Autocars Louis Traquelet
10 rue Clapisson, 69240 THIZY
Louis Traquelet, born on 27/03/21 at Commelle Vernay (42).
THIZY - rue de Bazin
The small town of THIZY is in the far north-western corner of the Rhône département, on a corridor that takes you from L’Arbresle to the Loire town of Roanne, only 23kms away. As the photo shows, the area is hilly and grey, a textile producing area that has suffered decline for years. The population of Thizy has fallen from 3,658 in 1946 to 2,455 in 2006, whilst Roanne, 44,518 inhabitants in 1946, had only 34,830 in 2015. Most routes cross département borders, meaning that authorisations had to be obtained from 2 Comité Techniques Départementaux.
And in general, this is a file where there are numerous complaints and denunciations of operators by the travelling public and by competing businesses. You will already have come across the name of Traquelet and other operators mentioned in the text, if you have read the study of Autocars BUCHET. Les Bus Thizerots also featured in ‘Charge Utile’ magazine, n° 261 in 2014.
The route from Villers to Cours
On 05/05/1964 Traquelet purchased the rights
of Marius BROSSE, based at Villers (Loire), for routes from Villers to
Charlieu via Jarnosse and Chandon (1 return on Mondays and Thursdays, 4
on Saturdays), and from Villers to Cours via Jarnosse (1 on Mondays).
The purchase included the licence to use a 30 seater coach on
excursions.
Les Bus Thizerots in 1965 were running routes from Thizy to La
Clayette, from Sevelinges to Roanne and from Sevelinges to Charlieu.
Routes acquired from HENRI DUPUIS
Mr DUPUIS of Sevelinges (42) ran a single
Monday journey Villers – Cuinzier – Cours at the time of the new Plan
Départemental des Transports in 1950. He was the successor to Emile
Hannequin, but he went into bankruptcy on 19/10/1955. Aimé Bollard,
syndic, of Roanne certified this on 10/01/1958 and also that a sale to
Traquelet (Vente judiciaire) had been agreed.
This certificate was required at least partly because of written protests by Marcel Verchère to the Inspector of Transport.
Mr Verchère was unhappy with the competition
continuing to run into Charlieu, the centre of his own operations, but
he himself competed in Thizy.
The sale went through – hence the routes Sevelinges – Roanne and
Sevelinges – Charlieu that appear on Traquelet’s notepaper - plus a
works service for Ets Mazille et Vernassière at Sevelinges. But the
authorities did not allow pickups or drops in the Rhône (69).
Technically, the routes authorized by the Plan de Transport were:
Villers – Charlieu via Jarnosse : 1 Wed, 1 Thu, 4 Sat
Villers - Cours via Cuinzier : 1 Lun
Villers - Roanne via Jarnosse : 1Wed, 2 Fri
But in practice and without authorization, they had developed and become:
Sevelinges – Roanne via Villers : 1 Mon, 1 Fri
Cuinzier – Roanne : 1 Fri
Sevelinges – Charlieu via Jarnosse and Villiers : 1 Sat
Villiers – Cours via Cuinzier: 1st and 3rd Monday of the month.
Traquelet wanted to keep Sevelinges as the terminus and that was authorized on 19/02/1958.
ROUTE : THIZY - COURS - CHAUFFAILLES - (LA CLAYETTE, Saône-et-Loire)
This was Traquelet’s first route and this is how he obtained it.
In 1938 the incumbent operator on Thizy – Chauffailles was Mr Marcel Lagrelle of Thizy.
Vehicles used in 1938 were:
9691 PF – a Berliet of 1930 seating 20
3928 PF5 - a Delahaye of 28/02/1934 seating 26 +4
The Lagrelle timetable
On 29 July 1940 he was sent a wartime authorisation to maintain Thizy-Chauffailles with 1 trip on Mon, Thu, Fri, Sat. But the authorities receive in return a letter from the village of Bégudes de Mazenc (26 Drôme) on 5 August 1940 from his wife. Lagrelle had been called up and was now a prisoner of the Germans. Consequently a Mme Buchet of Montagny (Loire) (see study of Cars Buchet) was authorized to run the route until Lagrelle’s return from captivity. He was back in March 1946 requesting 1 return on Mon, 1 on Fri, 2 on Sat and Sun, a return journey being estimated at 62 kms.
