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.