Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-27
HIGHWAY DEVELOPMENT
BRINGS NEW ERA TO BUS
Motor Transportation Once Confined
to Cities Now Traverses Nation
Aiding Rural Progress.

tire distance to Paris. These have
proved exceptionally popular among
tourists as well as other travellers
who are not In too great a hurry. This
route skirts the western end of the
Alps. going through some of the most
delightful country of the republic.
Nice. with its thousands of Winter
visitors: Avignon, with It's ancient
papal palace; tho Grande Chartreuse,
famed for its massive beauty;
Chamonix, the gathering point for
Alpinists; Geneva, lying on beautiful
Lac Leman, an international city
crowded with diplomats: and then on
up through the Jura range. All OF
this country is counted among the
most beautiful in France. and each
year sees additional routes estab-
lished, as well as additional machines
placed on the already-existing routes.
Alpine Pass Routes.
Bus service in Switzerland, across
the Alpine passes. steadily is increas-
ing. In that country most of the
busses are operated by the postal au-
| thorities, carrying both mail and
passengers. They charge by the kilo-
meter and operate on regular sched-
| uleS- The roads are in excellent con-
| dition and the service across most
or the passes Is frequent. Although
switzerland has the rule OF driving to
the right. automobiles passing the
postal busses must pass these on the
outside of the road. regardless OF
whether 1t is to the right or left. no
as to avoid the possibility of the large
machines getting out of control and
possibly crashing down the side of
1 the mountain.
Germany also has established large
number of bus routes, some open only
during the Summer, others running
all year. Here they are handled both
by the postal authorities and private
companies. The roads in Germany are
in excellent condition, thus providing
an easy and comfortable journey to
those who prefer motor transportation
to steam.
During the past several years trans.
portatlon by bus in Germany has adj
vanced rapidly. This mode of convey.
ance was introduced before the war,
but at the outbreak Of the conflict was
suspended because much of the gaso-
line supply was diverted to military
uses. BY 1924 there were only about
1000 such vehicles back in use, most
or them being used in Berlin for city
transportation. The year 1925, how.
ever, saw an increase of 100 per cent.
During 1925 this number was further
augmented, so that now there prob
ably are considerably more than 1000
buses. in use In Germany.
| The development of this type of
travel in Scandinavian countries has
been progressing rapidly. Both Sweden
and Norway have extensive bus serv-
Ices In their major cities and there are
number of cross-country routes that
are widely used.
Development Handicapped.
Holland and Belgium also have de-
veloped this type of transportation to
a considerable extent. Holland has
more than 1000 buses in use and Bel.
GUM an additional 1000.
While the number of motor buses
In use appears to be small, 1t must be
remembered that European countries
are all pierced with a fine network OF
railways going to practically every
town, thus making it very difficult for
1ntercity bus transportation to get a
start. The comparative size of popu-
lation also must be taken into account
The countries in which notorious
transportation perhaps is least devel,
oped are Spain. Portugal and Italy.
These nations are hampered by the
lack OF good roads. Recent budgets,
however, contain provisions for large
expenditures for highway improve.
ment and construction, and during the
next decade rapid expansion in this
means of transportation may be an
ticipated
Eastern European countries, because
of the economic situation of so many
persons and generally poor roads, have
not taken to notorious transportation,
except in the large cities. Thus Ru-
mania. Greece, Poland, Bulgaria, as
well as the Baltic states, have some
motor busses in use, but they are rela-
lively few in number, being confined
to such cities as Bucharest, Athens,
Sofia, Warsaw, Libau and others
Roads in the rural districts of these
countries are in very poor condition
and travel generally is light.
The roads of western Europe are in
excellent condition for automobile
traffic, and an expansion in intercity
and intracountry bus service is ex.
pected during the next few years.