The Christchurch Transport Board utilised a variety of transport modes to provide public transport services. Starting with trams when it began operations in 1905, it later experimented with petrol buses in the 1920s, trolley buses from the early 1930s, and introduced its first diesel buses in the mid-1930s. All of the Board's tram routes and the majority of its bus routes were designed around a radial model where services either terminated at, or ran through, a central interchange. There were some special bus services operating on point-to-point or orbital routes but these tended to be either ephemeral in nature or designed for a specific clientele (e.g. shoppers). Some routes included short workings, which were typically extra services run to intermediary termini to cope with high loadings at peak times. A wide-ranging review of the bus route network instigated in the late 1970s resulted in the termination of most of these short workings, the amalgamation of shorter routes into longer ones, and the re-timing of many services to make arrival times more realistic.
Tram network Assets acquired by the Board from the old private tramway companies included lines serving the localities of Papanui, North Beach, New Brighton, Sumner, Cashmere, and Hillmorton. These lines, along with a new line to Riccarton, were included in the first tranche of construction to be undertaken on the network. Electric trams commenced services as electrification works were completed to Papanui and Christchurch Railway Station (6 June 1905); Sumner (25 April 1907); Cashmere (16 August 1905); Riccarton (12 March 1906); Lincoln Road (8 February 1906); and New Brighton (6 August 1906). Some of these lines had opened earlier using steam traction while electrification was still underway. Trams were stabled at the depot on Falsgrave Street and, using lines along Manchester and Colombo Streets, started their runs from a central hub at Cathedral Square. Over the first decade of operation, new lines or extensions were added to Edgeware Road (24 December 1906); Opawa (21 September 1909); Fendalton (20 November 1909); Cranford Street (1 July 1910); North Beach (1 October 1914); Spreydon (3 August 1911); Cashmere Hills (1 May 1912); Dallington (1 November 1912); from Papanui to Northcote (28 February 1913); St. Martins (7 April 1914); from Edgeware Road to
St. Albans Park (19 July 1915); and from Riccarton to Plumpton Park (January 1916). A temporary loop line to North
Hagley Park also operated for five months to serve the
Christchurch International Exhibition from November 1906 – March 1907. The early 1920s saw the last of the major construction to be undertaken on the tramlines with extensions to Barrington Street for the Spreydon line (August 1922) and the Lichfield Street connection (July 1922). It was also at around this time that the Board had proposed several other new lines to the Northeast Central City, South Brighton, and Bryndwr as well as a link between the St. Albans Line and North Beach Line, and a deviation in the Burwood area. These ideas never proceeded because the prevailing economic conditions made it impossible to justify the cost of them, with buses eventually being used as a cheaper alternative. The first tram services to be withdrawn and replaced by buses were those to Northcote (30 September 1930), Marshland Road–North Beach (5 July 1931), and Richmond (17 December 1934) when the cost of keeping these lines open could not be justified. Other lines to be closed later that same decade due to economic constraints included Worcester Street, Dallington, and Wainoni in 1936. When the Board considered the future of the tram network after World War 2, a policy shift led to the progressive closure of the network and its replacement with buses as they became available. The first to go was the line to St. Martins (20 May 1946), followed by Fendalton and Opawa (6 February 1950), New Brighton (18 October 1952), Sumner (6 December 1952), Riccarton (14 June 1953), St. Albans Park and Spreydon (21 June 1953), Cranford Street and Lincoln Road (26 July 1953), and Papanui and Cashmere (11 September 1954).
Trolley bus network The first service, to Shirley, commenced on 1 April 1931 and was later opened as far as the Brighton Pier via North Beach on 5 July 1931. This first route, though it was intended to replace the North Beach trams, actually followed a different path between Fitzgerald Avenue and Marshland Road. Patronage of the Marine Parade section was poor, leading to the truncation of services at North Beach from 31 May 1933. When it came time to close the remainder of the North Beach tramline, the Board decided to replace the trams with trolley buses. The second line, to Marshland Road via Richmond, opened on 17 December 1934. All inbound services entered the Cathedral Square terminus from Worcester Street and outbound services ran along High and Cashel Streets. The lines on Fitzgerald Avenue extended as far south as Moorhouse Avenue, running past and providing access to the Board's workshop (between Ferry Road and Moorhouse Avenue) for servicing and to the depot on Falsgrave Street for stabling. None of the trolley buses ever displayed route numbers, though route numbers were later assigned to some trolley bus routes and short workings for when diesel buses were used to assist. The inflexibility of the trolley bus system and a desire to standardise on diesel buses led to the decision to withdraw the trolley buses in the 1950s. The short working to Shirley was discontinued on 16 July 1951 with the remaining services to Marshland Road via Richmond closing on 31 May 1956 and to North Beach on 8 November 1956.
1 Papanui Opened: 6 June 1905 (electric tram); Opened, exhibition loop: November 1906 (electric tram); Closed, exhibition loop: 16 April 1907 (electric tram); Opened, Northcote extension: 28 February 1913 (electric tram); Closed, Northcote extension: 30 September 1930 (electric tram); Opened, Northcote extension: 1 October 1930 (petrol bus); Abandoned, Northcote extension: 10 May 1932 (petrol bus); Closed: 11 September 1954 (electric tram); Opened: 11 September 1954 (diesel bus) The Papanui Township was the first area in Christchurch to receive an electric tram service when the system was inaugurated in 1905. The line quickly proved its worth, becoming one of the most profitable lines in the tram network. Buses first appeared on this route in the mid-1920s during the so-called "bus wars" when private bus operators decided to take on one of the Board's most lucrative services. Once the Board had seen off the competition on this route, it was not until 1930 that buses again made an appearance. The local council wanted to re-lay Main North Road, along which the tram line ran down one side, and gave the Board several options: to re-lay the tramline down the middle of the road, to double-track the line, or to remove the line. The Board could not countenance the re-laying of the line because of the cost and opted to abandon the tram service to Northcote. When permission to terminate the tram service without a plan for a replacement bus service was denied, the Board sought expressions of interest from private bus operators to run a feeder service to the terminus of its tramline in Papanui after rejecting other suggestions including that it should establish a trolley bus service on the route. None of the responses received were to the Board's liking, so it decided to run the service itself. On this basis, permission was granted to terminate the Northcote tram service and the Board's replacement bus service commenced the following day. It was never popular, with the necessity of having to transfer between buses and trams at Papanui being a common complaint, and after several service reductions were made in line with falling demand (including a short-lived Sunday service), the Board abandoned the route altogether in 1932 after coming to an arrangement with a private operator to take over the service. Midland Motorways acquired the operator of the Northcote run in 1936 and maintained its own service there until the Board bought it out in 1982. When the Board withdrew trams from Papanui in 1954, it also tried to claim the right to operate the Northcote bus services. Midland was successful in retaining the right to operate its own service there, forcing the Board to run its Northcote service via a different route wholly within its own rating district. Once the Board acquired Midland Motorways it was able to run its own Northcote service via the original route along Northcote Road. The first diesel buses on the Papanui route were introduced on 10 September 1951 as a temporary measure when work commenced on re-laying the top end of the Papanui tramline, with the intention of keeping the Papanui–Cashmere tram service running. Though the intention had been to re-lay the tramline as far as Leinster Road, work was stopped at Blighs Road once the Board realised the futility of investing more money in the tramway. After the decision had been made in January 1953 to use diesel buses on this route they were used in weekends, and on the day of the "last tram" buses had already taken over the route before the final tram returned to the depot. The route was extended several times after the trams were withdrawn, finally terminating at Trafford Street.
