Motor Coach Services in Southwold
Following the initiative of GER and other railway companies in laying on feeder coaches, it was not long before other motor coach companies entered the market. In 1912 United Automobile Services (UAS) started over the same route. But there proved to be insufficient trade for two companies and the GER withdrew in 1913.
Great Eastern Railways inaugurated a connection service for summer holiday makers in 1906 between Southwold Market Place and Lowestoft Station. But they did not hold on to this monopoly long... P101.1
A Great Eastern motorbus in about
1907 P883
The Eastern Counties Road Car Company (ECRC) was formed in 1919 and ran a service to Halesworth and Walpole. It was authorised by Southwold Corporation to pick up passengers in 1928. After the railway closed it ran a coach service to London at a return fare of 17 shillings (85p)
UAS had a garage in Mights Road and, in 1930, built an enquiry office and garage on the corner of Blyth Road and Station Road. ECRC’s garage was in Mill Lane.
In 1931 there was a major consolidation of bus companies and UAS and ECRC
were subsumed into the Eastern Counties Omnibus Co. The Lowestoft services
remained but connections with trains at Halesworth became less frequent.
The former UAS enquiry office moved to Buckenham House in the late 1940s
and W. H. Smith and Sons occupied the old Station Road office (where 'Clancy's' store is now) in 1933. See below.
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