But eighteen months later on 3 Nov 1947, Henri Fargeat, Notaire, attested that Marie Guerin, WIDOW of Marcel Lagrelle, had sold the business to Traquelet.
An unexplained oddity is that Camille Montibert, of 58 rue Victor Clément, Thizy, announced his intention on 9 June 1947 to operate Thizy – Chauffailles with a Chevrolet registered 379 PG 4. The route had been transferred to him by Lagrelle. Did he announce this too soon, and then lose out to a better offer from Traquelet?
On 13 Sep 1948 Traquelet was complaining that SVT (?) had ceased operating, and a Mr Paget had taken their place and was running a 14h service just ahead of his 14h30 - Thizy – Cours - Chauffailles service.
The extension from Chauffailles to La Clayette was requested on 19/04/1949, going via Chassigny sur Dun (13 kms). The Comité Technique reserved judgment until the new Coordination des Transports Voyageurs came into force. And the CTD 71 did not recommend it as it did not figure on their ‘plan de transport’. Finally it was agreed on 30/03/1950.
As at June 1952 Traquelet operated Thizy La Clayette once on Mondays, twice on Sat and Sun. And on the first Thursday of the month and on Fridays the other weeks, there was one return Thizy Chauffailles, one Chauffailles Chassigny and one Chauffailles La Clayette. Apparently the village of La Ville was proposing a subsidy in 1956: the authorities were not in agreement – Traquelet’s fares were about 5 fr 20 per km, unchanged since 5 Feb 1952 but normal, and the small detour to serve La Ville put in place at the end of 1954 did not warrant one.
WORKS SERVICES
Traquelet ferried staff of Ets Mazille et Vernassières (Teintures et Apprêts de la Trambouse) on a corridor Sevelinges - Pont Trambouse - Bourg de Thizy - Thizy. As private transport, this required little in the way of authorisation.
« La Cotonnière de Pont Trambouse » used its own vehicles to transport a dozen employees into Bourg de Thizy at 7.30, 11.30, 14, 18. To economise, it wanted to use Traquelet’s service at 5 fr per km, but employees of two firms in the same vehicle constituted a PUBLIC service, with all the necessary paperwork. A derogation was requested. Transports Buchet of Montagny (see Mme Buchet above), Paget and Verchère all formally opposed. By a judgment of Solomon, it was agreed by the CTD on 16 April 1959 that if the opposing transporters were unwilling to provide a public service at the times required by the Cotonnière, then Traquelet would receive his authorization, restricted to staff of the two factories. Any infringement and the whole service would be suspended. Operation started on 8 June 1959.
Bush telephone!! The CTD was approached on 30 July 1959 by the Ets Verrière-Dury fils, Tissages d’exportation, of Mardore, Rhône. They wanted to profit from the Mazille connection to have workers transported from Thizy, Bourg-de-Thizy and Le Ronzy to Pont-Gauthier by Traquelet. CTD authorized this on 15 Sept. 1959 under the same conditions. This time the three opposing transporters accepted first time round.
In 1970. Traquelet requested an extra journey on Thizy - Belmont - Chauffailles (outward Saturday 11h15, return to Thizy Monday 09.00), for boarders at the CET Mixte, 69 Thizy (10 boys and 12 girls concerned). Previously in the hands of Mr Borgnat (taxi business at Belmont), but this year numbers had increased – too many for a taxi. In November 1970, Traquelet proposed a 14 seater (?) : Sat 11.20, Mon 08.00 at a cost of 70 FRF per journey. This was put in place but abandoned in 1973 when only 4 children were using it.
Roanne – Cours timetable probably in 1971
1971. Thizy-La Clayette was no longer profitable on Sundays. (30F in
fares income received for 180 kms run). Traquelet stopped running from
01/01/1972 to 01/04/1972. What happened afterwards?
1982. The mayor of Thizy wrote that Louis
Traquelet, now 61, intended to retire. There was a candidate to take
over - Henri GOUTARD, with 15 years of experience as a driver, but
without the necessary diplomas for running the business (see study of Vallée d’Azergues for a similar problem).
What happened to the business? I have found no evidence that Goutard
was successful. There is a very vague reference to Transports
Automobiles Lyonnais…………………………
Vehicle notes:
3676 DF
69 Renault 25 places type R4168 VIN
9805219 in fleet on 12/01/1969 dates from 1961
147 AB 69 Renault 14 seats in fleet on 09/01/55
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