The initial difficulty with Artics in this country was that under then
current legislation, passengers could not be carried in a trailer on public
highways.

Some fairly rudimentary artics, using a goods vehicle tractor unit with a
very box-like semi-trailer, had seen limited airport use previously.

Oxford operated the ex-Sheffield MAN's for some time. Drivers were given a
fairly comprehensive training programme, but the Ministry decreed that any
driver with an "all types" licence could drive them.

Reversing technique was relatively straightforward, but took some getting
used to. Rear axle steered in mirror formation to the front axle. When
reversing, you simply "drove" the other end. Not as simple as it sounds.

I cannot recal the fare collection arrangements, but as they settled on the
501 Blackbird Leys - Rail Station, it must have been near normal.

Robin Clare
"Ross" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 12 Jun 2004 11:34:26 +0000 (UTC), Graham Harrison wrote in
, seen in uk.transport.buses:

[...] I know there were
some "issues" with single artics when they first appeared (something
about
couldn't charge fares on them).

That must have been a long time back, as I recall Midland Red (North)
and later Midland Red (West) charging (and collecting) fares on the
artics they got from South Yorks PTE, and I don't recall SYPTE or its
successors *not* charging (or collecting) fares on their original
artics (or their replacements).

I'm trying to remember exactly when it was SYPTE bought its first
artics, but I can't. MR(N) had ex-SYPTE artics by the mid 80's - I
remember them appearing at Birmingham's Bull Ring Bus Station from
Cannock in the days when I was a schoolkid moonlighting in the MRN
travel centre there!
--
Ross Hamilton, in Lincoln (UK)
From address *will* bounce