Page 5 - Bulletin 12 2008

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In Kalk Bay, until the arrival of the iron horse in 1883 and the motor car in small
numbers from c. 1903 onwards, the horse was the most important means of fast

transport between this remote area with Cape Town. (Fast communication by means of
the telegraph had been introduced in 1860). Those who did not own a horse and trap,

which was expensive and only for the wealthy, had to rely on omnibuses for long

distance journeys. This paper describes, first, the significance of horse-drawn
omnibuses in road transport to and from Kalk Bay from c. 1801 – 1890 (drawing

heavily from Coates 1976) and, second, the role of the horse in local municipal services.

Horse-drawn omnibuses for transport of passengers and post

Omnibuses were light, fully enclosed vehicles drawn by horses. They were invented in

Paris during the early 1800s and the innovation soon spread to the big cities of other
countries. Passengers entered via a door at the rear and sat on a seat that ran along three

sides of the interior forming a U-shape in plan. (Figs. 1.1 & 1.2). It was also possible to

sit on the roof by climbing a stairway. They commonly carried 14 people inside and 10
outside. Most of those seen in Cape Town were made in Cape Town and also at Paarl

and Wellington, but some of superior quality were imported from England. English
suppliers of brass, leather and related accoutrements, many located in Staffordshire,

advertised their products widely in the local Directories and Almanacs. (Figs. 1.3 &
1.4).

The omnibus services between Cape Town and the outlying suburbs were run by private
companies. The cost of operating them was high for, besides the feeding, stabling and

care of the horses, the maintenance of the omnibuses travelling over sub-standard roads
was considerable. This, with the additional costs of wages and the upkeep of the stables

and hay-stores on large properties, invariably under bond, could cause omnibus
companies to go insolvent. The fares that had to be charged to recoup these expenses

were high and resulted in fewer people being able to afford the services.