 The first "pirate" operator appeared on 5 August 1922, and by 1924 an estimated 500 independent buses were competing with the pool companies.Most of the independent operations owned only one or two buses, and while many operated a reputable service, others served only the busiest routes at peak times, sometimes discharging passengers before the route's end in order to pursue more profitable traffic, or cutting in front of a competitor's bus.The independents impacted heavily on the traffic of the tramways, and in June 1923 the three tram company operators proposed to cut the wages of tramway workers.