THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE 'SELNEC' AREA

When people look back at the existence of the SELNEC PTE between 1st November 1969 and 31st March l974, they very much associate the term SELNEC and the area of South East Lancashire/North East Cheshire with the bus operating company.

However, it was known that there would be local Government reorganisation on 1st April 1974, and this would incorporate four regions of the Country. The area round the North West was to become SELNEC, the Liverpool area was to become Merseyside, Newcastle area was to become Tyne and Wear and the Birmingham area was to become West Midlands.

However, because of the integrated appropriation of transport systems brought about by the Transport Act of 1968 required PTE's to be set up in 1969, in advance of the 1974 local Government re-organisation. The PTE's, therefore, were named to tie in with local government re-organisation which was to follow five years later.

What people fail to remember is that the name SELNEC was not unique to the bus company, but was to be the name of the Metropolitan Borough area from 1st April 1974 onwards and the only reason the PTE, formed in 1969 was called SELNEC PTE, was that this was to be the SELNEC area, South East Lancashire/North East Cheshire.

Consequently, the name SELNEC, although now unique to the bus company, was intended to be the name used for the entire area, and had it not been changed to Greater Manchester on 1st April 1974, being Greater Manchester Borough Council and Greater Manchester PTE, then we would have seen SELNEC Metropolitan Borough Council, SELNEC Fire Engines, SELNEC Ambulances, SELNEC Police Force, etc.

This is forgotten nowadays, because these organisations are reflected in the name Greater Manchester as was the transport operation, particularly with the late change of boundaries, incorporating Wigan, etc. Hence, SELNEC was not intended to be title used by the bus company only, but by the entire area. However, as things turned out, only the PTE and the bus companies ever had use of the name.

Interestingly, whilst SELNEC PTE operated, between 1st November 1969 and 31st March 1974, they also oversaw the very first operation of all-over advert buses in the area, being a new phenomenon - the first vehicle being Barclaycard EX20, followed very quickly by two Mancunians, Yellow Pages 2274 and Manchester Evening News 2284.

One of the very earliest of the all-over advert buses, the sixth produced, was SELNEC Standard 7286 (WWH 51L) from the Northern Region depicted in an interesting design of white and coloured livery in respect of the 1973 Festival of Manchester.

The Manchester Festival had a wavy 'M' symbol to represent it, which became developed into the end symbol used by Greater Manchester Transport upon its formation on 1st April 1974, and the Festival advert bus, 7206, showed an early version of this wavy 'M'.

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