[jamesicus]

The face of travel and transportation changed enormously soon after the war started. Petrol was severely rationed and travel by private automobile was almost out of the question except for those who got extra rations due to essential government service. Most privately owned automobiles went up on blocks in storage for the duration. It must be remembered, however, that the vast majority of ordinary people in Great Britain did not own automobiles in 1939.

Most surface travel -- local and long distance -- was now via public buses and the (steam) railways. Although public sector vehicles were provided special petrol allowances, many ingenious alternative fuel devices such as natural gas bladders and methane gas injectors were employed -- I can still visualize the single decker corporation buses surmounted with enormous gas bags. Some people, who could afford it and were lucky enough to find them, equipped their automobiles with similar devices.

The commercial sector was encouraged to use horse drawn vehicles. And now occurred an interesting phenomenon -- whereas there had been a general shift to motor vehicles by tradesmen and deliverymen during the late 1930s, there was now an equally general reversion to horse and cart. Essential home deliveries of milk, fish (no supermarkets in those days -- and no refrigerated storage in the shops) and coal were now all via horse and cart. Nonessential deliveries or services such as rag & bones and furniture purchases were either by horse and cart -- or not at all.

Everyone was urged to conserve fuel -- petrol and coal -- as much as possible. Large signs bearing messages such as Is this journey really necessary? were prominently displayed in Bus Depots and Railway Stations.

In general, the civilian population traveled on foot (we were a lot healthier and slimmer for that) or in public transportation (we were a lot friendlier and nicer to each other for that) throughout the war.