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Hermanus station - 75 years of road transport

Wednesday, 20 August 2014
Author: Jeanette
Page Views: 14114

1912-1987

In commemoration of the introduction of the road transportation service be tween Botriver and Hermanus on 23 December 1912.

At the turn of the century, the subject most frequently discussed way engineers and officers entrusted with the commercial development of the (old) SAR and H, was standard branch lines, versus narrow gauge lines,(also called "cheap" or "pioneer" railways.)

Between 1905 -1908 another form of transport entered this conversation topic, i.e. road transportation. Shortly after his appointment as General Manager of the SAR and H in 1910, Sir William Hoy investigated the possibility of introducing a road transportation network as feeder lines for the railway system of South Africa. The results of a similar operation in England were so encouraging that in less than 18 months after he took control of the SAR, a fully operational road service between Bot River and Hermanus came into being.

From this small beginning a giant national system arose which, at its peak, served the remotest corners of South Africa, bringing the products of agriculture and industry into the homes of all South Africans.

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Ter herdenking aan die in stelling van die padmotor diens tussen botrivier en botrivier op 23 desember 1912.

Aan die begin van hierdie eeu was die kwessie van standaard taklyne teenoor smalspoorlyne (oak bekend as "goed koop" of "pionier" -spoorwee), die mees algemene besprekingspunt tussen spoorwegingenieurs en amptenare belas met die ekonomiese ontwikkeling van die (au) SAS en H.

Tussen 1905-1908 het n6g 'n vervoer middel die gespreksfront betree, nl. padvervoer. Kart na sy aanstelling as Hoofbestuurder van die SAS en H in
1910 het Sir William Hoy die moontlikheid ondersoek om 'n hele netwerk van padvervoerdienste in te stel om as voedingsare vir die spoor wegstelsel van Suid-Afrika te dien. Die resultate van 'n soortgelyke bedryf in Engeland was s6 bemoedigend dat binne 18 maande na Sir William se aanstelling 'n ten valle toegeruste
diens tussen Botrivier en Hermanus in gebruik geneem is.

Uit hierdie nederige begin het 'n reuse nasionale padvervoerstelsel gegroei
wat, op sy kruin, die verste uithoeke van
Suid-Afrika bedien het en daarmee die landbou- en nywerheidsprodukte tot binne-in die huise van alle Suid Afrikaners gebring het.

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