2 Cashmere Opened, to south end of Colombo Street: August 1905 (electric tram); Opened, to start of Hackthorne Road: December 1911 (electric tram); Opened, to Dyers Pass Road: February 1912 (electric tram); Opened, to Hills terminus: 1 May 1912 (electric tram); Opened, Barrington Street–Hills terminus: 10 April 1953 (diesel bus); Closed, Barrington Street–Hills terminus: 13 April 1953 (electric tram); Closed: 11 September 1954 (electric tram); Opened: 11 September 1954 (diesel bus) Services to the Cashmere Hills were progressively converted to electric tram operation after the Board assumed control of the route from the Christchurch Tramway Company. Though trams were used to provide services on this route until the 1950s, there were several occasions on which buses were used. Soon after the Board took delivery of a
Ransomes trolley bus in 1931, they conducted trials with it on the Hills portion of the Cashmere route. The objective was to determine how trolley buses would perform on such terrain, though not intending to actually convert the route to trolley bus operation. The following year, buses temporarily replaced trams on this route during the tramway strike because of concerns about the replacement motormen the Board had taken on to operate the trams were not sufficiently skilled to safely operate a tram on the Hills section, and those supporting the strike had taken to sabotage to disrupt tram operation on the Hills section. Tram services were again temporarily replaced with buses during a power supply crisis from June to August 1947. Following the conversion of the Spreydon route to bus operation on 22 June 1953, the Cashmere route temporarily became a through route with the Spreydon service in which some of the buses from Spreydon continued on along Barrington Street before proceeding to the Hills terminus. Once trams were also removed from the Cashmere route in 1954, these bus services reverted to the old tram routes though a new service was established that terminated at Macmillan Avenue via Dyers Pass Road. With the opening of
Princess Margaret Hospital on 31 August 1959 the route was altered to make the hospital a stop during visiting hours. The service's increasing popularity with visitors to the hospital ensured that by August 1965 all buses ran past the hospital.
3 Sumner Opened, to Heathcote Bridge: November 1905 (electric tram); Opened, to Head Street terminus: 29 April 1907 (electric tram); Closed: 6 December 1952 (electric tram); Opened: 6 December 1952 (diesel bus) Upon assuming control of the Sumner line in 1905, the Board continued to operate the steam tram service it inherited from the Christchurch Tramway Company while the initial contract for electrification was still underway. From November of that year it ran electric tram services until conversion to bus operation in 1952. Buses did make an appearance on this route while the trams were still running during the so-called "bus wars" when from 1925 both Inter City Motors and Suburban Motors ran their own private bus services along the route in an attempt to capture some of the Board's patronage. The Board responded by using its own buses to head off the competition and eventually acquired the operation of Suburban Motors in 1926. The Sumner route was one of a few occasions on which a public ceremony was held to mark the conversion of one of the Board's tramway lines to bus operation. The first bus travelled from Cathedral Square to Sumner on the afternoon of 6 December 1952 where a crowd had gathered to witness several local dignitaries officiate the commencement of the new bus service. At the conclusion of the official function, the last tram made its way back to town. Many improvements were made following the introduction of buses to the Sumner route. New destinations were served, catering for the travel requirements of local residents, students for several schools near the route, and visitors to the Jubilee Home in Woolston. The day after trams ceased running on the Riccarton line, 15 June 1953, the Sumner bus service was extended to include the Riccarton route. This included the introduction of short workings to Smith Street (3S), Woolston (3W), and Redcliffs (3R), and peak-time express services stopping after Smith Street or Bamford Street. Woolston bus services were rerouted in 1982 to terminate at Rutherford Street, replacing the 13R portion of the Opawa service that had also terminated there, over the earnest but unheeded objections of users of the 13R service. The separate Woolston service was discontinued in the late 1980s when the Mt. Pleasant service was rerouted along the end portion of that route.
4 Cranford Street Opened: 1 July 1910 (electric tram); Closed: 26 July 1953 (electric tram); Opened: 27 July 1953 (diesel bus) The Cranford Street route was one of the new tramlines constructed and opened by the Board after it had electrified the lines it inherited from the private tramway companies. It remained a tram-only service until conversion to bus operation in 1953. Initially, buses ran the route of the old tramline, terminating at Westminster Street. Some services ran an extended route through to Weston Road, replacing the previous Weston Road via Springfield Road service. A further extension of the route was implemented on 26 May 1958, with a new terminus at McFaddens Road. The unsuitable nature of the land beyond McFaddens Road for residential development meant that the terminus remained unchanged for the next two decades. The acquisition of the remaining bus services of Midland Motorways by the Board in November 1982 gave it access to several towns and settlements north of Christchurch, which it apportioned to both the Papanui Road and Cranford Street routes. Cranford Street became such a busy thoroughfare for these services that it ceased to be a destination in its own right after 1982.
5 Brighton Opened, via Worcester Street: 4 August 1906 (electric tram); Opened, via Cashel Street: 1 November 1910 (electric tram); Closed: 18 October 1952 (electric tram); Opened: 18 October 1952 (diesel bus) The Board acquired the privately operated tramline from the city to New Brighton in 1906 at which time it proceeded to electrify the line and commence its own service. The first regular bus service to Brighton was provided by Inter City Motors during the "bus wars" of the mid-1920s. This was the first real competition to trams on the Brighton route and soon became a problem that demanded a response. In addition to improvements to the tram service, the Board decided to run its own bus service to counter that of Inter City Motors. Services between Brighton and North Beach proved to be problematic for the Board and following the withdrawal of trams from this section in 1931 a replacement trolley bus service was introduced. It failed to attract a sufficient number of passengers and was withdrawn two years later. The Board had already tried running a trial bus service along this route, in September 1927, by extending the Pleasant Point service but the trial was unsuccessful. The next attempt in 1938, which had been designed to cater for shoppers and evening cinema patrons, also failed and like the 1927 trial was cancelled after less than one month in operation. However, the evening service continued on to 1946 at which time it was replaced by a private bus service provided by the cinema. The cinema service, including routes and times, was advertised with upcoming movies and lasted to 1964. When a speedway opened on Rowan Avenue, Aranui in January 1949 its Saturday evening race meetings over the summer months were a popular fixture for many years. The number of trams required to convey patrons to the racecourse caused operational difficulties to such an extent that it proved to be impossible to maintain the regular timetable and consequently buses were typically used to replace trams on the Brighton line when race meetings were held. Race meetings also meant a busy time for the tram crews and because they didn't have time for their usual meal break, a special bus was provided by the Board to bring these crews into the city for a meal before returning them to the racecourse to bring the patrons home. The end for trams on the Brighton line came on 18 October 1952 when the first bus of the replacement service departed Cathedral Square at 15:00. At the Brighton Post Office a ribbon had been strung across Seaview Road where the first bus and the last tram waited on either side. Once the formalities were concluded and the ribbon cut, the tram returned to the city and the bus completed its run to the pier, to be followed by another 13 of the fleet. The tram timetable remained in effect until the following Monday at which time a new timetable was introduced. The new service included short workings to Aldwins Road (5A) and Breezes Road (5B), and incorporated the old Pleasant Point service that later became known as South Brighton (5S). One problem that had been the bane of the old tram service was the need to run through (semi-) rural areas where there were few, if any, fare-paying passengers. The residential development of Aranui and industrial development near Brighton resulted in increased patronage for the buses. To cater to demand, the Breezes Road bus route was altered to terminate in Rowan Avenue. Brighton services were connected with other routes to provide cross-town links. From 25 May 1953 Brighton buses ran a combined route with the Mays Road service, which, while not as successful as the Board had hoped, remained in effect for nearly two decades. Next, Brighton services were connected to the Fendalton route from 1972, which proved to be more successful, and they remained this way until deregulation.
6/6D/6W Worcester Street/Dallington/Wainoni Trams on the Worcester Street and Dallington lines were some of the first to be withdrawn by the Board, being the first tram routes to be replaced by diesel buses on 2 November 1936. It was also at this time that the Wainoni route operated by Inter City, a company the Board had acquired the previous year, was incorporated into the Board's own Worcester Street and Dallington routes. It was with the introduction of these routes that the Board also changed its policy on route numbering. Previously, an unadorned route number had indicated that a conveyance would run the full length of the route, with the addition of letters to indicate short workings. Now, the reverse applied, with the number six used for the shortest part of the service and 6D and 6W used for extended routes, conflicting with the previous use of number 6 for the Dallington tram and 6W for the Worcester Street tram. This, combined with the ambiguity of "6D" as a route number (to many, 6D was thought to be the fare), caused much confusion amongst passengers. Unlike most other services run by the Board, the number 6 routes ran through Cathedral Square to either the railway station or Lichfield Street. This arrangement lasted until October 1942 when wartime restrictions resulted in most trips to the railway station terminating at Lichfield Street instead.
