'President' - king of the road

[Tuff Gong]

Herbert Clive Forbes, otherwise known as...ildhood friend.



<span style="font-style: italic">Nackeshia Tomlinson, Gleaner Writer</span>

KNOXWOOD, St Elizabeth:THE GLEANER first spotted 'President' on the Newmarket road on one of its daily trips from Knoxwood to Montego Bay. 'President' is the name that is given to a 23-year-old Tata bus that was made in India with a four-level Leyland engine, six-speed gearbox, air brakes, cargo type-back end, and is diesel-oil operated.

When it was first seen, this mobile relic was reminiscent of a stereotypical market image, where the heavily laden market bus passes by the pedestrians, leaving them in a cloud of dust.

[Gen]

Re: 'President' - king of the road

baxfoot dem breed a bus still deh pan the road

a think a ride pan one a dem country bus yah <span style="font-weight: bold">one time</span>, probably from buff bay to st margerets bay.

<span style="font-style: italic">memories</span>

[jah_yout]

Re: 'President' - king of the road

whatever happened to the legendary edgewater bus

[j-kid]

Re: 'President' - king of the road

Also a bad memory to people who were getting robbed on individual franchised public buses in Kingston.

[Tuff Gong]

Re: 'President' - king of the road

I have ridden on a country bus a few times in within Kingston, coming from school.
It was not even on my route, I took the long way home so I could exprience the El Paso and the King Alphanso.
When I had a girl in Portland I went to visit her and rode the bus once. Other times I took the train.

[Peasie]

Re: 'President' - king of the road

I loved this story

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Vikki Psalms, who has been travelling on the bus for more than 20 years, said she remembers the bus at the height of its operations.

&quot;From mi a travel wid him, it neva lef wi a road yet.&quot; Psalms said. &quot;If Tata stop run, wi haffi stop go a market cause the other likkle bus nah carry dem deh basket. So a only it wi have fi depend on.&quot;</div></div>

[Tuff Gong]

Re: 'President' - king of the road

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Peasie</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I loved this story

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Vikki Psalms, who has been travelling on the bus for more than 20 years, said she remembers the bus at the height of its operations.

&quot;From mi a travel wid him, it neva lef wi a road yet.&quot; Psalms said. &quot;If Tata stop run, wi haffi stop go a market cause the other likkle bus nah carry dem deh basket. So a only it wi have fi depend on.&quot;</div></div> </div></div>

Yeah I loved it as well.
There is now more man have cyar, but while there is plenty, it is not necessarily the right type of vehicles (or at least the types we should encourage).

[Peasie]

Re: 'President' - king of the road

Good times. Good times.

Some of the comments from The Gleaner mentioned other buses with names such as:

Spotlight
Treasure Girl
Ambassador
EverReady
King Alphonso
Stream in the Valley
Enterprise
Pen Overland

Remember the sign on the back of the bus?

<span style="font-size: 14pt">Caution Air Brakes</span>

[Tuff Gong]

Re: 'President' - king of the road

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Peasie</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Good times. Good times.

Some of the comments from The Gleaner mentioned other buses with names such as:

Spotlight
Treasure Girl
Ambassador
EverReady
King Alphonso
Stream in the Valley
Enterprise
Pen Overland

Remember the sign on the back of the bus?

<span style="font-size: 14pt">Caution Air Brakes</span> </div></div>

LOL...Light Brigade was another.

The war for speed was between Penn Overland Transport, National and Porteus.
Some of the names above were owned by these lines others were inependent.
I don't remember now who owned what buses.
In the early days the chassis were imported and the bodies built in Jamaica.
It was facinating to see a bus or a market truck being built from ground up.

[RichD]

Re: 'President' - king of the road

in my area Confidence and Bugle boy were two

[Peasie]

Re: 'President' - king of the road

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tuff Gong</div><div class="ubbcode-body">In the early days the chassis were imported and the bodies built in Jamaica.It was fascinating to see a bus or a market truck being built from ground up.
</div></div>

I did not know that they built the bodies in Jamaica. I would love to have seen that!

[RichD]

Re: 'President' - king of the road

wooden frames

if yuh think about it you would never ride in dem

[Peasie]

Re: 'President' - king of the road

Wood frame?

I remember driving behind them over Mount Diablo. An when dem pap a cawnah, di bus frame go one way an di chassis go anneddah way.

Di basket dem did tie down good good doah

[RichD]

Re: 'President' - king of the road

i used to love stan up in the doorway an hang out...is jus luck me wi survive childhood.

[Peasie]

Re: 'President' - king of the road

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RichD</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i used to love stan up in the doorway an hang out...is jus luck me wi survive childhood. </div></div>



but mi notice how dose hanging out would balance di bus round di cawnah dem

di safest place on di bus must have been in the seat between two market ladies Dem battams was air bag and seat belt.