian Church. Due to its elevated and exposed location Ballysillan, which takes its name from an Irish language expression meaning "townland of the willow grove", is one of the coldest areas of the city during winter.
Further up the road, in what is still part of Ballysillan but what is frequently known as Glenbank, another interface area is found around Ligoniel Road and the area known as Legoniel (the road is spelt Ligoniel, whilst the electoral ward is spelt Legoniel, despite referring to the same area). Glenbank remains predominantly loyalist whilst much of Legoniel is republican and was noted as an area of Provisional Irish Republican Army activity during the Troubles. The 1971 Scottish soldiers' killings, in which three members of the British Army were killed by the PIRA, took place in this area. There is a small area of shops on the Crumlin Road around the base of the Ligoniel Road as well as an Elim Pentecostal Church. The Ligoniel Road, which changes its name to the Ballyhill Road soon after it leaves the urban area, eventually joins the A52 close to RAF Nutts Corner.
The upper end of the Crumlin Road is much less densely populated with much of the road passing through fields and wilderness areas, although the road continues to overlook the estates of Ballysillan on lower lands below the upper Crumlin Road. The road turns sharply near the entrance to Cavehill Country Park, veering in a south-westerly direction towards Crumlin. At this juncture the Upper Hightown Road forks off, ultimately linking the area with the Glengormley area of Newtownabbey. From this point on the Crumlin Road continues for around a mile and a half through a largely rural area before merging with the Ballyutoag Road.
The A52.
The Crumlin Road forms the Belfast section of the A52, an A road linking the city to Crumlin, County Antrim. The A52 is known by a number of street names with it changing from the Crumlin Road to Ballyutoag Road once it leaves the urban area. It is subsequently known as the Ballykeel Road and then the Belfast Road until the junction with the A26 in Crumlin. It continues as the Nutts Corner Road into the centre of Crumlin.
Politics.
Crumlin Road is part of the North Belfast parliamentary constituency and its Assembly equivalent. In the House of Commons it is represented by Nigel Dodds of the DUP whilst in the Northern Ireland Assembly the MLAs are Paula Bradley and William Humphrey of the DUP, Gerry Kelly and Carál Ní Chuilín of Sinn Féin, and the SDLP's Nichola Mallon. Long-serving DUP MLA Nelson McCausland failed to get re-elected to the constituency in the 2017 Northern Ireland Assembly election.
The Troubles.
As an interface area containing considerable Protestant and Catholic populations the Crumlin Road was the scene of a number of murders and attacks during the course of the Northern Ireland Troubles.
A series of attacks occurred on the road in 1972, mainly carried out by loyalist groups. The Red Hand Commando murdered two Catholic civilians on the road, one on 8 February and another on 11 November. In between the UVF, with which group was closely linked, murdered a Catholic on 15 April whilst on 30 November the UDA killed another Catholic outside the Mater Hospital. Meanwhile, on 21 July 1972, as part of its Bloody Friday series of bomb attacks, the PIRA exploded a device at a petrol station on the road, albeit without deaths. A further PIRA attack occurred on 19 November 1974 when gunmen entered a glazier's shop and shot Jim Anderson and fellow UDA veteran Billy Hull. Although both were wounded neither man died in the attack.
Activity continued and on 21 March 1975 a Protestant civilian died four months after being shot by the UVF during a bank robbery on the road whilst on 10 June a UVF member was killed by the PIRA in his shop. The following year the UDA killed two Catholics on a bus on 17 June whilst on 28 October a joint operation by the UVF and UDA saw gunmen enter the Mater Hospital where they shot and killed former Sinn Féin vice-president Máire Drumm who was a patient at the time.
During the failed 1977 Ulster Workers' Council strike UDA member Kenny McClinton boarded a bus on which he shot dead Harry Bradshaw, a Protestant who was driving the vehicle. Following the killing the UDA wrote to his widow Sheila Bradshaw stating that they were sorry for the murder and that they believed her husband to be a Catholic, enclosing a ten-pound note as compensation. However, according to Martin Dillon the attack had been ordered by leading UDA figure James Craig who knew that any Citybus driver on the Crumlin Road would be a Protestant. Craig wanted to send out a message to other Protestant bus drivers that their failure to support the strike as they had done in 1974 was not going unnoticed. On 10 May an off-duty Ulster Defence Regiment soldier was killed by a UVF bomb at a petrol station on the road. This attack was also linked to the strike as the petrol station had continued to trade during the stoppage.
On 16 September 1986 a Catholic civilian was shot and killed on the grounds of the Holy Cross Church in an attack claimed by the "Protestant Action Force", a UVF cover name. The murder was said to be in retaliation for the killing of UVF member John Bingham two days earlier. With tit-for-tat killings become the norm the Crumlin Road saw evidence of this strategy by republican and loyalist groups in 1987. On 3 July a Catholic civilian, who had formerly been an internee, was found dead at a disused quarry off the Upper Crumlin Road after being murdered by the "Ulster Freedom Fighters". Four days later a member of this group was killed by the PIRA in a Ligoniel Road snooker hall.
