In 1976 the National Bus Company started it's MAP (Market Analysis Project) survey to cut out some of the dead wood in the industry which because of the motorcar had been in decline for many years. Fortunately unlike the rather shortsighted hatchet job called the The Beeching Report on the railways at least the roads were not ripped up and lost for ever when today cheap clean light-rail might have solved many of our transport problems. MAP was something of a disaster for both the remaining conductors and bus enthusiasts as much of the interesting older stock was cleared out including those gorgeous half-cab buses. At Bideford redundant buses stood in a long line two-deep and as well as a cluster of former Cornish Busways Bristol FLF's could be seen an Atlantean which was once DH536 with Maidstone and District.
Tuesday, 25 September 2007
MAP: The day Doctor Beeching rode on the buses
In 1976 the National Bus Company started it's MAP (Market Analysis Project) survey to cut out some of the dead wood in the industry which because of the motorcar had been in decline for many years. Fortunately unlike the rather shortsighted hatchet job called the The Beeching Report on the railways at least the roads were not ripped up and lost for ever when today cheap clean light-rail might have solved many of our transport problems. MAP was something of a disaster for both the remaining conductors and bus enthusiasts as much of the interesting older stock was cleared out including those gorgeous half-cab buses. At Bideford redundant buses stood in a long line two-deep and as well as a cluster of former Cornish Busways Bristol FLF's could be seen an Atlantean which was once DH536 with Maidstone and District.
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Some might argue that MAP was a disaster for the companies, too, as it was only another two years on that most made further cuts. I would concede, though, that without MAP, NBC subsidiaries would’ve been in a terrible mess.
Historic note: MAP started as the Viable Network Project, with Midland Red.
The Omnibuses2.0 Blog
I feel MAP was a very negative way to solve the problem of empty bus seats losing money. Although they could never stop the rot, making buses more sexy by doing some marketing and introducing quicker more user friendly services as they do today would have helped a lot. Also if you cut out evening buses people then need a car and they're going to use that to go to work too so really you have to provide some sort of a service seven days a week.
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