Ipswich Transport Museum
Preserving the transport heritage of Ipswich since 1965, and now supported by the Friends of the Ipswich Transport Museum. The Ipswich Transport Museum is a Registered Charity No. 276626 and an Accredited Museum, number RD890.
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Ipswich Horse Buses

In 1898 an independent company, trading as Ipswich Omnibus Service, commenced operation in the town. Eighteen buses, known as 'Penny Omnibuses' offered journeys from Bramford Road to Wherstead at the fare of '1d all the way'. The horse drawn wooden bodied buses were kept at Kemball Street, off Spring Road.

The cheap fares offered by the Ipswich Omnibus Co. caused the rival Ipswich Tramways Company to reduce their fares in order to compete. Unlike the trams, the horse buses ran on Sundays.

In 1901 the Ipswich Tramways Company was acquired by Ipswich Corporation and the companies continued to run in competition until June 1903 when the horse trams stopped running so that the system could be rebuilt for electric tram operation. For a brief period the horse buses had the streets to themselves. However, in November 1903 the new electric trams started running and their superior speed and comfort soon dealt a blow to the horse buses. Indeed, when the tram network was extended to Derby Road, Bramford Road and Lattice Barn on 21st December 1903, the Ipswich Omnibus Company ceased operation, and the era of the horse bus was over.

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