Vintage CSAD Holice Czech Bus Company Excellent Teacher Award Pin Badge

A very pretty gold coloured metal pin badge from former Czechoslovakia. It is an award for a 'Great Teacher' in the CSAD Holice region.

The badge face is 2.1cm high and has a long, stick pin style fastener to the rear.

Československá státní automobilová doprava (ČSAD) or in English (The Czechoslovak State Automotive Transport Company) was formed on the 9th of May 1948 as a result of the communist party electoral triumph in Czechoslovakia.
Privately owned bus and coach companies that were looking forward to a period of prosperity after WW2 had all their offices and vehicles seized in the name of socialism but it wasn't until around the end of 1949 that all of these private companies had been integrated into CSAD. Hence most of the CSAD regional companies count their inaugural year as 1949, which you can see on the anniversary pins.

From 1952 there were 19 regional companies, all part of the nationalised CSAD and two CSAD headquarters. One in Prague and one in Bratislava

From 1957 the government saw a need for separate divisions called CSAD KNV (krajske narodni vybory) or regional committees that were authorised to manage regional timetables and maintain and repair the vehicles requiring less involvement of the two head offices.
Around this time there was also a separate division of CSAD formed to regulate freight transport.

CSAD itself was styled into an effective and comprehensive countrywide transport system with a real emphasis on serving the people.
State wide uniform pricing systems were introduced with discount schemes for the elderly and young. Bus stops and signage were standardised and towards the end of the 1950s the Skoda 706 RTO was introduced countrywide which added a new dimension of luxury to public transport. The Skoda 706 having won numerous design awards at the prestigious Brussels Expo'58.

In the late 1970's Karosa, and some Ikarus made buses were introduced to replace the ageing Skoda 706s, these were manufactured in Hungary and were more functional than the award winning designs of the 1950's which reflected the state of socialism at this time. Karosa made buses are still in limited service today, but most have been replaced with modern electric coaches.

The Czech bus service is still very effective to this day although the state run CSAD has since been broken up again into regional parts since the fall of the communist state. Some companies still use the CSAD logo, though the majority have chosen not to as it is a reminder of socialism.