Large parts of Britain’s bus industry were taken into state ownership between 1948 and 1950. Besides operators across England, Scotland and Wales, two manufacturers also were acquired and faced restrictions on where they could sell their products.
State ownership of buses in England, Scotland and Wales lasted 47 years, begun by a Labour government in 1948 and ended by Conservatives in 1995.
Its implications were a hot topic in early issues of Buses Illustrated as the newly formed British Transport Commission (BTC) acquired significant players, but the public was less aware of these developments than it was of railway nationalisation. There was no bus equivalent of British Railways or its British Road Services (BRS) road haulage counterpart. Most of BTC’s extensive bus interests continued as before, retaining the cultures and practices of their previous existence.
Clement Attlee’s Labour government was elected in July 1945 with nearly 50% of votes, a 145-seat majority and a mandate to bring key industries into public ownership.
Coal, gas, electricity, iron and steel were in its sights. So was inland transport of passengers and freight.
“Coordination of transport services by rail, road, air and canal…
