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| Southampton Corporation Transport
Department ran trams and buses in Southampton from
1879. Southampton's early double deck trams were
of the open-top variety. When enclosed trams were
purchased, they were of a unique low chassis, domed
roof design to allow them to pass under the city's
medieval Bargate city gate. The tram network was
abandoned in 1949 but, unlike some other local authorities,
Southampton did not replace their trams with trolleybuses,
but switched directly to diesel buses. While operating
trams, Southampton Corporation, in common with many
authorities, ran their own power station. This was
opposite the central train station but has since
been demolished. |
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| From 1934, the Corporation
operated the floating bridges (chain ferries) across
the river Itchen between Chapel on the city side
and Woolston. These two bridges ran side by side
from 1833 to 1977 when the new road bridge was opened,
but the originals had been replaced in 1962. Until
the new road bridge was opened, separate bus routes
ran from the Woolston side although, unlike Hants
& Dorset, there was no garage here. On the last
night of the floating bridges there was a celebration
on board with a jazz band and fireworks. |
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| Southampton had become a city
in 1964 and Southampton Corporation Transport became
Southampton City Transport. On the 26h of October
1986 the council set their bus operation up as an
"arms-length" company, Southampton Citybus
Ltd.. |
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| In May 1987 Solent Blue Line,
a Southern Vectis subsidiary, launched an attack
on Citybus routes. The company responded with a
fleet of former London Transport Routemasters and
re-introduced conductors. |
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| But it was Stagecoach, who
had bought Hampshire Bus in April that year, who
pulled out of Southampton, selling its operation
to Southern Vectis in October. The Routemasters
were withdrawn in 1988. |
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| The council sold Citybus to
the management and staff in 1993. The First Bus
group bought the company in 1997 and amalgamated
it with the Provincial operation two years later. |
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