AS THE controversy over Stroud's Bus Station continues the author of a new book Stroud's Buses by N P Daniels reflects that the town centre bus terminus has never been a stranger to controversy...

The book combines local history with transport history and takes a look at the important contribution the bus service has made to the economy and social life of the Stroud Valleys over the past 100 years or so.

It contains details of all the major bus operators in and around Stroud including such erstwhile names at Western National, GWR, Red Bus, Red & White, Bristol Omnibus and the current operator, Stagecoach.

It also takes a look at the optimism associated with the time during the 1980s when Stroud's buses adopted their own unique yellow and green livery while trading under the Stroud Valleys name.

The changes which have taken place over the years are captured in 145 quality illustrations and pictures which will be recognisable to generations of Stroud folk who have grown up on the buses, perhaps having used the service as a child going to school or later while commuting to work.

STROUD bus station, although not full finished, opened on July 3, 1960 offering new standards for passengers and drivers alike.

Previous long-suffering passengers were very happy with the new terminus.

They disliked street side bus stops which made changing buses difficult and it was hard for inspectors to keep track of driver changes and late running vehicles.

During the 1950s, the bus service had progressively been blamed for town centre congestion.

The old stops at the Subscription Rooms, London Road, Russell Street, Lansdown, King Street Parade and the rail station were said to gridlock the town.

Local leaders were therefore keen to see all this change. However, immediately upon the bus station's completion, shopkeepers to the east of the town - particularly along London Road - complained of loss of trade.

Those on Gloucester Street benefited and began to open up the backs of their shops to new passing trade from the town to the bus station, along Bath Street.

The fire that raised the adjacent Ritz Cinema to the ground in 1961 eventually spawned the Merrywalks Shopping Centre, 11 years later.

A revised bus station was seen as integral to the project.

Even so, during the planning phase, there were calls to bring buses and trains together at the railway station.

As long ago as 1975, just three years after Merrywalks, Bristol Omnibus and the County Council first seriously considered leaving Merrywalks for the train station.

This move never materialised and it was in 1992 that the successor Cheltenham & Gloucester Omnibus Company decided that the bus station had become too expensive to operate.

Buoyed by reaction from Cashes Green passengers whose service had switched to King Street Parade the year before, town centre stops were hastily sited for all services.

Criticism that school pupils would have insufficient space to marshal was dealt with by keeping the bus station open at school times only.

Many passengers were happy with the new town centre arrangement.

Others in the town were not.

Litter was evident at stops, passengers were using shop doorways for shelter and occasionally drivers would leave buses unattended and full of passengers.

Control became a problem for inspectors, and drivers hesitated to walk through the town centre with their day's takings.

The bus company and councils came to an understanding and the bus station reopened in 1997.

Now in public rather than private ownership, the site became a development waiting to happen.

For this reason, councils have made little investment in the site and there is no doubt that it has become jaded.

Planners again wish to integrate all public transport at the rail station. Like the situation before 1960, passengers - and indeed operators - will need to be patient.

Stroud's Buses is published in Wales by Llyfrau Hiraethog.

At 279 pages and with 146 illustrations, it costs £13.99 retail. ISBN 0-9545166-0-5. Further details at http://www.stroudvalleys.co.uk.

Local outlets in Stroud stocking the book are Stagecoach Travel Shop, Merrywalks; Stroud Bookshop; Not Foxed Books, Nailsworth.will.

It will be officially launched at Stroud Bus Station on Saturday, September 6 at 10am where there will be a small collection of vintage buses typical of those used in Stroud over the years.

There will also be an opportunity to take a short trip on one or more of the vehicles.