6 Worcester Street Opened: March 1906 (electric tram); Closed: 1 November 1936 (electric tram); Opened: 2 November 1936 (diesel bus) Much of the Worcester Street route was shared with other services but despite this, it was sufficiently well patronised to justify a half-hourly weekday service and less frequent Saturday services. Originally terminated at the corner of Linwood Avenue and Buckleys Road, it was extended to serve post-war development in Bromley by establishing a new terminus along Linwood Avenue at Hargood Street on 14 June 1948. Buses running to this new terminus were designated Bromley (6B). The Bromley service's Railway Station link became obsolete with the decline in passenger rail traffic and the fact that many other bus routes ran past the Railway Station. With a dedicated Railway Station service no longer required, the Bromley and
Beckenham routes were linked in the 1980s.
6D Dallington Opened: 1 November 1912 (electric tram); Closed: 1 November 1936 (electric tram); Opened: 2 November 1936 (diesel bus) Trams first served Dallington when the Board opened an extension of the Worcester Street line to the suburb in 1912. It was one of the last tramlines to be built in Christchurch and also one of the first to be closed by the Board. At first, patronage was light enough that express services were not required. When peak loadings on the Wainoni route were particularly heavy, Dallington buses were used to transfer passengers from their own route to Wainoni services at Woodham Road, an arrangement that lasted until August 1946. The bus route initially followed the old tramline up Gloucester Street to terminate at Avonside Drive. While the tramline was in operation it was always worked with traditional double cab tramcars, as there was no room at the terminus to install a turning facility for one-man tram operation. The same issue caused problems for bus drivers for many years. The original wooden Dallington Bridge at the end of Gloucester Street had a severe weight limit and drivers were advised that they were not permitted to encroach onto the bridge. This made it difficult to turn buses for the return journey and it was not until improvements were made in Avonside Drive near the bridge that the manoeuvre could be carried out without reversing. Route extensions were not possible until 1954 when the old bridge was replaced at which time the route was extended to McBratneys Road. Further extensions included Ferner Street (5 August 1957), Locksley Avenue (29 September 1958), and select peak-time services to the intersection of Avonside Drive and Torlesse Street (December 1968). The Dallington route was also linked to cross-town services including Bryndwr from October 1955 and to Avonside from 1980/81 with an extension to Liggins Street and later to Bampton Street from 1984.
6W Wainoni Opened: 2 November 1936 (diesel bus) Wainoni first received a bus service in January 1926 during the "bus wars" when Inter City established a through service to North Beach. This service was later taken over by the Board when it acquired the company in October 1935, and became a dedicated Wainoni service when the portion of the old North Beach run between the Bower Hotel and North Beach was abandoned on 10 February 1936. On 2 November 1936 the route was altered to use Worcester Street (abandoning the Inter City route via Hereford Street) and a new timetable was adopted, combining its services with those of the Worcester Street and Dallington routes. Weight restrictions on the old Bower Bridge limited the number of passengers that buses could carry over the bridge. Work on a new bridge started in August 1941 with construction of pre-cast concrete piles and from 8 December 1941 to 17 August 1942 the bridge was closed to all but pedestrian traffic to allow for the old bridge to be dismantled as the new bridge was erected. The opening of the new bridge allowed for all previous loading restrictions to be rescinded. At first, loadings in the Wainoni area were light enough that an hourly service frequency sufficed, even at peak times. The route's link with the Railway Station, however, ensured that buses were typically at capacity by Cathedral Square, whereupon Dallington buses would be used to transfer passengers to Woodham Road to catch a Wainoni service. There were still no evening services, but not for lack of trying, as an unpopular Friday night service introduced in 1937 was withdrawn after about 3 months, and a service designed for cinema patrons in 1941 had to be withdrawn the following year for wartime fuel rationing. From mid-1949 until 1952 the evening services on Fridays and Saturdays continued on to South Brighton. It was not until September 1951 that Sunday services were introduced. Route extensions included moving the terminus to the intersection of New Brighton Road and Palmers Road on 1 January 1962 and later into the suburb of
Parklands, and on 4 September 1967 to Niven Street via Breezes Road and Avondale Road. This route was again extended once the old Avondale Road Bridge was replaced, terminating at Burwood Hospital. Cross-town links included the Wharenui route from October 1955 to 4 September 1967 at which point the service terminated at Cathedral Square, and with the Mays Road route from 1972.
7 Lincoln Road Opened: 8 February 1906 (electric tram); Closed: 26 July 1953 (electric tram); Opened: 27 July 1953 (diesel bus) The Lincoln Road route was inherited from the Christchurch Tramway Company and services initially provided by the Board using steam trams until electric trams were introduced on the line in 1906. This remained a tram service until conversion to bus operation in 1953. With the introduction of bus services, the old tram route was retained for most services but some ran an extended route to a new terminus at the intersection of Hoon Hay Road and Lewis Street to serve a rapidly growing residential area. The route was split on 30 May 1960 when it was extended to a new terminus at Sparks Road/Victors Road and a terminus added at Halswell Road/Rowley Avenue. As with the preceding tram service, this route was always combined with the Cranford Street route.
8 Riccarton Opened, to Clyde Road: November 1905 (electric tram); Opened, to Riccarton Racecourse: 12 March 1906 (electric tram); Closed: 14 June 1953 (electric tram); Opened: 15 June 1953 (diesel bus) Riccarton was one of the first new tramlines to open, initially using steam traction from 2 November 1905, and later electric trams as electrification proceeded to the terminus. The Board's Riccarton bus service did not come until nearly five decades later when they replaced the trams on 15 June 1953. This new service formed part of a cross-town service with the Sumner route. Space constraints in Cathedral Square meant that the central city terminus of the route was located on Worcester Street outside the Avon cinema. The bus route only followed the route of the tramline as far as the western end of Riccarton Road where it split into two legs. Some buses carried on to the Racecourse via Yaldhurst and Racecourse Roads whilst the others ran on to Buchanans Road. Residential development to the west of the city soon ensued and to meet the demand for public transport services the Yaldhurst leg was extended to terminate at Cutts Road. Further extensions included to Fovant Street on 4 June 1962 and Bentley Street on 4 June 1966. A new leg was created along Avonhead Road to Maidstone Road on 4 December 1959 but later cancelled in favour of extending the Creyke Road route. The Buchanans Road leg was also extended to match residential development, to Wycola Avenue from 30 September 1957, and later down Gilberthorpes Road to connect with Templeton buses in Islington. There were two short workings on the Riccarton route, to Clyde Road (8C) and Church Corner (8B). These were linked to the short workings on the Sumner route and were popular throughout the day, and complemented the express services at peak times. 8H Ran to Hornby, terminating at Denton Park where there was an off-road turning loop.
9 Fendalton Opened, to Holmwood Road: November 1909 (electric tram); Opened, to Clyde Road: 18 December 1912 (electric tram); Closed: 5 February 1950 (electric tram); Opened: 6 February 1950 (diesel bus) Trams provided public transport services to Fendalton for four decades from 1909 until being withdrawn in 1950. Following the successful introduction of diesel buses on the Worcester Street, Dallington, and Railway Station routes in 1936, the Board made plans in 1938 to introduce them to other lightly patronised tramlines, specifically St. Martins and Fendalton/Opawa. Though buses did replace trams for a short time on the St. Martins route, the intervention of World War 2 scuttled the Board's plans to withdraw the Fendalton and Opawa tram service due to restrictions on supplies and the unavailability of new vehicles. When the Board was next able to consider the issue of bus replacement of tram services following World War 2, the Fendalton/Opawa tram service was one of the first to go. Though the trams were not withdrawn until 5 February 1950, buses had been used on the Fendalton route for a number of years. Sunday services had already been switched to bus operation from 10 April 1949, and in December a route to Clyde Road via Ilam Road had started to serve State housing developments. This latter service became part of the Fendalton route when the new bus timetable was introduced on 6 February 1950. Extensions to the Fendalton service included to Truman Road (mid-1950s), to Grahams Road (30 June 1958), to Kendal Avenue (2 December 1963), and finally Burnside Crescent (7 December 1964). This portion of the route mostly served State housing and consequently, buses had to cater for the large number of young children living in the area. Midland Motorways held a licence to operate bus services on Memorial Avenue out to the Airport, a situation that prevented the Board from extending the Fendalton service along this route. When it obtained its own licence for Memorial Avenue, services were extended to Ilam Road from 6 January 1958. Further extensions included Grahams Road (30 June 1958), Avonhead Road (2 December 1963), and Withells Road (1977). The Fendalton route's cross-town link was changed to Brighton in 1972, ending its association with Opawa.
