The recent withdrawal of the last surviving section of a classic Scottish long distance stage service has prompted IAN CLAPPERTON to recall its heyday and describe what has taken its place
In his article in November Buses about coach service deregulation in 1980, Stephen Morris commented on the near absence then of all-year express coach services north of the border, explaining that many Scottish Bus Group (SBG) interurban services were lengthy stage carriage routes through rural areas.
Although timed to maintain relatively brisk schedules, they were not fast. They ran mainly on single carriageway roads and served many towns and large villages along the way. Employing conductors reduced dwell times at stops, but those conductors also handled the large numbers of parcels sent daily by bus.
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