The Bus Reshaping Plan of 1966 was a plan devised by the London Transport Board for the reorganisation of bus routes in London, England. The main features of the plan, which was to be rolled out over ten to fifteen years, were: Introduction of one man operation (OMO) to address staff shortages and costs Introduction of flat fare routes centred on outer hubs A shortening of routes to improve reliability and ease scheduling Long single deckers in place of double-deckers
The plan began to be implemented in September 1968, but immediately proved problematic: the public disliked the changes, the new vehicles - "Merlin"s - were found to be unsuitable, and it was difficult to find available land for the proposed suburban transport interchanges. By 1973 the plan had effectively been abandoned, with a decision to retain crew operation and to dispose of the Merlins.Arnold and Harris (1982), p.88
Background
Chambers Report By the early 1950s, the London Transport Executive was experiencing difficulty in providing bus services in the capital. The reliability of services was declining as an increase in private motor traffic was causing congestion. At the same time, industrial relations in the organisation were poor, and the retention and recruitment of staff was difficult.Arnold and Harris (1982), pp.8-15 The issue of London's public transport had become one of interest to national politicians, and two committees of inquiry had been appointed to investigate the matter. The Chambers Committee, chaired by S P Chambers, deputy chairman of ICI was appointed by the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Alan Lennox-Boyd in April 1953. The emphasis of the committee's work was to find ways of reducing costs "with a view to ascertaining what practical measures can be taken... in order to secure greater efficiency or economy". The committee delivered its report in February 1955, and recommended only limited changes to bus services. The London Transport Executive had forcefully made the case for the wholesale introduction of one man operation, but the committee rejected this option. Indeed, they felt that it would be impractical in much of central London, and would in fact lead to serious delays and a reduction in service efficiency. Instead they suggested that only some routes in the Country Area should be converted to OMO. Flat Fares were also examined, but were felt to be inappropriate in most areas of London. One idea explored by the committee was the "Wheel Plan", suggested by the Greater London Chambers of Commerce. This would divide bus services in London into two groups: radial services in the suburbs, terminating at the edge of the central area; and a separate system of central London bus routes. Passengers moving from the radial services to the central routes would be required to change buses at a number of interchanges at the edge of the central area. The committee found that the Wheel Plan did not reflect the actual traffic patterns, and that it would cause unnecessary hardship and expense to passengers. One innovation that the committee did suggest was the provision of special services in peak hours where there were very heavy traffic flows such as to and from the mainline railway termini. Dedicated "standee" vehicles would be used, which would have a much higher passenger capacity than conventional seated buses.
The Chambers Committee had no powers to compel the London Transport Executive to carry out their recommendations, while the Transport and General Workers Union refused to co-operate. Instead, management attempted to press ahead with conversion of routes to driver-only operation. This met with little success, and in spite of the union recommending acceptance of the changes in exchange for a bonus scheme, it was rejected by the membership in 1959.
Phelps Brown Report By the early 1960s, the problems of the previous decade of traffic congestion and recruitment difficulties had intensified. In late 1962 the LTE ordered 33 front entrance Leyland Atlanteans suitable for one man operation. In addition, 6 standee buses were ordered for an experimental central area service as recommended by the Chambers Committee. On 1 January 1963, the London Transport Board replaced the executive, and entered negotiations with the unions to introduce a programme of service reforms. The union countered by submitting a claim for increased pay and a reduced working week, and by October 1963 had instituted a ban on overtime and rest day working. In November 1963, in an attempt to break the deadlock, the Minister of Labour, Joseph Godber, announced that Professor Henry Phelps Brown of the London School of Economics would head a commission of inquiry. The commission's terms of reference allowed them to review the pay and conditions of bus drivers and conductors in light of manpower requirements and working and operating conditions in London traffic. In making their report they were to pay "due regard to the possibilities of increasing the efficiency of London Transport's road services". The committee made an interim report on 12 December recommending new rates of pay, which was rapidly implemented, leading to the ending of the overtime ban. The final report of the committee was issued in April 1964.Russell (1980) pp.5-6 The report led to an agreement for: The operation of larger buses with more seats, with experimental introduction of front entrance vehicles Extension of one man operation to suburban areas, and conversion of some country double deck routes to OMO using front entrance buses Introduction of standee services as recommended by the Chambers Committee, with flat fares and automatic fare collecting equipment
Following the agreement, the board brought small numbers of front entrance Daimler Fleetlines (XF Class) and Leyland Atlanteans (XA class) with the intention of carrying out trials of one man operation.Curtis (1977), pp.145-148
Red Arrow 500 On 18 April 1966, the first central area "standee" was introduced. "Red Arrow" Service 500 was a Monday-Friday service linking Victoria station to Park Lane in peak hours and to the shopping district of Oxford Street in off peak hours. In a break from tradition, the new buses were not designed specifically for London use, but were based on an existing manufacturer's model. The vehicles chosen were rear-engined long AEC Swifts, which London Transport christened Merlins.AEC had originally intended to use the "Merlin" name for a heavy duty version of the Swift chassis for export customers only, but none were ever manufactured. Russell (1980), pp.7-8 These wore a special red and flake grey livery, and had a standing area for 48 passengers and a raised seating area at the rear for 25 passengers. Passengers entered by the front doors, where there were twin coin-operated turnstiles (known as "passimeters"), with a flat fare of sixpence.Curtis (1977), pp.153-155
The plan Following the success of the first Red Arrow route, the board completed the drafting of the Reshaping Plan. It was launched by at a press conference on 14 September 1966 by Maurice Holmes, chairman of the London Transport Board. Describing the plan as a "drastic recasting" of bus services, Holmes explained that the new system could not be brought in "overnight", but would take between 10 and 15 years to complete. Anthony Bull, vice chairman of the board, explained that passengers would be able to buy books of tickets in advance. Purchasers of these "stored fares" would enjoy a substantial discount.
