30 Oct 06 Chatham Traction

Chatham Traction Bus Company had been formed around 1930 when the towns
tram network was dismantled. They had been owned by British Electric
Traction (BET) but subsequently BET sold the undertaking to The
Maidstone & District Motor Services Ltd, with the proviso that the
company would be operated as a distinct and seperate concern for at
least 25 years. This is what indeed did happen, and it wasn't until 1955
that the brown and cream vehicles finally disappeared from Medway's
Streets. They had been based at the former Luton Road Depot, and had
largely mimicked the old tram routes, such as the route from The Strand,
Gillingham to Borstal (after the demise of Chatham Traction this route
still operated for many years under the auspices of M&D as the 145, with
a branch from this to Cookham Wood running as the 146). Most of the
former Chatham Traction routes actually hung on until
deregulation in 1986.
Tags: buses, medway, chatham traction, UK