ANSWERS TO QUERIES.
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Our readers' will be informed by the Editor on any points connected with the construction or use of commercial motors. Where a direct reply i3 desired, a stamped addressed envelope should be enclosed : ifa reguest for .
privacy is not specially made, any guery and answer may be published.
Running Costs for One and Two-Tonners.
[4469] (East).—The running cost of a2-ton wagon on a basis of 60 miles per day, and covering the following items fuel, lubricant, tyres, maintenance, depreciation, driver, rent and rates, insurance and in terest on first cost, is 10.79c1. per mile. The corresponding figure for a 1-ton wagon, but basing the calculations on 100 miles per day, is 9.01d. per mile.
Contemplates Operating Motorbus.
[4470] (Operation).—You require a licence from the local authorities in the district in which you intend to operate your motorbus. As ths conditions and the probability of a licence being granted vary according to the district, we advise you to communicate direct with the Superintendent of Police in the the town in which you are 'interested. You will require a hackney carriage licence, a driver's licence, and your vehicle itself will, of course, have to be registered.
Subsidy Types and Char-a-bancs Work.
[4471] (Salford).—A 3-ton chassis is generally considered to be most suitable for char-a-bancs work. Subsidy-type W.D. chassis are usually thought to be _rather high for chars-a-bancs, although many have been quite successfully used for that purpose. Some W.D. lorries, not of the subsidy-type, such as those niade by Albion, of Commercial Cars, Ltd.' would be quite suitable. Government vehicles are being disposed of by the Surplus Government Property Disposal Board, Section 5. You should address your letter to that Board; at St. James's Square, W.
Motor Tractor Contracting.
[4472] (Captain).—If you have farming experience, then of the two alternatives which you suggest, either contracting for cultivation by motor tractor, or hauling by motor lorry, the former will suit you better. You will, furthermore, be subject to much less competition than you would in the latter, although there ,are possibilities in the way of making a good living from both.
It is extremely difficult to lay down any but very approximate figures as to costs of motor ploughing on the lines of a contractor. There is little or no experience to go upon, and it is impossible to .inake any fair statement as to probable costs unless experience extending over a perioctof several years and covering different businesses have been collected..
In the following statement, which, we repeat, is only an approximate one, it has been estimated that you would have to pay £500 for a good 'motor tractor capable of pulling a three-furrow plough, the plough itself, harrows and cultivator, with a few essential spares. It is assumed that the work which you would be able to find would be equivalent to 200: working days per annum, and that the work you did would be the equivalent of ploughing five acres per day. That is to say, we have taken as a basis 1,000 acres per anmim ploughed. Three acres of cultivating might be taken as equal to one acre ploughing, and the same figure of comparison applies to harrowing. On such a basis, interest on first cost would amount to 6d. per acre ; depreciation at 2s. 6d. per acre ; repairs 6d. per acre ; rent might be taken as much as 3d. per acre ; fuel 6s. 8d. per acre ; oil and grease 11. 6d. per acre ; insurance 3,a. per acre ; total, 12s. 2d. per acre. You will note that no account has been taken of driver's wages : we are presuming that you would drive yourself, and that, therefore, this item n501 would not enter into your actual estimate of costs. You would have to see to it that the implement which you purchased could be operated from the tractor, otherwise there would be an additional item of cost for the wages of the second man. We do not anticipate that you would find very much profitable employment hauling goods on the common roads with a tractor. You ought to figure out your charges for contracting for work in the fields on the above basis of costs, and it would appear that 25s. per acre is a minimum figure at which you could profitably work. In the event of your being able, after all, to do a little haulage work, you would then be able to do :it at a figure sufficiently low to attract orders, owing to the fact that you need only cover your actual fuel and oil costs, all others being covered in the above statement.
Converting an Argyll Touring Chassis.
[4473] (Harringay).—Careful driving will be necessary if you are to make a success of using a 15-20 h.p. Argyll touring chassis for carrying 15 cwt. loads on commercial. service. We recommend that you restrain your driver from travelling at greater speeds than 20 m.p.h.
The minimum rates which you should charge for hiring out the van are : is. 6d. per mile, 7s, 6d. per hour, .23 per day. There should not be any difference in these charges whether you or your man is driving.
Conditions Governing Use of Cabs in London.
[4474] (Captain).—In reply to your numbered questions concerning the conditions governing the
use of taxicabs in London: (1) A driver must possess
a knowledge of London. In this subject he will have to pass a viva voce examination by Scotland Yard. He must have a driver's licence, oost 5s. He must possess a hackney carriage licence, cost 15s. He will have to pay the Inland Revenue tax of 22 '2s. His
cab will have to comply with 'certain specifications upon which he will be, awarded a certificate of fitness, and will have a numbered licence for his cab as a public service vehicle. For this the 'charge is 5s,
(2) The regulations in large cities like Liverpool, Manchester, etc., are very similar to those of London.
They are less strict in the less populous towns, but in all cases a driver will have to possess his driver's licence and hackney carriage licence, and will have to pay the Inland Revenue tax on his carriage.
(3) Before the war it was possible to obtain cabs on the hire-purchase system from Mann and Overtons, Ltd. ,of 15, Ebury Bridge Road, London, S.W., who sold "Links ; from D. Napier and Sons, Ltd., 14, New Burlington Street, London, W. 1. ; from the
F.I.A.T. ; from Belsize Motors, Ltd., Cgayton, Manchester, and from W. and G. Du Oros Ltd., Acton, London W. 3, who generally sold Panhards. We suggest you communicate direct with all these firms, and ascertain the present position.
(4) The actual complete specification to which a taxicab must comply is a long document, and cannot be repeated in a letter. You may take it for granted, however, that if you purchase a new vehicle from any of the firms we have •named, making it a condition
that it complied with the London regulations, You will have no difficulty. We think these replies generally cover the ground.
There is every prospect still of goodlivings for taxicab drivers in London. There is a very considerable shortage of such vehicles, which shortage is likely to be maintained for some time.