AUTOCARS POULAT - DRIOT
69440 MORNANT
Société Anonyme with a capital of
125,000 NF in 1961, 150,000 in 1970
RC Lyon 55B818
We left Marius Jasserand in 1952, selling his business to Poulat-Driot (qv).
To save the reader looking it up, here again is the description of what was sold. It takes account of what Marius was actually running in 1952, and of what Poulat-Driot would be entitled to run under the new Rhône département transport plan which was coming into force in 1953.
A route from TALUYERS to LYON via Sept Chemins and Orliénas.
Rights in 1952 – 4 returns daily (extension to Mornant possible on Fridays). No local traffic on the section St. Genis Laval to Lyon (protocol of 28/04/39).
Rights applicable from 01/01/53 – three daily returns on weekdays, 4 on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
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The population of Taluyers in 1954 was 671. The photo of the church is
included to please the writer – it is where he was married in 1973.
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Rights in 1952 – 7 inward, 8 outward journeys on weekdays; 11 inward, 13 outward journeys on Sundays. No local traffic on the section Craponne to Lyon (Contract 28/06/39)
Rights applicable from 01/01/53 – weekdays : 3 trips Mornant – Lyon, 2 trips Soucieu – Lyon, 1 trip Brindas – Lyon, 5 trips Lyon – Mornant, 1 trip Lyon – Soucieu. On Sundays 3 returns Mornant – Lyon, 2 returns Soucieu – Lyon.
A route from MORNANT to LYON via Brignais
Rights in 1952 – 7 returns daily of which 5 authorised to pick up passengers at Sept Chemins, and 2/3 authorised to pick up passengers at Soucieu. No local traffic on the section St. Genis Laval – Lyon (protocol 28/04/39)
Rights applicable from 01/01/53 – Weekdays – 6 journeys Mornant – Lyon (4 via Sept Chemins, 2 via Soucieu), 4 journeys Lyon – Mornant (2 via Sept Chemins, 2 via Soucieu), 1 journey Lyon – Soucieu.
Sundays – 4 Journeys Mornant – Lyon, (3 via Sept Chemins, 1 via Soucieu); 5 journeys Lyon – Mornant (3 via Soucieu, 2 via Sept Chemins).
A route from MESSIMY to VAUGNERAY – 1 return on Tuesdays (authorisation 03/04/47)
A market service - RONTALON – LE PINAY – MORNANT – 1 return 1st Friday of the month (authorisation 23/06/49)
Extension of LYON – MORNANT to ST. SORLIN – 1 return on Thursdays plus one return on Sundays during the summer (authorisation 03/04/52).
Vehicles included in the sale were (including estimated value in francs):
2501X69 Berliet PCH 19hp 500,000
2502X69 Berliet PCK7 19hp 1,000,000
2504X69 Chausson APH 15hp 2,000,000
2505X69 Berliet PCH 19hp 500,000
2506X69 Berliet PCH 19hp 500,000
2507X69 Berliet PCH 19hp 500,000
2509X69 Saurer 3CT1D 21hp 2,700,000
4253X69 Chausson APH 15hp 2,000,000
586V69 Berliet GDSL12 23hp 800,000 possibly 586Y69 see below
2793AA69 Citroën 7 45 12hp 1,300,000
Who were the new owners? Claudius Poulat had been a baker in Givors, but health problems led him to abandon that trade. He had no knowledge of the transport industry but needed to make a living. He was probably influenced by the fact that his wife’s cousin, Eugène Driot, already operated a route in the Loire from St. Sigolène to St. Etienne. They formed an association and the Société Poulat Driot took over on 01/01/1953.
Marcel Claudius Poulat born 07/03/1907 in Givors, address 36 rue Roget Salengro, Givors
Eugène Driot born 07/11/1922 in St. Sigolène, Haute Loire, address St Sigolène, Haute Loire.
The company continued to operate from the existing premises in Mornant and Lyon.
