Postbus
Encyclopedia
A postbus is a public bus service that is operated as part of local mail delivery. As a means to provide public transport in rural areas with lower levels of patronage where a normal bus service is uneconomic Postbus services are run by the postal delivery company and combine the functions of public transport and mail delivery/collection. A standard passenger fare is payable to the driver/postie
.
, the postbus system is known as Postbus.
started in the days of Austria-Hungary
, in 1908. The first lines were Pardubice
– Bohdaneč
(11 km, 64 minuts) and Pardubice
– Holice
, other lines came later. In 1914, bus transport in Bohemia, Moravia
and Slovakia
consisted of 23 lines in all, at which operated 33 postbuses and 13 private buses. During the World War I, bus transport was interrupted, vehicles were requisitioned by the army and rebuild to trucks.
Since 1918, post bus transport continued in Czechoslovakia
. The post transport had its main base place at Citadela, a former army depot in Vyšehrad
, Prague, and in 1926 it had 216 buses in the whole Czechoslovakia. In 1927, the Citadela base with many equipment and material was burned by fire. The second main base place was built in Vršovice
, Prague (currently Veolia Transport
resides there). In 1927 the Czechoslovak state railway company ČSD
began its state bus lines but the post lines continued. In 1933-1934 state postbus lines were transferred and merged with railway bus lines into ČSD railway company.
themselves in their own buses and livery
. As Postens Diligenstrafik (lit. the Post's stagecoach
traffic) between the years 1923-1991. In 1991 this became a part of the Swebus
company. Nowadays it's handled by the local councils
own public transportation buses by appointment of the postal service. Due to deregulation
s since the early 1990s some lines are run as public service obligation
s by private contractors. In addition to that there is an association of local bus companies called Bussgods. Which works as a courier
for bulkier goods between bus stop
s and/or terminals
. Unlike the British postbuses these vehicles are built on full-size coaches
chassis with a box body
and a tail lift
in the rear end. This to accommodate heavier goods and even pallet
s sent along with the mail. This unusual truck/bus combination is nicknamed "Skvader
".
In Switzerland
, the postbus system is known as Postauto in German, Car postal in French and Autopostale in Italian. Although the combination of mail and passenger transportation had been self-evident in the past, the needs of each diverged towards the end of the twentieth century, when the conveyance of parcels was progressively separated from public transportation. This was also so on private bus and rail lines. This division became official with the conversion of Swiss PostBus Ltd into an independent subsidiary of the Swiss Post
. The company operates 798 bus lines with 1,995 buses in Switzerland, transporting over 100 million passengers annually on its 10,363 km long network.
began in 1967 to replace rapidly declining local bus and rail services in rural areas and provide a community service. As of 2006 more than 200 services are operated by Royal Mail, often only once or twice a day but in some areas are the only form of public transport available. Key areas include the Yorkshire Dales
and South West Scotland.
In April 2009 the Royal Mail chose to end their post-bus services in much of the Scottish Highlands and Islands
region. Five "unprofitable" routes were cancelled. The move proved very unpopular with campaigners. Discussions between the Highland Council and Royal Mail broke down after the Royal Mail refused to respond to the Highland Council's emails. The services have currently been replaced by a service operated by Stagecoach
.
Mail carrier
A mail carrier, mailman, postal carrier, postman, postwoman , postman/postwoman , letter carrier or postie is an employee of the post office or postal service, who delivers mail and parcel post to residences and businesses...
.
Austria
In AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, the postbus system is known as Postbus.
Czechoslovakia
The first post bus lines in BohemiaBohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
started in the days of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
, in 1908. The first lines were Pardubice
Pardubice
Pardubice is the capital city of the Pardubice Region and lies on the river Elbe, 65 miles east of Prague. Pardubice has an antique centre square and old town, with many restaurants that stay open until late in the evening. There is an old Tower and a recently renovated Castle...
– Bohdaneč
Bohdanec
Bohdaneč is a village in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It is in the district of Kutná Hora, between the towns of Ledeč nad Sázavou and Zruč nad Sázavou....
(11 km, 64 minuts) and Pardubice
Pardubice
Pardubice is the capital city of the Pardubice Region and lies on the river Elbe, 65 miles east of Prague. Pardubice has an antique centre square and old town, with many restaurants that stay open until late in the evening. There is an old Tower and a recently renovated Castle...
– Holice
Holice
Holice can refer to* Holice, a town in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic* Holice, Dunajská Streda, a village in the Trnava Region of Slovakia)...
, other lines came later. In 1914, bus transport in Bohemia, Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
and Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
consisted of 23 lines in all, at which operated 33 postbuses and 13 private buses. During the World War I, bus transport was interrupted, vehicles were requisitioned by the army and rebuild to trucks.
Since 1918, post bus transport continued in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. The post transport had its main base place at Citadela, a former army depot in Vyšehrad
Vyšehrad
Vyšehrad is a castle located in the city of Prague, Czech Republic. It was probably built in the 10th century, on a hill over the Vltava River...
, Prague, and in 1926 it had 216 buses in the whole Czechoslovakia. In 1927, the Citadela base with many equipment and material was burned by fire. The second main base place was built in Vršovice
Vršovice
Vršovice is a district of Prague. All of Vršovice lies within the Prague 10 administrative district. Vršovice is located south of the city centre. It borders Vinohrady to the north, Nusle to the south-west, Michle to the south and Strašnice to the east....
, Prague (currently Veolia Transport
Veolia Transport
Veolia Transport is the international transport services division of the French-based multinational company Veolia Environnement...
resides there). In 1927 the Czechoslovak state railway company ČSD
CSD
CSD may refer to:*Cali Swag District*California School for the Deaf*Cambridge Structural Database*Canonical signed digit*Canteen Stores Department *Canteen Stores Department *Carbonated Soft Drink*Cat scratch disease...
began its state bus lines but the post lines continued. In 1933-1934 state postbus lines were transferred and merged with railway bus lines into ČSD railway company.