10 Marshland Road and Richmond Opened: 27 December 1906 (steam tram); Opened: 15 August 1910 (electric tram); Closed: 16 August 1934 (electric tram); Opened: 17 December 1934 (trolley bus); Closed: 30 May 1956 (trolley bus); Opened: 31 May 1956 (diesel bus) Christchurch's second trolley bus line opened on 17 December 1934. It followed the North Beach tramline through Richmond as far as Marshland Road where it met but was not physically joined to the existing trolley bus line to North Beach. There was a short working to the intersection of North Avon Road and Tweed Street. As with trolley buses on the North Beach service, those used on the Richmond run were not equipped to display route numbers. This caused confusion when, in the late 1930s, diesel buses were used on this route to augment capacity and did show route numbers. In this case, buses used the route number 10, with 10T used for the short working to Tweed Street. For a short time following the commencement of a new Shirley service on 15 January 1951, North Beach trolley buses ran via the Richmond route, replacing the Marshland Road via Richmond service. The two separate trolley bus routes were reinstated on 16 July 1951. As the Board's post-war programme of fleet upgrades and modernisation neared its zenith in the 1950s, it was decided to withdraw the trolley bus system and focus on diesel buses. Consequently, the last trolley bus service to Marshland Road ran on 30 May 1956. The replacement diesel bus service was extended several times, first to Joy Street from 25 August 1958, then to Briggs Road, and throughout the 1980s it followed the development of the north-eastern suburbs through Burwood, Parklands, Waimairi Beach, and North Beach to end up at New Brighton. A cross-town link with the Opawa route was established in December 1972 that lasted to 1980/81 when it was switched to a combined Marshland Road–
Avonhead route.
11 Avonside Opened: 13 January 1926 (petrol bus) A motor omnibus service run by C. R. Brown to Avonside commenced operation in the early 1920s. Its route followed Armagh Street, Brittan Street, and Patten Street to terminate on Retreat Road. When Brown tried to renew his licence in June 1926, the Board used its authority under the Motor Omnibus Traffic Act 1926 to compulsorily acquire his business. After performing due diligence on the operation, the Board decided not to continue the service, in part because they were hoping to also acquire the business of Inter City Motors and thereby establish a new route serving North Beach, Wainoni, and Avonside. When their attempt to purchase Inter City Motors was rebuffed, they acquiesced to local pressure and decided to run their own Avonside service, which started on 19 December 1927. It never distinguished itself financially and in 1929 it was decided to put the service out for tender. The tender was awarded to W. C. Sanders who took over the running of the service on 11 July 1929 using a White bus he had agreed to purchase from the Board. This also coincided with an extension of the route along Kellar Street (previously Leighton Street) and Morris Street west to terminate at Avonside Drive. A special route via England Street (previously Rolleston Street) and Woodham Road was used when events were held at Wilding Park. Sanders' contract expired on 11 July 1933 and the Board, being wary of his financial position, decided not to renew it and instead offered it to two of his drivers, Ted Pycroft and Jim Henderson. They assumed responsibility for the service and continued operations using a Republic bus provided by the Board. Over the next two decades there were a succession of private operators and vehicles including the introduction of a Thornycroft in 1937 and a Ford V8 in 1942. With the post-war easing of restrictions on the supply of fuel, additional services were provided on the Avonside route. The route was also extended along Robson Avenue, Galbraith Avenue, and Morris Street from 18 October 1948 to serve new residential development. New patronage required additional capacity and so to cater for the demand an AEC Q bus was used on Saturdays. As the Qs were only equipped to display route numbers and not destinations, the route number 11 was assigned to Avonside. The Board resumed control of the Avonside service on 18 June 1951 at which time the drivers that had been operating the service became employees of the Board. When the Dallington route assimilated the Avonside service in 1980/81, Avonside ceased to be a destination in its own right though the route number 11 remained in use for buses travelling through the area.
12 St. Martins Opened: 7 April 1914 (electric tram); Closed: 5 January 1941 (electric tram); Opened: 6 January 1941 (diesel bus); Re-opened: 6 July 1942 (electric tram); Closed: 19 May 1946 (electric tram); Re-opened: 20 May 1946 (diesel and petrol bus) Despite being the last tramline constructed and opened by the Board, St. Martins was never particularly busy and by the 1930s had deteriorated to the point where it was being considered for closure. Following the successful introduction of diesel buses in 1936, the Board made plans in 1938 to use them to replace tram services on other routes, including St. Martins. When a sufficient number of vehicles were available, the tram service was withdrawn on 5 January 1941 and the bus service commenced the next day, following the tram route and using the same stops as the trams. New services were soon added to the timetable including express services at peak times. The imposition of restrictions on the Board's operations due to World War 2 and the difficulty in obtaining parts and supplies for its buses led to the withdrawal of the St. Martins bus service and the reintroduction of trams on 6 July 1942, despite the poor condition of the tram track. This situation lasted until the trams were withdrawn for the second time on 19 May 1946 and the reintroduction of the bus service the next day using both petrol and diesel vehicles. Heading out to St. Martins, the new bus route used Manchester Street instead of Colombo Street as previously, and at Moorhouse Avenue buses either turned left to go down Waltham Road past the Railway Station, or right to head down Colombo Street and Brougham Street through the Sydenham shopping precinct. Bus drivers were tasked with counting passengers using the Sydenham route and, following analysis of the data obtained, it was decided to discontinue the Sydenham deviation, with all buses using Waltham Road from 12 December 1949. From 19 May 1947 to 20 February 1949 the St. Martins route was linked with the Somerfield route on weekdays only. A new route was created in December 1984 combining the St. Martins and Huntsbury routes.
13 Opawa Opened: 21 September 1909 (electric tram); Closed: 5 February 1950 (electric tram); Opened: 6 February 1950 (diesel bus) Services to Opawa commenced on 14 March 1907 using steam-hauled trams. Electric trams followed in 1909 and, despite an attempt to replace them with buses in the 1930s, remained in service for four decades. Bus services began with Sunday services from 10 April 1949 and concluded with complete bus replacement on 6 February 1950. Two extensions of the Opawa route were established only months after the new bus service started: to Hillsborough, terminating at Grange Street from Opawa Road (13H); and to the Radley area (Woolston), terminating on Rutherford Street from Garlands Road (13R). Both of these changes, effective 28 August 1950, were intended to serve areas of new residential development as well as the industrial complex between Rutherford Street and Bamford Street. A further extension of the Hillsborough service was implemented on 30 June 1969, terminating at Brabourne Road on Opawa Road. Coinciding with the new cross-town link established between Fendalton and Brighton in December 1972, the Woolston portion of the Opawa service was joined to the Marshland Road route. Also, as the Lyttelton suburban rail services had recently ceased operation, the Lyttelton bus service was rerouted to follow the railway line and collect passengers from around the railway stations, and in so doing largely followed the Hillsborough section of the Opawa service. The Marshland Road and Opawa routes were de-linked in 1980–81, and the Woolston section of the Opawa service was terminated when the area became served by a change to the Woolston service. The similarity of the Opawa and Lyttelton routes had resulted in their amalgamation by December 1984 and the route number 13 was no longer used.
14 Spreydon Opened, to Strickland Street: 3 August 1911 (electric tram); Opened, to Coronation Street: September 1915 (electric tram); Opened, to Barrington Street: August 1922 (electric tram); Closed: 21 June 1953 (electric tram); Opened: 22 June 1953 (diesel bus) Spreydon was one of the later tram routes to open, and later had the distinction of being the last tram route on which a section of new tramline was constructed (the Barrington Street extension in 1922). Trams were withdrawn from the Spreydon route on 21 June 1953 and replaced with buses the following day. The bus route ran to a new terminus beyond the end of the tramline, at the intersection of Barrington and Somerfield Streets. The Somerfield bus route, which had terminated here, was redirected. A new leg to the Spreydon route was created, down Selwyn Street to the intersection with Somerfield Street. This was joined on 15 September 1958 with the first route by using Somerfield Street to create a loop, with buses travelling in both directions. Simeon Street and Coronation Street were removed from the route on 17 December 1984 and a new terminus established at the intersection of Barrington and Athelstan Streets.
