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The Plaint of London Bus Owners.

10th March 1925, Page 1
10th March 1925
Page 1
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Page 1, 10th March 1925 — The Plaint of London Bus Owners.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

frIHERE is reasonable ground for the holding of an inquiry into the question of the date upon which the Order of the Ministry of Transport under Section

7 of the London Traffic Act, 1924, shall become operative. There would seem to have been a certain amount of Departmental confusion concerning the licensing of new buses since January 1st, but we also think that certain bus owners either were unduly optimistic about the effect of the working of the Act so far as they themselves were concerned or they had not grasped the intention of the Act or foreseen the effect of declaring certain streets "restricted streets" wherein the number of buses plying for hire would be limited. Obviously the streets declared to be "restricted streets" would be key positions on important routes carrying a large volume of traffic, and we think that those who complain of the effect of limitation over short sections leaving practically no alternatives by which they can be by-passed are doing so with their tongues in their cheeks.

On the other hand, considerable hardship has been caused by the withholding untilJanuary lath of the official announcement of an intention to declare certain streets to be restricted streets and then to make the Order, not published until February 17th, retrospective to January 1st. Considering the time which has elapsed since the Royal Assent was given to the Bill, it would seem (not having been favoured with the official view on the matter) that an opening for complaint has been presented to bus owners, and that the whole matter had better •be reconsidered, particularly as it is definitely stated, on behalf of the bus owners, that a promise was made of a public inquiry prior to the issne of the Order.

Whilst it may be agreed that, in nearly every case, the streets named in the Schedule to the Order suffer from congestion, that state of things applies only during certain periods of the day and not on every day of the week. After 6 p.m. on any evening, after 1 p.m. on a Saturday, and throughout a Sunday, streets at other times a seething mass of traffic are often quite empty.

It is asked that the embargo upon the use of "restricted streets " during the slack hours and on slack days should be removed, but we cannot see that it would pay to keep buses in commission merely to run over routes that would thus be thrown open during a portion of the week when patsenger traffic, along with vehicular traffic, was at a minimum.

An inquiry would provide the opportunity for the ventilation of grievances and for the justification of official action, and should, therefore, be considered.

Are Cab Ranks Often a Source of Danger ?

Q0 MUCH in the way of street reform is being K./attempted under the incentive of the "Safety First" slogan, in the hope that the number of accidents may be reduced to a more reasonable level, and so much williegnese is apparent on the pat of road i users to co-operate n any preventive measures, that one wonders why more has not been done in the way of positioning cab ranks with a view to the greater Gaiety of the public. In some parts of London they are actually a source of great danger, as, for instance, where they are placed on roads of, we. will say for the sake of clearness, secondary importance, at the point of intersection with a road carrying a good deal of traffic and occupied by premises from which a large amount of cab passenger traffic may be expected. The cabs are, quite naturally, ranked as close as possible to the important thoroughfare, without actually being on it, and the danger lies in the fact that, the head of the rank being so. close to the main thoroughfare, the cabs mask the junction, so that pedestrians and drivers of vehicles crossing at the intersection cannot see vehicles approaching from one or other of the possible directions. The result is that accidents from this cause alone are numerous. The remedy is a simple one, and we commend it to the Safety First Council as one to he recommended to the Commissioner of Police for adoption—namely, that the head of a cab rank should not be placed nearer to a road junction than, say, 25 yards. That distance seems to us to be sufficient to secure a material reduction of the risk, but, upon experiment, it may be found necessary to increase the safety zone to 50 yards. Perhaps the cab drivers' associations will take the initiative and at once institute the reform. Considerable time might thereby be saved. To assist the public in the matter of calling a cab from a. rank, a sign could hang from the nearest lamp-post indicating the presence of a cab rank, in much the same way that attention is drawn to fire-alarm posts. There is a strong move in London to secure. the construction of passenger subways at busy crossings, the chief difficulty being the obstruction caused by the presence under every roadway of service pipes and of sewers. Yet one would have thought that water, gas and electric-power mains would have been kept at no greater depth than 3 ft. or 4 ft., and that sewers would have been placed at such a. depth that subways could easily pass between pipes and sewers. Apparently this has not been the general practice in the past, and the difficulty of obtaining sufficient headroom has been one of the reasons for so little being done in the provision of subways.

Special Chassis for Ambulance Work.