Germany
In Germany, the postbus system existed until May 1985 and was known as Kraftpost.Sweden
In some parts of rural Sweden, especially the sparsely populated northern inland mail is delivered by bus. Formerly this service was handled by the postal servicePosten (Sweden)
Posten AB is the name of the Swedish postal service. The word "posten" means "the post" or "the mail" in Swedish.Posten was established in 1636 by Axel Oxenstierna under the name Kungliga Postverket , although its origins can be traced further back, and it was operated as a government agency into...
themselves in their own buses and livery
Livery
A livery is a uniform, insignia or symbol adorning, in a non-military context, a person, an object or a vehicle that denotes a relationship between the wearer of the livery and an individual or corporate body. Often, elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or corporate body feature in...
. As Postens Diligenstrafik (lit. the Post's stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
traffic) between the years 1923-1991. In 1991 this became a part of the Swebus
Swebus
Nobina Sverige , part of Nobina Ltd, is the leading Swedish bus company, with 8,700 employees, 3,000 buses, and net sales of 327 million euro...
company. Nowadays it's handled by the local councils
County Councils of Sweden
A county council, or landsting, is an elected assembly of a county in Sweden. A county council is a political entity, elected by the county electorate and typically its main responsibilities lie within the public health care system. In each county there is also a county administrative board which...
own public transportation buses by appointment of the postal service. Due to deregulation
Deregulation
Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or...
s since the early 1990s some lines are run as public service obligation
Public Service Obligation
In transport, public service obligation or PSO is an arrangement in which a governing body or other authority offers an auction for subsidies, permit the winning company a monopoly to operate a specified service of public transport for a specified period of time for the given subsidy...
s by private contractors. In addition to that there is an association of local bus companies called Bussgods. Which works as a courier
Courier
A courier is a person or a company who delivers messages, packages, and mail. Couriers are distinguished from ordinary mail services by features such as speed, security, tracking, signature, specialization and individualization of express services, and swift delivery times, which are optional for...
for bulkier goods between bus stop
Bus stop
A bus stop is a designated place where buses stop for passengers to board or leave a bus. These are normally positioned on the highway and are distinct from off-highway facilities such as bus stations. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage...
s and/or terminals
Bus terminus
A bus terminus is a designated place where a bus or coach starts or ends its scheduled route. The terminus is the designated place that a timetable is timed from. Termini can be located at bus stations, interchanges, bus garages or simple bus stops. Termini can both start and stop at the same...
. Unlike the British postbuses these vehicles are built on full-size coaches
Coach (vehicle)
A coach is a large motor vehicle, a type of bus, used for conveying passengers on excursions and on longer distance express coach scheduled transport between cities - or even between countries...
chassis with a box body
Box truck
A box truck, also known as a cube truck, cube van, bob truck, box van, or straight truck, is a truck with a cuboid-shaped cargo area.-Road vehicles:...
and a tail lift
Tail lift
A tail lift is a mechanical device permanently fitted to the back of van or lorry, which is designed to facilitate the materials handling of goods from ground level or a loading dock to the level of the load bed of the vehicle, or vice versa....
in the rear end. This to accommodate heavier goods and even pallet
Pallet
A pallet , sometimes called a skid, is a flat transport structure that supports goods in a stable fashion while being lifted by a forklift, pallet jack, front loader or other jacking device. A pallet is the structural foundation of a unit load which allows handling and storage efficiencies...
s sent along with the mail. This unusual truck/bus combination is nicknamed "Skvader
Skvader
The skvader is a Swedish fictional creature that was constructed in 1918 by the taxidermist Rudolf Granberg and is permanently displayed at the museum at Norra Berget in Sundsvall. It has the forequarters and hindlegs of a hare , and the back, wings and tail of a female wood grouse...
".
Switzerland
In Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, the postbus system is known as Postauto in German, Car postal in French and Autopostale in Italian. Although the combination of mail and passenger transportation had been self-evident in the past, the needs of each diverged towards the end of the twentieth century, when the conveyance of parcels was progressively separated from public transportation. This was also so on private bus and rail lines. This division became official with the conversion of Swiss PostBus Ltd into an independent subsidiary of the Swiss Post
Swiss Post
Swiss Post is the postal service of Switzerland. A public company owned by the Swiss Confederation, it is the country's second largest employer...
. The company operates 798 bus lines with 1,995 buses in Switzerland, transporting over 100 million passengers annually on its 10,363 km long network.
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom postbus services by Royal MailRoyal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
began in 1967 to replace rapidly declining local bus and rail services in rural areas and provide a community service. As of 2006 more than 200 services are operated by Royal Mail, often only once or twice a day but in some areas are the only form of public transport available. Key areas include the Yorkshire Dales
Yorkshire Dales
The Yorkshire Dales is the name given to an upland area in Northern England.The area lies within the historic county boundaries of Yorkshire, though it spans the ceremonial counties of North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Cumbria...
and South West Scotland.
In April 2009 the Royal Mail chose to end their post-bus services in much of the Scottish Highlands and Islands
Highlands and Islands
The Highlands and Islands of Scotland are broadly the Scottish Highlands plus Orkney, Shetland and the Hebrides.The Highlands and Islands are sometimes defined as the area to which the Crofters' Act of 1886 applied...
region. Five "unprofitable" routes were cancelled. The move proved very unpopular with campaigners. Discussions between the Highland Council and Royal Mail broke down after the Royal Mail refused to respond to the Highland Council's emails. The services have currently been replaced by a service operated by Stagecoach
Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
.