15 Railway Station Opened, via Manchester Street: 6 June 1905 (electric tram); Opened, via Colombo Street: 4 July 1905 (electric tram); Closed, via Manchester Street: 6 April 1932 (electric tram); Closed, via Colombo Street: 1 November 1936 (electric tram); Opened: 2 November 1936 (diesel bus) Trams operated a dedicated service between the central city and Railway Station until they were withdrawn from this route, along with the number 6 trams, on 1 November 1936. The replacement was the city's first diesel bus service, which was introduced as an economy measure to reduce expenditure on lightly trafficked routes. The tram route via Manchester Street had closed 2½ years earlier and since then trams to the Railway Station had used Colombo Street. The Board's bus service, introduced on 2 November 1936, continued to be complemented by trams, which provided an irregular service to the Railway Station as they travelled past on their way to or from the Falsgrave Street depot. Being a dedicated link to the Railway Station, the number 6 buses had been timed to meet arriving trains from various locations around Christchurch. As more routes were converted to bus operation, some were routed past the Railway Station and were able to alleviate some of this load. The Worcester Street route remained linked to the Railway Station after the Dallington and Wainoni routes were assigned to new cross-town services with the Bryndwr and Wharenui routes respectively in October 1955. The number of people needing to access the Railway Station declined along with the use of passenger rail around Christchurch. The last suburban rail service ran on 30 April 1976 and the final local service followed a few months later on 14 September. By the early 1980s the dedicated Railway Station bus service had become obsolete and was withdrawn, leaving only those buses that frequented the railway station in passing.
16 St. Albans Park Opened, to Edgeware Road: 24 December 1906 (electric tram); Opened, to terminus: 19 July 1915 (electric tram); Closed: 21 June 1953 (electric tram); Opened: 22 June 1953 (diesel bus) The Board's bus service to St. Albans Park started on 22 June 1953, a day after the last St. Albans tram. It ran to a new route that followed the tramline, but continued on to a new terminus at Ranger Street via Flockton Street, Kensington Avenue, and Philpotts Road. An existing service that had commenced in 1949 along Springfield Road and Weston Road was truncated at Cranford Street. In the central city, buses initially followed the one-way streets but from the mid-1960s they were rerouted to Manchester Street and Peterborough Street. The withdrawal of the trams afforded the City Council an opportunity to reconfigure Bealey Avenue. Traffic had previously travelled in both directions either side of the median strip with trams running on double track in the northern carriageway. When buses were introduced on the route the Avenue was changed to have eastbound traffic on the northern side and westbound traffic on the southern side. A new service commenced on 5 August 1957 that continued down Westminster Street to terminate at Hills Road. The Ranger Street terminus of the original route was changed in January 1959 by turning it into a loop around some local streets to avoid problems that drivers had had with turning their vehicles for the return journey.
17 Bryndwr Opened: 12 January 1925 (petrol bus), 2 November 1936 (diesel bus) Bryndwr was one of the areas the Board had hoped to construct a new tramline for in the 1920s, but was prevented from doing so by economic conditions. When the Board failed to provide its own service to the suburb, the private operator W. C. Sanders filled the gap with a point-to-point service linking Bryndwr and Harewood from 1924. The Board was desirous of running its own Bryndwr service for which it had ordered
Tilling-Stevens buses. In the meantime, it commenced operations using a recently acquired White bus on 12 January 1925. When this bus had to be deployed elsewhere during the "bus wars," the service had to be continued with vehicles from the disparate collection still in the Board's possession until they were able to take delivery of the Tilling-Stevens buses in late 1925. The original route started from Cathedral Square and ran along Colombo Street, Armagh Street, Park Terrace, through the Carlton Mill area, and up Rossall Street to the intersection of Glandovey Road and Strowan Road. From here, buses alternated between travelling in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction around the circuit formed by Glandovey Road, Idris Road, Wairakei Road (previously Wairarapa Road), and Strowan Road. Inbound services entered Cathedral Square from Worcester Street rather than Colombo Street. Timetabled services ran Monday to Saturday, no Sunday service. Pre-war extensions to the Bryndwr route included a trial of services to Windermere Road from Idris Road in November 1927 and in July 1931 having select services continuing on down Wairarapa Road to either Ilam Road or Blighs Road. Bryndwr was one of several routes to switch to diesel bus operation on 2 November 1936 when AEC Q buses commenced operation. As the "Q"s required a route number to indicate their destination, the number 17 was used for buses going as far as Idris Road and Wairarapa Road, and those travelling on used the route number 17E. Route number 17 had previously been assigned to the proposed Bryndwr tram route when new destination roll blinds were produced in 1921. Later fleet upgrades included the introduction of
AEC Regal IV to the Bryndwr route to replace the "Q"s, and the replacement of the Mark IVs with the Long Reliance in 1958. It was not until the early 1980s that Long Reliances were retired after which a variety of Bristols and MANs were used. A cross-town service between Bryndwr and Dallington was established in October 1955. Extensions to the Wairakei Road leg continued apace with the terminus moving to Greers Road on 1 May 1950 and further expanded in March 1951, Grahams Road (September 1958), Kendall Avenue (February 1960), Charlcott Street (May 1962), Breens Road (February 1967), and finally to Sheffield Crescent where industrial development had taken place in the late 1970s/early 1980s. Services to Aorangi Road were not able to proceed on to Greers Road until February 1960 following the completion of Condell Avenue. Further extensions to this leg followed on 14 September 1964 to Leacroft Street by way of Kilburn Street and Isleworth Road and in 1982 to the intersection of Sawyers Arms Road and Crofton Road by way of Breens Road and Gardiners Road.
18 Springfield Road Opened: 28 January 1925 (petrol bus), 2 November 1936 (diesel bus) In January 1925 Inter City Motor Service started a bus service to Springfield Road, having recently discontinued its service to Papanui. The Board viewed this move as a threat to its business and responded by starting its own bus service to the area on 28 January 1925 using hired vehicles. The single bus on offer from Inter City Motors was unable to compete against the two deployed by the Board and so the Inter City Motors service was quickly withdrawn. It was not until later in the year that the Board was able to take delivery of additional buses for its own fleet and relieve itself of the considerable expense of hiring buses from private operators. Two of these contractors later established their own service to Springfield Road in competition with the Board along the route that had been used by Inter City Motors. The Board acquired their business the following year. Services actually ran as far as Mays Road, and Springfield Road was one of the main thoroughfares. At first, buses started from Cathedral Square and traversed Victoria Street, Durham Street, Springfield Road, Somme Street, Hawkesbury Avenue, Browns Road and Bretts Road on their way to Mays Road. The Mays Road destination was removed in May 1926, with services looping around the block of Bretts Road, Knowles Street, and Rutland Street. Mays Road was reinstated in March 1927 as an extended circuit whilst retaining Knowles Street for some services, but from September the Mays Road circuit was used by all services, alternating between Bretts Road and Rutland Street for outbound journeys. A variety of petrol buses from the Board's fleet were used on this route. They were supplanted on 2 November 1936 by AEC Regal half-cab diesel buses. It was also at this time that route numbers were allocated to the Springfield Road services, with those using Rutland Street known as 18R and via Bretts Road as 18B. Apart from a short-lived service to Weston Road, this route remained unaltered after the 1920s. It was part of two cross-town links, from 25 May 1953 with the Brighton route and from late 1972 with the Wainoni route. By the 1950s the route had become known as the Mays Road service.
