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The first regular urban bus service that was established in Madrid was provided by the General Bus Company of Madrid (SGAM) with a concession from the City Council. Inaugurated the first line in October of 1922 using initially 50 buses Tilling Stevens of a floor.
The service was far from being a success. The Society neither brought the 107 buses committed (only brought 50) nor put into service the regular lines contracted, while it was dedicated to provide special services and organize excursions. The business did not work and the Company went through several crises, with change of Director included. The City Council approves the change of bus model, and the Society brings 110 De Dion Bouton cars from a flat that enter into service in October 1924; and reorganize the services.
But in January of 1925 the SGAM makes a suicidal decision: it reduces the rates in lines coinciding with the Metro and the trams. Twelve months later the SGAM throws in the towel, ruined. The situation is progressively worse, and the SGAM ceases to serve in February 1927.
This is the complete PDF text of my study on the General Bus Society of Madrid.
There is a news filmed by British Pathé of the coming of the first expedition of Tilling Stevens buses (manufactured in Maidstone), which ends with images of October 8, 1922, of the premiere of the buses in a service to the Plaza de Toros.
A prayer. In those years, motorsport magazines were published in which there were reports of registered vehicles, with the expression of the license plate, the owner and the brand of the vehicle. If anyone knows of such a magazine that has published these data in the years 1922, 1923 and 1924, please let me know in order to prepare the list of license plates of the 160 buses (and a truck) that formed the park of the SGAM .
