City of Oxford Motor Services uniform overcoat
This City of Oxford Motor Services tan coloured uniform overcoat with half belt, silver buttons and red collar and cuffs, was worn by bus conductor Mr. Alfred T. Tappin in the 1950s. The red parts of the coat matched the colours of the Oxford bus company, but also meant that the bus crew’s hand signals were easily seen by other drivers. The material is heavy duty to allow for the wear and tear of travel in all weathers.
The City of Oxford Motor Services began as the Tramways Company in 1879 and eventually started motor bus operations in Oxford in 1913. After the First World War, the company’s bus services began to cover a wider area and in the 1930s depots were established at key points where drivers and conductors could be based, including Stokenchurch, Bicester and Thame. However, by the 1950s, more families had their own cars and the number of bus passengers declined, so bus companies switched to driver only operations to save costs.