18W Weston Road Opened: 14 February 1949 (diesel bus); Closed: 27 July 1953 One of many areas to experience residential development in post-World War 2 Christchurch was a strip of land running southwest – northeast between Innes Road and McFaddens Road. This area was not well served by public transport, with the nearest tramlines being those to Cranford Street and St. Albans Park. There was no prospect of these lines being extended, as an earlier proposal from the 1920s to link the St. Albans Park line to the North Beach line had been scrapped. For either of these routes to connect to this area the trams would first have to be withdrawn. As a temporary solution, it was decided to extend the Springfield Road service into this area. Starting from 14 February 1949, every other Springfield Road bus turned off Rutland Street into Weston Road, ending its run at Cranford Street. The terminus of this route followed the growth of residential development eastwards, moving to Jameson Avenue by 20 June 1949 and to Philpotts Road via Nancy Avenue and Ranger Street on 8 December 1952. Patronage was regularly assessed to ensure the service's continued viability. Despite the indirect nature of the route to the central city, it maintained its popularity with local residents. When the St. Albans Park tramline closed, the replacement bus service followed an extended route to the intersection of Philpotts Road and Ranger Street from 22 June 1953. As this was also the terminus of the 18W service, its route was truncated at Cranford Street. Just one month later following the replacement of the Cranford Street tramline with an extended bus route terminating at Weston Road on 27 July 1953, the 18W service was cancelled. The number 18 buses resumed their original routes to Mays Road.
19 North Beach Opened, to Burwood: 15 August 1910 (electric tram); Opened, Burwood–North Beach and Pier: 1 October 1914 (electric tram); Opened, to Shirley: 15 January 1925 (petrol bus); Closed, Marshland Road–terminus: 22 August 1927 (electric tram); Re-opened, Marshland Road–terminus: 1 October 1928 (electric tram); Opened, to Shirley: 1 April 1931 (trolley bus); Closed, Marshland Road–terminus: 4 July 1931 (electric tram); Opened, Shirley–North Beach and Brighton Pier: 5 July 1931 (trolley bus); Closed, North Beach–Brighton Pier: 13 May 1933 (trolley bus); Closed: 8 November 1956 (trolley bus); Opened: 8 November 1956 (diesel bus) Public demand for improved transport services to the suburb of Shirley prompted the Board to consider its options in the 1920s. It had proposed a new tramline connecting the St. Albans Park line to the North Beach line along Warrington Street and Shirley Road but, like other proposed tramlines at the time, the idea had to be dropped due to economic conditions. It therefore decided to start its own bus service and, using a vehicle hired from private operator W. C. Sanders, commenced services on 15 January 1925. The route initially started from a terminus near the intersection of Colombo Street and Gloucester Street, from where it followed Manchester Street, Oxford Terrace, Kilmore Street, Fitzgerald Avenue, Hills Road, and Warden Street, where it terminated in a circuit around Chancellor Street, Shirley Road, and Slater Street. Inbound services returned along Armagh Street. Within the first two months the City terminus had been relocated to The Square. In using Manchester Street, Oxford Terrace, and Kilmore Street, the service followed the route of the proposed Northeast City tramline. Services ran on Mondays to Saturdays, no Sunday service. Christchurch's first trolley bus service commenced operation to Shirley on 1 April 1931, later extended to North Beach and the Brighton Pier on 5 July 1931. The route, starting from Cathedral Square, ran along High Street, Cashel Street, Fitzgerald Avenue, Hills Road, and Shirley Road where the trolley bus line met the old North Beach tramline at Marshland Road and followed it to the terminus. Inbound services entered The Square from Worcester Street. Short workings to the intersection of Shirley Road and Stapletons Road, Burwood, and eventually at the New Brighton Racecourse were provided for with loops in the overhead lines. When the second trolley bus service to Richmond opened in 1934, both routes shared the line down Cashel Street to Fitzgerald Avenue. At its greatest extent, the trolley bus line ran down Marine Parade, like the North Beach tramline before it, to connect with the Brighton tramline at the Pier. This part of the route was never successful so the line was truncated at North Beach on 13 May 1933. The tramline at the North Beach end of the route along Marine Parade and as far back as Bassett Street was, however, left in place to be used for special events at the Racecourse. On such occasions the trolley buses were not expected to cope with the crowds along the regular North Beach route so capacity was augmented by running extra trams up the Brighton tramline then back along the eastern end of the North Beach tramline to a point where they were met by trolley buses running shuttles to the Racecourse. As on Bealey Avenue, traffic ran in both directions on either side of the median strip on Fitzgerald Avenue. Trolley buses used the western carriageway between the Moorhouse Avenue depot and Kilmore Street, and the eastern carriageway between Heywood Terrace and Bealey Avenue. It was not until the withdrawal of the trolley buses that Fitzgerald Avenue could be converted to one direction per carriageway. A short-lived extension was started on 25 May 1936 using a petrol bus that was run out to North Beach from the city and back on scheduled services every day. During the day, it connected with trolley buses at the Ozone Corner and ran up Marine Parade to Effingham Street (previously Berry Street). The trial failed to attract sufficient interest and the service was cancelled a couple of months later on 31 July. Trolley buses were identified only by their destinations, as they were not equipped to display route numbers. Only when diesel buses were called upon to augment capacity did route numbers become necessary and so the number 19 was assigned to the North Beach service. Short workings to Shirley and Burwood were assigned 19S and 19B respectively. A new residential development north of Shirley Road attracted the attention of the Board in 1951. It was decided to establish a new bus service to the area and, as the Board was not interested in extending the trolley bus network, it was started on 15 January 1951 using petrol and diesel buses. The route ran to Acheson Avenue via Emmett Street, travelling under trolley bus lines much of the way. As the point at which this new service turned off Shirley Road into Emmett Street was close to where the Marshland Road via Richmond trolley bus route met the North Beach line, North Beach trolley buses were diverted at the same time to run via Richmond and the Richmond trolley bus service was suspended. A few months later on 16 July the trolley buses reverted to their previous routes but the short working to Shirley was cancelled. Further development in the Emmett Block area and neighbouring suburbs led to extensions of the Shirley bus service, including to Voss Street via Orcades Street and Quinns Road (28 April 1958), up Olivine Street (December 1959), and to the intersection of Marshland Road and Briggs Road (3 December 1962). The North Beach service remained largely unaltered until the trolley buses were replaced with their diesel counterparts on 8 November 1956 and it was only then that modifications to the route could be considered. The first was to relocate the Burwood terminus to the intersection of Bassett Street and Parnwell Street (24 August 1957) followed by a deviation around Lake Terrace Road, Burwood Road, and Travis Road before reaching the terminus (5 October 1964), and the inclusion of Burwood Hospital from Burwood Road and Mairehau Road on 13 October 1966. A cross-town service between Burwood and Springs Road (previously Wharenui) was established on 4 September 1967. There were also alterations at the North Beach end of the route, including: around Bower Avenue and Marriotts Road from December 1958; along Marine Parade to Pacific Street from December 1959; and an extended circuit for select services only around Bower Avenue, Beach Road, and Marine Parade to serve the suburb of Waimairi Beach from 3 July 1961. The growing importance of New Brighton as a weekend shopping destination led to the extension of these services from North Beach to New Brighton on Saturdays from 1 June 1963.
20 Somerfield Opened: 9 September 1946 (petrol bus) The Somerfield route connected an area of housing development near Lyttelton Street to the central city and commenced service on 9 September 1946. At first buses ended their run in Rose Street but the terminus was moved on 25 November to the intersection of Barrington and Somerfield Streets. The central city terminus was located on Gloucester Street near Chancery Lane, a stop that was shared with several other routes started at around this time due to space constraints in Cathedral Square. It was not until 19 April 1952 that a stop in the Square could be allocated to the Somerfield route. Outbound services ran non-stop to
Christchurch West High School to encourage those not travelling out of the central city to use other services on account of the limited capacity of the Ford V8 buses used on this route. This measure remained in effect until the service frequency had sufficiently increased. A cross-town service was created on 19 May 1947 involving the Somerfield and St. Martins routes. Initially only in effect on weekdays because of the limited weekend services provided to Somerfield, it was increased to a full-time arrangement from 20 February 1949. The route was extended several times: first, to Hoon Hay Road from 22 June 1953 to avoid a clash with changes to the Spreydon route; next, to the intersection of Cashmere Road and Worsleys Road on 31 August 1962; and lastly, to Princess Margaret Hospital on 17 December 1984.
