The Three Years of the Calderdale Joint Omnibus Committee 1971-1974
Initial talks between Todmorden Joint Omnibus Committee and the Halifax Joint Omnibus Committee about a possible merger of the two fleets had begun in 1969; however, the matter was deferred at the request of Todmorden Council.
The talks re-commenced on the 17th March 1971 and in April 1971 the two Councils agreed in principle to the merger.
In April 1971 the General Manager of Todmorden JOC, Mr. W. Metcalfe retired and the General Manager of Halifax JOC, Mr. G. Hilditch, assumed responsibility for the Todmorden fleet, pending the final merger.
Although this was not finally concluded until later in the year, the Todmorden fleet was almost immediately renumbered into the Halifax JOC fleet.
In July 1971 a new organisation, under the title of the Calderdale Joint Omnibus Committee, was set up, consisting of members of the former JOC’s; the final merger being completed on the 6th September 1971.
From this date the former Halifax and Todmorden JOC’s ceased to operate vehicles as separate undertakings and became the Calderdale Joint Omnibus Committee. All vehicles bore the former Halifax JOC livery of green and orange but with Calderdale legal lettering.
The former Todmorden routes were incorporated with those of the former Halifax JOC and Todmorden’s Millwood depot was retained on behalf of the new JOC.
The initial fleet comprised of some 27 former Todmorden vehicles, of which 4 were withdrawn without entering service, and some 114 former Halifax vehicles.
In 1972 the JOC acquired 4-ex Maidstone and District AEC Regent V’s as a stopgap measure following the non-arrival of newly ordered vehicles.
Two of these had lowbridge bodies and were allocated to Todmorden depot, which, because of a low entrance, could not accommodate highbridge vehicles.
The first new buses, Daimler CRG6LX Fleetlines, arrived in May, June and July 1972 (numbered 297-306) and in 1973 three more Fleetlines arrived. The final purchase for the Calderdale JOC was of two more Fleetlines in the early months of 1974.
One-man-operation commenced on JOC routes on 9th October 1972 with the Halifax to Brighouse service being among the first.
In view of the anticipated merger of municipal undertakings into the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport executive, due to take effect from the 1st April 1974, the representatives of the former railway holdings, now held by the Amalgamated Passenger Transport Company, indicated their intention to terminate the previous JOC agreements.
The West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive acquired the APT holding on 1st April 1974, along with the bus interests of the Calderdale JOC, terminating over 45 years of a joint operation in the Halifax area.
In producing this history reference has been made to the following sources;
Halifax Corporation and Joint Omnibus Committee and their Successors (David Bentley/Autobus Review Publications 1998), PSV Circle Fleet History PB23 (1989).