Omnibuses and cabs : $b their origin and historyMoore, Henry Charles
History
Omnibuses and cabs : $b their origin and history
Moore, Henry Charles
Cab and omnibus service; Carriages and carts; Horse-drawn omnibuses
The Camden Town omnibus fight was followed quickly by a more prolonged
one on the Putney road. A new line of omnibuses was started by the Era
Association--which was formed by certain proprietors not working in
conjunction with any of the companies or associations--from Fulham to
Charing Cross, _viâ_ West Kensington. Each of these omnibuses carried,
at first, a red flag, fixed by the side of the coachman, bearing the
inscription “No Monopoly.” As their fares were considerably cheaper
than those of other omnibuses, the London General Omnibus Company and
the Road Car Company’s men began to oppose them, and some very amusing
scenes were witnessed in the Brompton Road and Piccadilly. The Era
Association made a stout fight and started omnibuses from Putney to
Charing Cross at the exceedingly low price of twopence for the whole
distance. For a time these omnibuses scarcely ever made a journey
without being full inside and out, but when the two companies lowered
their fares to those of the Era there was a great falling off in the
number of the latter’s passengers. That was, of course, natural, for
when the fares were the same in all omnibuses there was no reason for
a thrifty person to wait until an “Era” came along. After a protracted
struggle the London General Omnibus Company, the Road Car Company, and
the Era raised their fares.
The Era Omnibus Association, which still has some omnibuses on the
roads, deserves credit for having placed a list of fares outside their
vehicles so that would-be passengers could see, before entering,
how much they would have to pay. They did so, of course, to show
that their fares were lower than those of the two companies, but,
nevertheless, it was an innovation which might well be followed by all
omnibus companies and proprietors. If omnibuses were compelled to have
a list of fares displayed on the nearside panel it would be a great
convenience to the public, and would, moreover, do much towards putting
an end to “pirates.” At present visitors to London do not know until
they have entered an omnibus how much they will be charged. If they sit
near the doorway they have to trust to the conductor--for they cannot
read the fares--and if it be a pirate omnibus they will assuredly be
overcharged.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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