21 Creyke Road Opened: 9 September 1946 (diesel bus) The Creyke Road bus service served residential areas between the Fendalton and Riccarton tram routes. Starting from Gloucester Street, buses followed much of the Riccarton tramline, turning off Riccarton Road at Straven Road and eventually terminating at the intersection of Creyke Road and Ilam Road. The first stop for outbound services and the last stop for inbound services were at
Christchurch Boys' High School meaning there was no connection with the tram service. At first the timetable provided only for a daytime weekday service that did not cater for commuters. This changed when the route was linked with the Beckenham service on 12 July 1948, adding both commuter services and a late night Friday service. The starting point of the service moved from Gloucester Street to Cathedral Square in December 1958. Disappointing returns from the Creyke Road service prompted an instruction to drivers to pick up passengers along the Riccarton tram route, and later, the route was changed to use Deans Avenue and Kilmarnock Street where it was hoped to appeal to more potential passengers. Maidstone Road was constructed in 1963–64 and enabled the extension of the bus route past the
University of Canterbury and the Teachers College. Having exceeded Creyke Road as a destination, the route was renamed Avonhead to more accurately describe the area served. Further extensions were made as the community grew, eventually terminating on Woodbury Street at Mirfield Place and returning in a loop around Ansonby Street. The Avonhead and Marshland Road routes were combined during 1980–81.
22 Templeton Opened: 18 June 1918 (battery-electric bus), Q3/Q4 1920 (petrol bus), 15 June 1953 (diesel bus) The Board's first, and only, experiment with a battery-electric bus constituted their first service to Templeton, which commenced service on 18 June 1918. It was a feeder service that connected with the No. 8 Riccarton trams at the tram terminus in Sockburn via Islington and ran seven days a week. The vehicle, a Walker electric, was unreliable and often failed in service, leading to its replacement on the Templeton run in 1920 by a Garford petrol bus. The ride quality and amenities of the Garford were little better than the Walker it replaced, so in 1923 the body of the Walker was rebuilt on a
Leyland chassis, increasing its capacity and providing a much improved ride for the passengers. The Templeton route became a lucrative business for several private operators during the "bus wars" of the mid-1920s. They were able to provide a more appealing service for many passengers over those provided by the Board and the Railways Department with a direct connection between the central city and Templeton. With the passage of the Motor Omnibus Traffic Act in 1926, these operators were either driven out of business or purchased by the Board, upsetting many travellers who did not appreciate the mode change at Sockburn or the fact that through fares were not available. In October 1926 the service was put out to tender. The successful bidder took over the service on 15 November 1926, but soon discovered that a significant portion of their patronage was derived from workers at the Islington freezing works which, when out of season, considerably affected the revenue they earned. The Board therefore agreed to increase the subsidy. Weekdays through services from Templeton to Cathedral Square were trialled for a three-month period from August 1926, after which the timetable reverted to the previous feeder service. The Board reinstated them from 1 August 1930 on a select few services through to the Bridge of Remembrance as it had remained in control of the timetable. When the contract came up for renewal in October 1928, it was re-let to the same operator. W. C. Sanders took over the service in October 1930 when the contract next came up for renewal. This was not the only business Sanders had with the Board and he quickly discovered that he was unable to meet all of his obligations. The Board cancelled all of the contracts it had with him, save for his operation of the Avonside service. Under the Board's control once again, the through services were discontinued and the feeder operation was reinstated from May 1931 using two drivers previously in the employ of Sanders. After a dispute with the union, the drivers became contracted operators of the service in April 1932, being compensated on a mileage basis. The contact was renewed in June 1933. A variety of vehicles made an appearance on the Templeton service after the Walker and Garford buses. When the service was let to private operators, they used a Graham-Dodge and later a Republic, both hired from the Board. A Minerva was assigned to the route when through services were introduced to provide additional capacity. A Thornycroft, formerly in service to Inter City Motors, replaced the Minerva in 1937. When the Thornycroft had to be withdrawn in 1939 due to deficiencies identified by the Transport Department, a later model Minerva was assigned to the Templeton run. A Ford V8, the first in the Board's fleet, replaced it in 1942. As the Ford was equipped to display route numbers, it was the first to use the number 22, which had been assigned to Templeton. Direct connections to Templeton were re-established on 6 October 1947 when most weekday services terminated in the central city. Most weekend services, including all those on Sundays, remained feeders to the Riccarton trams. The through-runs operated as quasi-express services between Sockburn and the city. This remained the case until the replacement of trams on the Riccarton route with diesel buses on 15 June 1953, at which point all services terminated in the central city. Expansion of the city in the suburbs of Hornby, Islington, and Templeton in the 1950s required several modifications to the route to ensure its greatest utility to the area. For several years from April 1957 some buses ran via Blenheim Road until the Wharenui buses were extended through this area. Selected Islington services used a modified route along Waterloo and Carmen Roads from September 1957 including stops at several industrial installations for the benefit of workers in the suburbs of Sockburn and Hornby. Special services were also provided for patrons of events at the Ruapuna Speedway, and during the 1974 Commonwealth Games to Denton Park.
23 Mount Pleasant Opened: 27 November 1944 (petrol bus) The genesis of the public bus service to Mount Pleasant was a bus service that the Board was already providing for workers at the Marathon Rubber Footwear factory in Woolston. From 27 November 1944 this service was extended from the factory to the Mount Pleasant school on Major Hornbrook Road. Morning and evening return services were provided, catering for factory workers travelling from the central city and mainly shoppers during the day. Inbound services followed a route along Major Hornbrook Road, St. Andrews Hill Road, Ferry Road, Dyers Road, Linwood Avenue, and Worcester Street. Services were provided using a "square" Ford V8 that displayed the route number 3P the whole time it was assigned to the Mount Pleasant route, despite the route number 23 having been "reserved" for Mount Pleasant as far back as 1948. The AEC Mark IV Regals were the first to use route number 23. Changes to the route included an extension to Mount Pleasant Road via Belleview Terrace from 2 June 1958. It became an extension of the Sumner service in 1982, eventually adopting the route number 3G. Following the cancellation of the Woolston service in the late 1980s, Mount Pleasant buses were rerouted to serve the area with a diversion along Rutherford Street, Garlands Road, and Radley Street.
24/5S Pleasant Point/South Brighton Opened: 19 January 1925 (petrol bus), 18 October 1952 (diesel bus) Public agitation around 1919 for improved transport links to South Brighton prompted the Board to investigate its options for the area. A tramline, as an extension of the Brighton service, was considered but rejected, as was the idea of using the Walker battery-electric bus that had recently been removed from the Templeton run. The Board did undertake a one-month trial in 1923 using a Garford bus and local driver, but it made a loss and was not renewed. It was another two years before they tried again, and on 19 January 1925 a contracted feeder service connecting with the Brighton trams commenced operation using a local driver, Ern Smith. He used his own vehicle, a converted International truck, for which he was compensated on a mileage basis. The service remained a contracted operation for the next 2½ decades. Arch Lawson took over in December 1932 and, with a Willys-Knight vehicle, ran the service for the next four years. Jim McGregor successfully tendered for the service in February 1936 and used his own Packard except when demand necessitated the use of a larger vehicle on loan from the Board. By 1939 overcrowding had become a problem so the Board increased the number of services and constructed a new bus on a Ford V8 chassis with a capacity for 16 seats. It was delivered to McGregor on 11 August 1939 and he paid for it over time by not receiving a subsidy for operation of the service. Wartime restrictions on petrol resulted in the removal of all Sunday services from the timetable from March 1942. They were not reinstated until November 1943. Overloading had again become a problem by 1943 resulting in the increased use of a larger vehicle to handle the demand. McGregor had his contract extended in October 1944, giving him the certainty he needed to obtain a larger vehicle. His Ford V8 was stretched, enabling it to carry 25 passengers, and was ready in September 1945. The Board occasionally borrowed this vehicle to trial new services, and in these cases McGregor had use of one of the Board's "Square" Ford V8 buses, as he had done while his own Ford was being modified. Following concerns raised about the dearth of Sunday and evening services by the South Brighton Progress League in August 1946, the Board increased the subsidy it paid for operation of the service. Despite this, Sunday services continued to run to a summer timetable, and evening services were withdrawn after failing to attract sufficient interest. Evening services did make an appearance again in July 1949, though not as a Pleasant Point service, but instead as an extension of one of the late Wainoni services on Fridays and Saturdays. McGregor retired in January 1950, leaving the operation to his business partner, Wilf Read. On 18 June 1951 the Board assumed control of the service, having terminated the contract with Read. As the vehicle that had been used on this service belonged to the private operator, the Board decided to use a 29-seat Ford V8 from its own fleet on the route. Through services were introduced on 26 November 1951 at the behest of the Progress League, comprising morning and evening commuter services and a select few daytime services for shoppers. The Fords soon had to be replaced by
Leyland Tiger buses to cope with the demand, though the Fords continued to provide the feeder services. The withdrawal of trams from the Brighton tramline and the introduction of diesel buses to the route saw Pleasant Point services combined with those to Brighton in a new timetable, effective from 18 October 1952. As connections with trams were no longer required, the new timetable also eliminated the feeder services. Several route modifications followed to extend services to areas of new development including to the intersection of Caspian Street and Rockinghorse Road from 3 October 1960, and eventually, to the end of Rockinghorse Road. When the terminus moved beyond the Pleasant Point Domain, the route number 5S and destination South Brighton were assigned to the route. The previous route number, 24, appears to have been allocated after 1945, the route prior to this time being identified only by its destination, Pleasant Point. The route was re-designated Southshore in 1984.