Claude Poulat must have learned quickly, because the business never employed any administrative staff. All paperwork was done by the family.
1953
One vehicle, recorded by the gendarmerie on 5 June when it was stopped and controlled, was 586Y69, a Berliet. But in general, the company later modernized the fleet by buying Saviems, 12 in all.
The company was authorized to run an additional timing on the Mornant Brindas Lyon route on summer Sundays – this ran Messimy 21.00 - Brindas 21.05 - Lyon 21.35, returning from Lyon at 22.00 to reach Mornant at 22.55.
1957
There was a sad accident with the death of a driver, René Boyer, when his bus collided with a lorry carrying gas bottles that rolled on to the cab.
In the same year, a 750m² depot was built, with two repair pits: this subsequently became a Casino superette.
1959
Brindas wanted an extra timing. The company replied that, being unable to modify the existing timings to the satisfaction of the Mairie, it would be necessary to create an additional journey. This would entail employing an extra driver at a cost of 6,000 Francs per day. Was the commune willing to pay the bill? The prefecture asked the company to re-calculate the additional costs. The file ends there!
1960
In response to requests for improvements on Lyon-Mornant, it was authorised that the duplicate bus on the 18.45 weekday departure would be cancelled, and the vehicle used instead on an 18.15 Mon to Fri departure which would run Lyon-Brignais-Orliénas-St. Laurent d’Agny-Mornant, but to avoid competition with other existing services, would run non-stop between Lyon and Orliénas. This would begin in April on a trial basis, with the results to be reviewed on 15 June. In fact the bus ran almost empty, so the alternative solution became an 18.30 departure arriving at Mornant about 19.10 and replacing the 18.45. To satisfy all operators and passengers, it was finally agreed, that the 18.15 and 18.45 departures would be replaced by two departures at 18.35, one reserved for passengers travelling beyond Brignais.
It was noted in 1961 that the Lyon-Brignais corridor had 15 departures on weekdays between 17.00 and 19.25 – 8 by Transports Citroën, 3 by Poulat and 4 by Balaye (Les Cars Lyonnais).
Also in 1960 the Messimy to Vaugneray market service was discontinued from 15 March for lack of patronage.
1969
In 1969 it was the turn of the Rontalon market service to disappear, for lack of clientele. An intended check by the authorities on 5 December 1969 was abandoned – the minibus could not operate because of snow and ice! But the gendarmerie confirmed there were never more than 5 passengers – inhabitants took their cars!
1970
Les Cars Lyonnais and Poulat-Driot merged. Or rather Poulat Driot was taken over!
The assets of Poulat-Driot were valued at 874,395.15 FRF, the liabilities at 104,395.15 FRF, figures undoubtedly “massaged” to produce a net value of 770.000 FRF.
Les Cars Lyonnais increased its capital by 720,000 FRF and issued 4,000 new shares of 180 FRF each. Each Poulat-Driot shareholder received 5 Cars Lyonnais shares for every 2 Poulat-Driot he held.
1971
The change in operator name made it necessary for school contracts to be retendered. Concerned in 1971 were:
Orliénas to Mornant – 65 schoolchildren – 434,60 FRF - Bruyas offer 441,54 FRF
Soucieu to Mornant – 61 – 402,27 FRF – Bruyas ofer 403,28 FRF
Circuit Hameaux de Chaussan – 18 – 1,230 FRF – no other offer
Circuit Hameaux de St Maurice sur Dargoire -26 – 851,54 FRF – no other offer
Noted above are the new offer of Cars Lyonnais, followed by competing offers (average annual cost in FRF per student)
After the sale, Claudius, still in poor health, retired. His son, Jean, followed an entirely different career, setting up a business close to Lyon producing road signs.
In the modern era, Les Cars Lyonnais, which by successive takeovers has now become Transdev Rhône-Alpes Interurbain, still operates the backbone of these routes, in the form of:
114 Oullins – Taluyers – Mornant
133 Taluyers - Givors
Clive
D’EATH - 03/04/2018
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