York Independents: Western Stage Bus Operators

The city of York stands at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss on flat arable land called the Vale of York, which is bordered to the west by the Pennines, to the northeast by the North York Moors and to the east by the rolling Yorkshire Wolds. Outside the city are many beautiful small country villages and bus operators were needed to provide services linking these local villages and towns with York, especially on market days. Consequently, routes were very rural, and besides catering for the traditional market day shoppers, they often carried a considerable volume of passengers to work in York. This book, the follow-on to York Independent: Eastern Stage Bus Operators, tells the story of stage bus companies, including Hopes Motor Services, Hutchinson Brothers, Reliance Motor Services, G E Sykes & Son and Majestic of Cawood, who operated from the west of York. Including over 150 photographs, many in color, it shows how most of the companies covered started out as family-based operators running a service to the nearest local market town before expanding to offer excursions and private hires. It also shows how changes to the way of life, including the growth of car ownership, eventually killed off the majority of them.