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Associated Motorways

Associated Motorways
Associated Motorways 1964 logo.png
Swanage, four Royal Blues - geograph.org.uk - 1365191.jpg
Four preserved Royal Blue coaches in Swanage
in June 2009
Founded 1934
Ceased operation 1974
Service area England
Service type Long distance coach operator
Hubs Cheltenham
Operator Black & White Motorways
Crosville
Eastern Counties
Greyhound
Lincolnshire Road Car
Midland Red
Red & White
Royal Blue
Southdown
United Counties

Associated Motorways was a consortium of motor coach operators in the south and Midlands of England, which was active from 1934 to 1974.

Associated Motorways was formed as a result of the Road Traffic Act 1930, which encouraged competing coach operators to co-ordinate their services. In 1934, six coach operators came together to form Associated Motorways, to pool their services between the Midlands and the south and west of England and between London and South Wales. The founder members were: Black & White Motorways of Cheltenham, Red & White of Chepstow, Royal Blue, Greyhound (by then owned by Bristol Tramways), Midland Red and United Counties of Northampton.

Associated Motorways did not own or operate any coaches. Each member company committed itself to providing an agreed mileage of coach journeys for Associated Motorways and took an agreed share of the profits. The pool mainly operated the hub and spoke model, the hub being Cheltenham where Black & White had opened a new coach station in 1931.

The consortium had to suspend operations during World War II from 1942 to 1946, but prospered after the war. New members joined: Lincolnshire Road Car and Eastern Counties in 1956, Crosville in 1965 and finally Southdown in 1972. All of the members except Black & White also operated their own coach services outside the consortium.


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