Sell Derby Buses, Councillor Says
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M.P. was "Grossly
• Misleading"
ASUGGESTION that Derby Corpon tion should sell their bus unde taking to a private company has be rejected by Derby Town Council.
Councillor Jeffery Tillett suggested LI. " take-over " • after the Omnibus Con mittee had put forward a repo recommending that an application to ti Traffic Commissioners for bus fat
increases be made, • Members of the council were told th. the proposed increases would be
all adult 2d. fares and Id. on all otht adult fares. Increases are necessary I meet additional expenditure of f55,0f a year, due mainly to recent aval awards. Councillor Tillett said th instead of applying for fares increase he wanted an amendment accepted whic would have the effect of getting officia " to look into and report back to tt Council on the possibility and desirabilit of handing over the affairs of tt Transport Department to a priva1 company, believing this will result in more efficient and economic public tran port service for the people of Derb adequate safeguards being given to 0employees of the department."
He said the department were workin with a diminishing population in diminishing area and even if they wei allowed to go outside this area the would not have the staff. Consideratio had already been given to further servit cuts because of staff difficulties.
In defence of the increases, seven Labour councillors described the sugge tion as "foolish" and "facetious."
"Identify Bulk Liquids '1 THE need for identification of bul liquids carried by road tankers hi been indicated by the Tay River Purific: tion Board following an incident whc an overturned tanker seeped acids int the water system in the area.
In the absence of the driver of If tanker, the rescue workers were unawal of the contents of the tanker and we] hampered in their work of righting tt tanker and clearing the roadway. Cot tents had to be spilled off to avoid possible explosion or fire.
Had the tanker contents bee adequately identified, the fire brigat men would have known the precise risk REPLACEMENT OF ROLLINGTON FLEET
A N entirely new fleet of 20 Thaim
Trader vehicles, all fitted with Prin rose extensions, has been acquired -1: Frank C. Jackson, Ltd., of •Bollingtoi near Macclesfield, Cheshire. The uni are being supplied by H. and I.. Quid Ltd., Old Trafford, and deliveries con menced last week.
They are all 7+-tormers with 20-ft.-tor platforms, and will be used mainly carry paper, rubber and light machine] to Yorkshire, London, Scotland, Birmire ham and Nottingham. rOMMENTING upon the Govern ment's recently announced decision to raise the speed limit for public service vehicles outside built-up areas from 30 m.p.h. to 40 m.p.h., and to the criticisms of this decision made by the chairman of the Pedestrians' Association, Mr. Graham Page, M.P., in the House of Commons. Mr. Peter Yorke, National Director of the British Omnibus Companies' Public Relations Committee, said in London:— " Mr. Page's objection to the increase was largely based on his statement that last year public service vehicles were involved in accidents in which 17,669 passengers were killed or injured.' To use these figures in such a manner, and without relating them to mileage, is grossly misleading.
"In the first place, out of the figure which he mentions. 15,435 suffered only slight injuries, i.e., 'a sprain or bruise.' In the second place, the total number of fatal accidents (including boarding and alighting accidents) was 73, which works out at something of the order of one for :very 1,000 million passenger miles. Moreover, although no exact breakdown of these fatalities is available, it is certain that nearly all were boarding or alighting accidents, where the question of a ;peed limit could be of no conceivable .elevance.
"Although no figures are available nationally, however, one of the largest groups of provincial companies, owning ;ome 12,000 vehicles, carried 8,429 million passengers during 1956/59, and only two A them were killed from injuries susaincd whilst actually on the vehicle. 'Boarding and alighting fatalities during hat period were 37.) "There is no other form of travel ■ vhich approaches the standard of safety )rovided by the bus."
M2 SERVICE AREA
rAA CONTRACT has been awarded to the Rank Organisation, Ltd., to levelop the Farthing Corner service area Nhich is to be provided on the Medway Motorway (M2).