Bus driver and transport inspector

Bus driver and transport inspector

Born: January 3, 1928; Died: September 30, 2014.

William McKinley, who has died aged 86, was a popular bus driver and transport inspector who lived and worked through an era after the Second World War when there were few private cars on the roads and everyone took the bus. He was one of a number of well-known drivers who was based at the now closed Central SMT garage at Gavinburn, Old Kilpatrick, which was the depot for West Dunbartonshire and Clydebank.

Every town has its characters and Mr McKinley was certainly one in Dumbarton. Practically everyone across West Dunbartonshire knew him, from the old folk who were his passengers for years on the Central SMT buses to the toddlers who travelled to Brucehill nursery school in the minibus he drove in his retirement.

Born at 7 Risk Street in the old Vennel area of Dumbarton town centre, he was one of five children of Charles and Sarah McKinley and went to McLean Place and St Patrick's High School. A popular young man in the community, he was something of as prankster in his youth.

He became a bus driver in the days when taxis and limousines were usually seen only at weddings and funerals and "bus runs" and mystery tours were a favourite day out for families. Buses were also where people met and news and gossip was exchanged with neighbours.

"Use both sides, please," was the cry of the conductresses, who urged people queuing to get on board to use both upstairs and downstairs. One bell signalled that all the passengers had boarded safely and it was safe to drive off.

Two bells meant the driver should stop at the next halt to let people off. And three bells told the driver he should continue without stopping since the bus was full up.

The drivers were always men like Mr McKinley, road safety campaigner Alex Donald, Adam Conn, Ian Blair, Tony McGarvey and Freddie Ramage, and they had a system for letting their fellow drivers know inspectors were around.

They would give a thumbs up if the route was clear, a thumbs down if an inspector was waiting along the route and would put their hand across their chest if they had an inspector on board.

A small number of drivers, including Mr McKinley, became inspectors themselves and saw to it that the buses ran on time, passengers paid their proper fares - or paid at all - and that everyone conducted themselves properly during the journey.

Needless to say there were often fights on board the buses when the public houses and dance halls emptied late at night at weekends and Willie McKinley was a man with a reputation for sorting them out.

No one with any sense fought on Mr McKinley's bus for they knew he could handle himself and, if the trouble persisted, he would drive them straight to the police office.

Things changed dramatically for the industry when the government of Margaret Thatcher implemented the Transport Act 1985, which brought about the deregulation of bus services in Scotland.

The act abolished road service licensing and allowed for the introduction of competition on local bus services for the first time since the 1930s.

Almost immediately, existing operators like Central SMT faced competition on their most profitable routes, both from new and existing operators, and other municipal operators seeking to increase revenue.

This led to so-called Bus Wars with new operators cutting fares.

An odd assortment of buses took over from the double deckers which had taken people to football matches, to church and the cinema, dancing and bingo halls.

Mr McKinley and his wife Susan had seven children, Charlie, Eddie, Danny, Marie, Sally, Colm and Pat. They moved house to Westcliff in 1953 and stayed for good.

Mr McKinley was a great dog lover who could often be seen walking his dog, Nakamura, round the Clydeshore at Havoc. His well-attended Requiem Mass, celebrated by Father John Lyons, took place in St Michael's Church in Cardross Road, Dumbarton, on Monday, October 6, and the funeral thereafter at Dumbarton Cemetery.

He is survived by his wife and seven children, 14 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.