24 Airport Opened: 5 January 1976 (diesel bus) Canterbury's centennial celebrations in 1950 were the first occasion on which the Board was called upon to provide services to the Airport. Demand for travel to the official function on 18 December 1950 at which the former Harewood Airport became
Christchurch International Airport exceeded the capacity of the regular airport service provided by Midland Motorways so the Board was asked to assist for the occasion. The Board's own regular service to the airport began on 5 January 1976 following the Board's acquisition of the licence for the route after Midland Motorways discontinued its own airport service. It quickly became one of the more profitable routes for the Board, justifying an increase in service frequency to 30-minute intervals after only two years. Besides local residents along the route and airport workers, air passengers were one of the biggest sources of patronage for the service. The large amount of luggage they normally had with them necessitated the use of specially adapted buses with space for luggage racks and bays. When "New" Reliance buses proved inadequate to the task, they were replaced on this route with three
AEC Swifts and a Leyland with more generous accommodation for luggage. The University of Canterbury also became an important source of passengers as the route included Riccarton and Ilam Roads.
25 Wharenui Opened: 31 December 1946 (diesel bus) New housing estates in Riccarton between Blenheim and Riccarton Roads prompted the creation of the Wharenui route, which commenced service on 30 December 1946. Buses also provided access to the industrial area off Blenheim Road and to the
Addington Railway Workshops. A small change was made in 1947 to provide better access to an area of new State housing off Wharenui Road. Initially, Wharenui was a standalone route that started from Gloucester Street until such time as it could be accommodated in Cathedral Square. From October 1955 it was linked with the Wainoni route and then from 4 September 1967 with the Burwood route. Though Riccarton Road was part of the route, the first stop for outbound services and the last stop for inbound services were in Picton Avenue meaning there was no connection with the Riccarton tramline. This issue became moot on 1 August 1960 when a route alteration diverted Wharenui buses down Deans Avenue and Blenheim Road before rejoining the old route. There were many changes to the route over the next three decades including extensions that took it well beyond Wharenui. New destinations included Curletts Road and Springs Road and after the route ended up connecting with Hornby Mall in the 1980s it was combined with existing Templeton, Lincoln, and Southbridge routes.
26 Huntsbury Opened: 13 May 1946 (diesel bus) Services to Huntsbury commenced on 13 May 1946 departing from Cathedral Square and terminating in Huntsbury Avenue. The hill section of the route included two sharp turns that the Ford V8 buses used on the route had difficulty in negotiating. Light loadings on this route only justified the provision of three commuter and a few casual traveller return services per weekday. An evening service was not added to the timetable until April 1949, and another five years before a Friday night service for shoppers was included. Numerous route changes were made as alterations to the nearby St. Martins and Beckenham routes necessitated modifications to ensure the best coverage for residents in the area. In the year from August 1957 eight trips were added to the timetable but all were eliminated in September 1958. Similarity between the Huntsbury and St. Martins routes led to the Huntsbury route becoming part of the St. Martins service on 17 December 1984. Two new route numbers were created: route 12E terminating on Centaurus Road at Vernon Terrace, and route 12F which was an extension of the 12E route by running back down Centaurus Road to Ramahana Road to join the old Huntsbury route.
27 Beckenham Opened: 12 July 1948 (diesel bus) The Beckenham service from Cathedral Square to its terminus at the south end of Birdwood Avenue commenced on 12 July 1948 as a weekday-only service to cater for those not served by either the Cashmere or St. Martins routes. It was linked with the Creyke Road route. Route alterations included a switch from Carlyle Street to Byron Street after the Waltham Road railway over bridge was built; a change in the route used by off-peak services on 16 September 1957 to follow part of the St. Martins route before rejoining the Beckenham route at Norwood Street; and a change on 26 September 1958 to the start of the route to make it run through Sydenham. Residential development in the Bowenvale Valley from the mid-1970s resulted in an extension to the Beckenham route over the bridge at the bottom of Bowenvale Avenue and including Landsdowne Terrace and Wedgewood Avenue. Weight restrictions on the bridge meant that only the Board's "Short" Reliance buses could be used and three were retained for this purpose after others in the class had been disposed of. Following the withdrawal of the remaining "Short" Reliance buses in 1981, permission was obtained to use "New" Reliance vehicles with seated passengers only. Strengthening work carried out on the bridge in 1986 enabled the restrictions to be rescinded. When the link with the Creyke Road service was removed, the Beckenham route was linked for a short time with an Avonside service before being combined with the Bromley service in the 1980s.
28 Lyttelton Opened: 28 February 1964 (diesel bus) Prior to its regular Lyttelton services, the Board ran tourist services over the Port Hills via Sumner. In 1950, it also provided special services to transport people to Lyttelton for the Canterbury Centennial celebrations that included a re-enactment of the arrival of the first settlers. Buses were required to augment the capacity of the trains that were also used to bring revellers to the festivities. The Lyttelton road tunnel was opened on 27 February 1964 and the Board's buses were used to convey visitors to the official ceremony. Timetabled services began the following day. The more direct route of the bus service from Cathedral Square along High Street and Ferry Road proved too popular for the Railways Department's Lyttelton passenger service to compete, leading to the cancellation of these trains in 1972. This enabled the Board to have its licence for the Lyttelton route changed to follow a path more closely aligned to the rail line and to serve areas near the railway stations. The similarity of the new Lyttelton route to the existing Opawa route was such that the two routes were eventually combined. In Lyttelton, buses were always run around the block of Dublin, London, and Oxford Streets to Norwich Quay to avoid the need to reverse buses on Lyttelton's steep streets. Some buses connected with the
Diamond Harbour ferry at the jetty. Tolls were payable by all vehicles using the road tunnel, including the Board's buses, and this cost was passed on to passengers. Drivers handed over pre-paid tickets at the tollbooth to use the tunnel and passengers were issued with a separate ticket on purchase of a fare for a Lyttelton bus to cover the toll. This extra charge had been incorporated into the regular fares by June 1965 and the toll tickets were thereafter only used with special tickets. After the commencement of the Board's Airport service in 1976, the Lyttelton and Airport routes were linked to form a combined service. The Board acquired the Governors Bay service from
Railways Road Services in November 1982. In keeping with the existing Lyttelton service, it became a commuter service with a once-a-week extra service for casual travellers.
29 Parklands The Parklands service was created to cater for travellers to Christchurch's northeastern suburbs following a redesign of the bus route network in 1984. It replaced services that previously terminated in, or passed through, Wainoni.
30 & 31 Seaside Specials Opened: 22 December 1984 (diesel bus) New Brighton used to attract people from across the city on Saturdays to take advantage of the fact that it was the only place in Christchurch where shops traded in the weekend. To cater for the demand, two services were run on Saturdays in addition to the regular Brighton service: route 30, bringing in people from the suburbs of
Bishopdale, Papanui, St. Albans,
Mairehau, Shirley, Burwood, and North Beach, and route 31, for people from Spreydon, Sydenham, St. Martins, Linwood, Wainoni, and
Bexley. As weekend trading was extended, and later included Sunday trading, Brighton lost its appeal as a shopping destination and the services were discontinued. == Vehicles ==