Combining Passenger and Goods Vehicle Operation in Palestine
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TO grow from a onevehicle concern to-a .. company operating 130 machines is a tine example of pi•ogress in road transport, and such is the performance of Drom Yehuda. Ltd., of 27, Herd l Street, TelAviv, a leading Palestine operator engaged in both passenger and goods transport. This is yet another example of a iarge organizationwhich has grown from a oneman business, for, in 1924, Mr, A. Davidson commenced business in Jaffa with an ex-W.D. Fordon his discharge from the Army.
To-day, the Drom Yeliuda, meaning .! fighting li.On," vehicles are well known to all H.M. Forces in Palestine, as=the company's buses are extensively used for . the transport of hospital patients on amenity outings to TelAviv, Nathanya, and Jerusalem. The concern also pperates a number of stage carriage services, for the benefit of Army and R.A.F. personnel, to the Services Club in Tel-Aviv. In common with other Palestine operators, •Drom Yehuda gives a 25 per cent, reduction in fares, and queue priority, to all
RM. Forces in uniform.
Composition of the Fleet As already mentioned, the present strength of the fleet is 130, made up of 85 buses, 25 lorries and 20 taxis; additionally, there are six trailers: Taking the passenger fleet first, this consists of 28 Whites, 15 of which are the latest " SuPer Power ". type; 23 Reos; nine Volvos; nine war-time sixcylindered Fords; eight Meeks; two Brockways and a Studebaker.
The goods fleet is made up of 17 Whites, one being a rigid six-wheeler and another an articulated oufit; two Chevrolets—new in 1945; two Macks and a Volvo (tractor unit) and one each of Reo, Bedford and Ford make. One Brockway and two Freuhauf 5-ton trailers'are used with the White lorries, and there are three Highway semitrailers which hook up to either the White or Volvo tractors—a very useful arrangement.
No new chassis are actually on order for post-war delivery, but the company has decided to place a large order with a British manufacturer, 'and Mr. Ruttenberg, a leading Tel-Aviv commercial-vehicleagent, has recently, left for the U.K. to negotiate on behalf of the company.
All the Drom Yeliuda Vuses are petrol-engined 30-32-seater singledeckers of the one-map-controlled front-entrance and centre-exit type. All windows are of the full-drop pattern, so that they may be lowered below the body waistline at the commencement of the summer season. Double-deckers have not been employed up to the present, owing to restrictive legislation., but Mr. Davidson is hoping for a relaxation of the regulations after the war, as he is very much in favour of tbeir•introduction into the fleet.
The company .operates a number of routes in the industrial and thickly populated districts of Jaffa, as well as several busy routes around Tel-Aviv, Lydda, Richon and Rehovoth, and the
use of double-deckers would be a great advantage.
Turning now to the haulage side, it should be mentioned, first, that the laws in Palestine permit a gross load of only 81. tons On four wheels, so that most of the Drom yehuda lorries are of the 5-5i-ton variety; 10 tons may be carried on the articulated six-wheelers. and a combined load of 12 tons is permissible on the lorry and trailer outfits.
' At the present time all the trucks are engaged on work connected with the war effort, building materials and food for the Army, R.A.F. and N.A.A.F.I. being the main types of load carried. Readers may like to hear that the transport of oranges for export to the U.K. is one of the tasks allotted to the company.
The total staff of the concern now numbers 242, of whom 160 are co-operative members of the undertaking and 82 are ordinary employees. the latter having joined the company since the outbreak of war. The drivers are co-operative members, and all have been with the company for many years. Two members are at present serving with H.M. Forces in Italy.
Since the war began, the tau§ fleet mileage has increased by 400 per cent. to just over 5,000,000 miles per year, and the number of passengers tarried by 450 per cent. to 7,000,000 in 1944, whilst the figures for the haulage side were, in 1944, 625,000 fleet miles, and 120,000 tons of goods carried.
Difficulty with Supplies Tyres are the biggest problem of all; 15 per cent. of the fleet is not running at all, owing to tyre shortage, and, in Palestine, new synthetic tyres cost £35 each. New bus chassis are quite unobtainable, and the company has resorted to converting a number of Ford six-cylindered goods chassis info bus chassis,. by lengthening the frame and fitting flitch plates, a lengthy process but much better than no buses at all 1 The price of new lorries has risen considerably, the two new Chev. rolets costing £1,425 each, and the Ford £1,100 when supplied new in January last. Add to this the fact that petrol is 2s, 7d, per gallon, and operators at home will realize theconditions under which the company is working.
The concern possesses-a well-equipped workshop at the main garage in Jaffa where all repairs, including bodywork, are carried out under the guidance of Mr. Gross, the chief engineer. An interesting system of tyre recording is used; every tyre has its own card which . thaws the date of supply and mileage -in each position on the chassis of each vehicle to which it has been fitted.
Tyres are changed from wheel to wheel, and vehicle to vehicle, ireluentlys in Ceder te obtainthe maxi-. mum possible mileage from each cover, as retreading facilities for civilian operators. in Palestine do not exist.
The repair shops are generally well equipped with tools and machinery, . and the coinpany does. all its own reboring and resleeving. A large num her of spares has, of course, to he made by the company, as manufacturers' spares are no longer obtainable. Cylin-der liners are-made by a.. Tel-Aviv contractor, who also produces pistons and rings for the operator.
Engine oilis changed every. 2,000 miles, " top." overhauls are carried out at 17,000 Miles, and major overhauls every 80,000 miles,
From the Mack and White niachines 8 M.p.g. are obtained, hut the hest
• result is .given by the Volvo, i.e. 10 ni,p.g, All three makes have serve.d the coraparty and one Volvo bus now has. 420,000. miles to its
credit, which must be considered splendid record.
The writer has travelled on the Dram Yehuda hisses Somewhat extensively, an.d has formed a. high opinion of the -Volvo bus, The 90 b.h.pi, overhead-valve engine, is full of " lifer'' and the Rass -sere* steering gear (similar to the Bishop cam and follower) is finger light, with good castor action. The gearbox is quieter than most, and although of the plain " crash " type, a quick " -top " to " third " change can 'be made, which is a big help when slippins!c' past ancient mule carts-which have ahabit of getting in one's way on the narrow and busy roads leading out of Tel-Aviv and Jaffa. Altogether, the Volvo is a splendid vehicle, and there is no doubt that it would be a formidable competitor if it were sold in the This make is certainly a credit to. Sweden.
. The latest types of Mack and White bus are fitted with an overdrive, whic.h is -a decided advantage-on Dram Yehada's level territory. They both possess quick accelerative powers, but, in common with all' American chassis, they are prone to " roll " badly when cornering, and this causes a certain amount of discomfort to the passengers.
Finally, it should be. mentioned that the company operates 17 routes Over 220 miles, and both passenger and goods fleets are working at maxima/is possible capacity, doing. an excellent job under difficult conditions. 'The traffic Manager is Mr. Nether, who had considerable experience of road trans
port in Russia before joining Drom Yenucla, Ltd......
Spb-depots are maintained at -Lydda, Gedera, Rehovoth and,Itichon, in addition to the main garage arid workshops in Jaffa, and the head office in Tel
Aviv. E. H. W.-HansT.