INOLITDED elsewhere in this issue is an article of considerable importance, founded upon the experience in ambulance work of the Metropolitan Asylums Board, which, as the largest user of civilian ambulances in the country, is in a position to know what type of chassis is. best suited to this work. In the opinion of the Engineer Superintendent (M.T.) of the Board, chassis differing considerably from those at present available are required, and the reasons for this are given in extenso. At the same time, the criticism is not by any means destructive ; on the contrary, the superintendent suggests how best use-Aean be made of standard components slightly • modified to provide the low loading platform which is essential.

It is certainly strange that requirements which have existed for years should not yet have been met by our 'manufacturers, , although there are great possibilities of considerable extensions,in the use of motor ambulances. At present there are many unsatisfactory types in service, but it only'needs the bringing into being of a really satisfactory form of chassis for it to find immediately a ready market, providing tliat the price of such a chassis be not excessive.

018 In our opinion, it would be as well for the makers in this country to consider the whole matter very seriously indeed, otherwise it may be that :those requiring such chassis may look to other countries to meet their demands.

The Work of the S.M.M. and T.'s Standards Department._

having been analysed by a sub-committee composed number will now be reduced very materially. " those dealing with dimensions of lamp brackets, it has been most difficult in designing an engine to know what type of electrical machine to fit, or whether its mountings would be suitable for more than one make of component. It is also hoped that the publication of the latest section of provisional is, so far as possible, to reduce the number of patterns, thus making for quicker service and.. in one case one firm alone had between 50 and 60 different patterns of dynamos and starters ; this valves and rims for pneumatic tyres, B.A.S.-type vehicle industry, many have paid but little attention to the possibilities of standardization as applied to• with the Institution of Automobile Engineers, in the standards in the form of data sheets. ment of engines, and embody dimensions for dynamos, distributor mountings, starting motors; dynamotors and small couplings, the requirements of manufacturers of the components indicated. switches, carburetter flanges, etc. Up to the present standards will give confidence to the manufacturers chassis and equipment, but very valuable work in. this direction is being performed by the Standards issue of details of the standards and provisional Committee of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, which is working in this connection obviating the need for large stocks. For instance, THERE is no doubt that, of the designers and The object of the Society's standardization scheme The provisional standards already issued include The latest of these deal with the electrical equip other persons coanected with the commercial tungsten filaments for electric lamps, magneto to stock these components. having been analysed by a sub-committee composed number will now be reduced very materially. " those dealing with dimensions of lamp brackets, it has been most difficult in designing an engine to know what type of electrical machine to fit, or whether its mountings would be suitable for more than one make of component. It is also hoped that the publication of the latest section of provisional is, so far as possible, to reduce the number of patterns, thus making for quicker service and.. in one case one firm alone had between 50 and 60 different patterns of dynamos and starters ; this valves and rims for pneumatic tyres, B.A.S.-type vehicle industry, many have paid but little attention to the possibilities of standardization as applied to• with the Institution of Automobile Engineers, in the standards in the form of data sheets. ment of engines, and embody dimensions for dynamos, distributor mountings, starting motors; dynamotors and small couplings, the requirements of manufacturers of the components indicated. switches, carburetter flanges, etc. Up to the present standards will give confidence to the manufacturers chassis and equipment, but very valuable work in. this direction is being performed by the Standards issue of details of the standards and provisional Committee of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, which is working in this connection obviating the need for large stocks. For instance, THERE is no doubt that, of the designers and The object of the Society's standardization scheme The provisional standards already issued include The latest of these deal with the electrical equip

Obviating the Lifting of New Roads,.

ON SEVERAL occasions during the past few years we have commented vigorously upon the extreme lack of co-ordination between the authorities who are responsible for the building of our roads and those who, because of defects in the electric mains, pipes, etc., under them, often reduce the life of the surfaces and foundations by many years. through ordering portions of the roads to be lifted in order to expose the mains, etc., for repair or replacement. So scandalous was the state of affairs that in many instances roads still under reconstruction at one end were again being lifted at the other. Sometimes, of course, such occurrences are unavoidable, but, as we have pointed out previously, many did not come into this category, and merely showed that conflicting interests were at work. • Fortunately, there are now signs that efforts have been, and are being, made to establish better control, and the new Order issued by the Minister of Transport under the London Traffic Act of 1924 makes it the duty of all road authorities to submit to the Minister of Transport, before certain dates, statements giving particulars of all maintenance and important works -proposed to be undertaken or continued during the periods under review. The Order applies to tall arterial and main Lon doe thoroughfares, the authorities affected including also those of many of the surrounding districts such as Guildford, Kingston, Richmond, Wimbledon, Croydon, etc. Consideration is also being given to the question of so limiting the work that alternative routes are not under repair at the same time as the main routes, so causing great impediment to the traffic.


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