I think the subsidy cut was in 1978, and was a 50% reduction rather than complete removal. I don't think any place actually lost bus service, but obviously there were reductions in frequency and (probably worst of all) many inter-urban routes were diverted off the direct main roads via villages and/or covering sections of previously free standing town service. It took de-regulation to put much of that right! UCOC thought at the time that Northants wanted to encourage private operators to compete (on the basis that their costs were lower and therefore wouldn't require subsidy) and they didn't want to leave any gaps that could be exploited within the licensing regime at the time. Understandable then, but not so good for the longer term. In fact the reverse happened, with the long established York Bros. service from Bozeat/Wollaston to Northampton via Cogenhoe being passed to UCOC, because they weren't making any money on it!
At least twice (possibly three times) UCOC applied for licences to replace the Bedford-Bletchley line and were refused because of the plague of cancellations due to staff shortages in the district at that time. This was exacerbated by the large movement of Bedford bound schoolchildren at peak times, and the awkward routeing to follow the line of rail, which required a large number of extra buses at peak times. The combination of fares controlled by the Traffic Commissioner and nationally agreed pay rates meant that the obvious route of increasing busmens' pay in the area to attract more staff was simply not available at that time. Changing any of that would have had country-wide implications, so was not going to happen.
I think it a little unfair to ascribe the survival of the line to 'incompetence'; it is not clear what else could be done - more like 'circumstance'.
It was indeed 1978; relying on memory but it was 40 odd years ago...
Referring to the appropriate booklet in the Roger Warwick
An illustrated History of United Counties series he writes 'In the summer of 1977 the County Council revealed that it was to phase out revenue support for bus services in its entirety over a period of three years, starting in April 1978. In its first phase the County planned to reduce its level of revenue support payable to UCOC from £510,000 to £270,000.
You are quite right to say that the reduction was about half but complete removal was intended. I can't remember if the further cuts were actually made because I bought a car and bus services no longer had an importance to me.
It seemed to me that the Council thought that small entrepreneurs would provide replacement services without subsidy (in denial of the reality of Road Service Licencing legislation) and the bus company produced a plan that still provided a bus service to almost every town and village (with the purpose of making it difficult for a new operator tom prove 'need'). While this cerebral game of chess was going on, the bus user suffered.
I have a strong recollection (my memory again!) that the post cuts service was:
Sunday service was restricted to the busiest services, and to between about mid-day and tea-time; services which reasonably loaded were withdrawn. I think that this was not because the revenue was poor, but the extra staff costs associated with Sundays were the problem.
Saturday services wound down from the late afternoon, shortening days out. Possibly to encompass a larger number of single shifts with spreadover.
Weekday services wound down after about 17.30.
If you had a Monday to Friday job but didn't get home 'til about 18.30, like me, then bus travel became useless Monday-Friday and Sunday, and of reduced use on Saturday. Not wishing to be confined except for a daytime Saturday opportunity I gave up some of my loyalty to public transport, and bought a car. From conversations overheard on buses on the last weeks before the cuts, a great number of bus passengers either did that or, if they were less well off, bought a moped.
It might be of interest to add that Roger also gives the following statistics; support for bus services in Wellingborough, 1978/9 - £16,000, subsidy for car parks (District Council responsibility) - £267,190.
On the subject of the Bedford Bletchley rail replacement; UC were offered new business with the BRB underwriting any losses. Many businesses would jump at that!. I accept that pay & conditions presented a problem to bus companies but UCOC is not a good example. In 1970 (slightly later, I accept) UCOC had a large number of staff absorbed from the following operators partly or wholly taken over; Eastern National, Birch Bros, Luton Corporation. These staff all had different conditions from staff who started with UC. Of course, you can argue either way - that the Company was competent in handling the issues that this created, or incompetent in not sorting them out!
I live on the X47 route between Northampton and Wellingborough. Leaving Northampton it deviates considerably from the direct route to serve a college and estates, and similarly diverts approaching Wellingborough. I'm not sure why it has an X prefix. So that hasn't changed with privatisation. I have just walked to the nearest bus stop to find out journey times to quote but, oddly, the customised display gives departure times (you can even get to Peterborough occasionally) but gives no indication of journey times.
Edited for typo
