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PASSENGER TRAVEL NEWS.

10th March 1925, Page 23
10th March 1925
Page 23
Page 23, 10th March 1925 — PASSENGER TRAVEL NEWS.
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The Latest Doings and Developments in the Bus and Coach World.

BUILDING BUSES TO MEET LOCAL BY-LAWS.

Details of a Denis Saloon Bus, Built to Conform with the Regulations In Force at Stoke-on-Trent.

rnEfE REGULATIONS framed by municipalities in various parts of the country in regard to passengercarrying vehicles, and more particularly motorbuses, often differ in detail, although there is undoubtedly a tendency towards the adoption of more uniform by-laws by licensing authorities generally. It is as well that it is so, for the more complex the regulations and the more at variance they are in their application to different areas the greater their risk of misinterpretation.

There has been a decided tighteningup in recent months of the by-laws relating to the operation of public-service vehicles, and clauses have been introduced which insist upon certain definite features being incorporated in body designs. These are not, generally, of an obstructive nature, but aim at ensuring safety for the traveller and for the pedestrian, and in this manner are undoubtedly contributing to the general progress and betterment of the passenger travel by road movement.

The case of Stoke-on-Trent is a ease in point, for the local authorities have drawn up a series of regulations which, elsewhere, might be regarded as unnecessarily stringent, but which really contain many vitally important considerations. A type of vehicle which is designed to meet the provisions of the licensing body in this particular district is illustrated on this page. It is a Dennis 20-seater saloon bus recently delivered from the works of Dennis Bros., Ltd., at Guildford, to the proprietors of the Reliance Bus Service, and it is now in operation between Tunstall and Newcastle.

The vehicle is arranged for one-man control and the exceptionally wide entrance at the front should be noted. On buses of this type the entrance usually opens into the main seating compartment, but in this vehicle the passengers have to pass through a further opening in the partition which screens the 'driver's cab from the passenger section of the body.

The seating conforms with conventional practice (the seats are upholstered in leather) and the seat in the centre of the series which extends across the rear of the vehicle is hinged and fastened to the interior panelling of the emergency door so that it can he turned up out of the way when found necessary. The emergency door can be quickly opened, although it is not capable of easy operation inadvertently, a centrally located lever, just above the back squab on the Panel controlling the withdrawal of the bolts which lock it at the top and at the bottom.

Ample precautions have been taken against the risk of fire and, for this reason, the exhaust pipe is extended well to the rear, whilst the petrol leads are of copper. It should be mentioned that a tap, accessible from outside the vehicle, is fitted to enable the supply of fuel to

be cut-off. As a further precaution a fire-extinguisher is ready to hand in case of emergency.

In the regulations enforced at Stokeon-Trent a clause is worded on these lines : "Any carriage with . . fittings loose, and likely to cause unnecessary toise, will be regarded as unfit for public service," and due attention, accordingly, has been given to points likely to cause trouble in this direction. The route boards at the sides are firmly held and the destination indicator is built into the front of the body above the windscreen. The windows, too, are not likely to offend in this respect.

The subject of ventilation has received proper attention, two roof ventilators and hinged lights disposed above the main windows, which are made to drop, being fitted. Electric lighting is favoured for both the interior and exterior.

The vehicle is shod with pneumatic tyres fore and aft (twins at the rear), and we should mention in closing that the chassis forming the basis of it is the special Dennis 30 h.p. passenger model.


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