The road became associated with UVF activity and in February 1988 a UVF arms haul, containing an RPG7 rocket launcher with 26 warheads, 38 assault rifles, 15 Brownings, 100 grenades and 40,000 rounds of ammunition was found following searches in the Upper Crumlin Road. The UVF killed a further Catholic civilian on the road on 2 September 1989 but had one of their own gunmen shot and killed by the British Army immediately after the attack. On 20 December 1992 the UVF killed a Catholic at his Upper Crumlin Road home whilst on 12 May 1994 the UFF killed another Catholic, this time at the home of a relative.
Activity slowed down considerably following the 1994 ceasefires although attacks linked to loyalist feuds have been recorded. In 1997 Ulster Independence Movement politician Clifford Peeples had his Crumlin Road flower shop ransacked in an attack that he blamed on UVF members. Peeples, a former UVF member, had left the movement and become associated with the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF), a splinter group involved in a feud with the UVF. The UVF struck again on 21 August 2000 when two loyalists associated with UDA brigadier Johnny Adair, Jackie Coulter and Bobby Mahood, were shot and killed whilst sitting in a jeep on the Crumlin Road. Adair had moved to support the LVF in their struggles with the UVF, resulting in a feud developing between his UDA West Belfast Brigade and the UVF. Later that year on 24 September Stephen McKeag, a former associate of Adair's who had fallen out of favour, was found dead at his home at Florence Court off the Crumlin Road on 24 September 2000. It was initially speculated that Adair had had McKeag killed although a post-mortem revealed his death was caused by an overdose of painkillers and cocaine. Some of his supporters continued to blame Adair however, and claimed that Adair's men had entered the house, attacked McKeag and forced him to swallow a lethal dose of cocaine, although no evidence to support the claim existed.
Noted residents.
Chaim Herzog, who served as President of Israel, was born on Clifton Park Avenue, just off the lower Crumlin Road. His birthplace is marked by a blue plaque erected by the Ulster History Circle.
Ulster Defence Association brigadier Johnny Adair also grew up around this area, as he was born on the Old Lodge Road and raised on the lower Oldpark Road, both of which are adjacent to the Crumlin Road. Another leading figure in the movement, Jim Anderson, who was a founder member of the Woodvale Defence Association, was a Crumlin Road native. His contemporaries in the group's early days Sammy Smyth and Ernie Elliott also both came from streets immediately adjacent to the Crumlin Road. Adair's contemporary Stephen McKeag was living in a street off the road when he was found dead in 2000. William Borland, who served as leader of the UDA's North Belfast Brigade, was also based on the Crumlin Road during his tenure as brigadier.
On the republican side John Graham was a leading member of St Mary's Church of Ireland on the Crumlin Road, as well as being an Irish Republican Army activist.


Aster (automobile)

The Aster was an English automobile manufactured from 1922 to 1930. The company's car roots can be traced to 1899 when Begbie Manufacturing of Wembley, in north London became British licensees of the French Aster company (Ateliers de Construction Mecanique l'Aster) making mainly stationary engines. In 1913 they became Aster Engineering Co (1913) Ltd and during World War I made aircraft engines.
Models.
18/50, 20/55, 21/60.
The first Aster cars were made in 1922 with the luxurious 18/50, which had a 2618 cc six cylinder overhead valve engine driving the rear wheels through a four speed gearbox. The 126 inch wheelbase chassis had semi elliptic springing at the front and cantilevered springs at the rear with four wheel brakes as an early option. The car was listed at £850 in 1923 and about 50 were made before in 1924 the engine was enlarged to 2890 cc by increasing its bore from 69.5 to 73 mm in the 20/55 model. One was bought by the Duke of York. About another 50 of the larger cars were made. In 1926 the engine was further bored out to 75 mm, the stroke stayed at 115 mm throughout, making the 3042 cc 21/60.
24/70.
The largest car they made was the 1927 24/70 with a 147-inch wheelbase, a foot longer than the 21/60. The 3042 cc engine for this was created by boring the engine a further 5 mm to 80 mm and fitting Burt-McCollum single sleeve valves which were also fitted to the 21/60 engine from that year. The top of the range 39 cwt Landaulette cost £1300. Probably about 70 were made.
Merger.
They merged with Arrol-Johnston in 1927 following which production moved to Dumfries, Scotland and the cars became known as Arrol-Asters. The Wembley premises were kept as a service depot eventually being sold to Singer. The 21/60 and 24/70 were kept in production and were joined by a straight eight 2760 cc sleeve valved engine 23/70 and 17/50 six which was also available with Cozette supercharger.
Receivership.
The late 1920s were not a good time for luxury car makers and the receivers arrived in 1929. Limited production continued until 1931 when the factory finally closed.
French Aster.
The French Aster car company based in Saint-Denis Paris operated between 1900 and circa 1912. They produced their own cars plus engines and gearboxes for other manufacturers. In 1904 the Parisian newspaper "Le Petit Journal" stated that "Aster monopolised the mass manufacture of engines in France, and had a 'universal reputation' and success shown by innumerable users." By 1912 they claimed to cater for over 130 makes.
A 12 hp Aster was exhibited at the 1903 Crystal Palace Motor Show. A range of Aster cars was sold in Britain between 1905 and 1907.