The six main proposals in the plan were: Principal trunk routes from the suburbs to the centre were to remain operated by rear entrance double deck buses with open platforms and conductors in the medium term. A number of routes were to be shortened to counteract the effects of congestion, and thus improve control over running times. Extension of the Red Arrow system of standee buses in the West End and City. A map of possible routes was produced. About forty suburban centres were to have local flat fare networks of short-distance routes. These "satellite" routes were also to act as feeders to the Underground stations and trunk routes. They were to be operated by single deck buses. Suburban routes not suitable for flat fare networks were to retain a "graduated" fare system. They would gradually be converted to one man operated single-deck buses. Services in the country (green) area were to be largely unaffected, although OMO was to be introduced where practical. Green Line Coaches were to continue to operate express services, which were to offer improved connections.Arnold and Harris (1982), pp.16-23
The board published an 18-page brochure explaining the plan, and giving the statistics behind it. This showed that 45.5% of journeys made were less than one mile, 32.2% were between 1 and 2 miles, 12.1% were between 2 and 3 miles, 5.1% were between 3 and 4 miles and 5.1% were of 4 miles and over. The document also identified the different types of journey made.London Transport Board (1966), pp.7-9
Suburban satellite routes Early drafts of the plan identified 38 suburban hubs where flat fare networks could be established. A new system of numbering was to be used for the networks, with two prefix letters identifying the geographical location. The number of centres was reduced to 36 in the final plan by the exclusion of Barnet and East Ham. Each centre was allocated up to ten route numbers prefixed by a single letter.Arnold and Harris (1982), p.128
A1–A10: Waltham Cross B1–B10: Bromley B11–B20: Barking B21–B30: Brixton C1–C10: Croydon C11–C20: Camden Town C21–C30: Camberwell E1–E10: Ealing E11–E20: Enfield E21–E30: Edgware E31–E40: Eltham E41–E50: Edmonton F–F10: Walthamstow G1–G10: Golders Green H1–H10: Harrow H11–H20: Hackney H21–H30: Highgate H31–H40: Harlesden H41–H50: Hounslow K1–K10: Kingston L1–L10: Ilford L11–L20: Lewisham M1–M10: Morden P1–P10: Peckham P11–P20: Putney P31–P40: Poplar R1–R10: Romford R11–R20: Richmond S1–S10: Shepherd's Bush S11–S20: Stratford S21–S30: Sutton S31–S40: Streatham U1–U10: Uxbridge W1–W10: Wood Green W11–W20: Woolwich W21–W30: Wembley
Preparation and delay Following the publication of the plan, orders were made for the new buses. It was calculated that 450 new buses would be needed per annum. As there was insufficient time to design a bus specifically for London Transport, it was decided to standardise on the Merlin that had been used for the pioneer Red Arrow service. The long single deck vehicles were able to carry as many passengers as the long RT double deckers they were to replace. The buses for the satellite suburban services were fitted with automatic fare collecting equipment developed jointly by London Transport and Setright Registers. There were two consoles on each bus, situated between the front wheel arches. Although there were to be flat fares on the new routes the machines also had to allow for reduced child fares, and accepted 3d, 6d and one shilling coins. One of the two machines also had a slot to accept pre-paid tickets, although this facility was never used.Arnold and Harris (1982), pp.24-41