Port Traffic Affected by Haulage Rates
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ROAD haulage rates had a marked effect on the amount of traffic passing through a port, Mr. F. D. Arney, general manager of the Port of Bristol, told the Institute of Traffic Administration at their annual conference at Clevedon last week-end. Rates to ports at similar distances from a given factory might be different, because it was easier for a haulier to obtain a return load from one than from the other.
There was, said Mr. Arney, another close connection between -shipping and road transport. A manufacturer dealing in import and export might use a particular port because sailings were more frequent from it than from others, and he could thus more easily arrange return lOads for his vehicles.
NEW 1-TON DAIRY TRUCK
/-1 A NEW N.C.B. Commuter 1-ton
electric dairy truck is being shown for 'the first time by Smith's Delivery Vehicles, Ltd., at the Dairy Show at Olympia, London, from October 22-25. It is a larger version of the 18-20-cwt: Suburbanite model exhibited last year as a prototype and incorporates most of the features of that model.
Sliding doors give access over a low step to a roomy cab, with further sliding doors in the bulkhead.
The Commuter can be driven standing for short distances. A swivel driving seat enables the driver to walk unobstructed through. the cab.
An improved production model of the Suburbanite will also be exhibited at the Dairy Show.
NEW OIL DEPOT REPLACES FOUR
A NEW installation of Shell-Mex and B.P., Ltd., was opened at Ecclesfield, Sheffield, on Tuesday, by Lord Scarborough, Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding. The new plant will serve ark area bounded by Sheffield, Doncaster and Barnsley, and will do the work of older depots in each of those centres and at Rotherham.
Eight road tankers can be loaded simultaneously at the four filling gantries. The rate ranges from 250-500 gallons a minute.
B14
Haulier Warned : "No Furniture Removals"
EWER since Mr. B. Walker, Whitby,
was granted a B licence in 1947, there had been reports of breaches of the conditions. This was stated by the Yorkshire Licensing Authority, Maj. F. S. Eastwood, when a renewal of the licence was granted at Bridlington last week. It had been allowed to lapse in April.
Mr. R. E. Paterson, for the objectors, E. Robinson, Ltd., and J. A. Harrison, Whitby, said the original licence was limited to " building materials within a radius of 12 miles; ordinary furniture to and from salesrooms for Mr. C. A. Suffield, Whitby, within a radius of 20 miles."
A short-term licence, which was granted later, had the words "and furniture " inserted after "removals," and since then the applicant had engaged in irregular furniture removals. In reply, Mr. Walker said he thought he was allowed to undertake ordinary furniture removals besides carriage to and from salesrooms.
Maj. Eastwood said the licence would be renewed in an amended form subject to an undertaking from Mr. Walker that the conditions would be strictly adhered to. He should be careful as to his -future conduct.
Bus Operator Offers to Run at a Loss
E'OLLOWING fines on six parents in
Sancton, Yorkshire, for failing to send their children to school regularly, special dispensation has been -granted by the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners to an operator who offered to run a service between the village and Market Weighton.
Mr. J. France, Market Weighton, said he would operate the route at a loss, charging 6d. return for scholars, after the parents complained in court that their children had to use a busy road to reach school. They claimed that they kept their children at home as a protest against the education authorities' refusal to provide a bus service for them.
Mr. France formerly operated a service from Sancton, but withdrew when he lost the school contracts. The new service will cater for children and adults.
NEW G.M.C. OIL ENGINES
ANEW range of two-stroke oil engines has been introduced by the General Motors Corporation, U.S.A., for installation as original equipment. They are suitable for chassis with grossweight ratings from 111 tons to 27 tons.
There are two different types of the unit: the E-series engines, which have four exhaust valves per cylinder, instead of two, and the T-series, which have exhaust-driven turbochargers to augment the output of the Roots-type blower. The six-cylindered E type develops 210 b.h.p. at 2,100 r.p.m. and the six-cylindered T type is rated at 236 b.h.p. Both are said to give increased economy.
DRIVERS REFUSE 30 M.P.H. WORK
THIRTY lorry drivers on unofficial
strike have been dismissed by Brown and Knight, Ltd., provision merchants, London, S.E.1. The stoppage occurred when one man agreed to work to new schedules based on 30 m.p.h. The other drivers wished to retain existing schedules.
Mr. H. J. Knight said the company were engaging new labour.
Eire's Ban on Foreign Coach Tours Ltf ted
DRITISH coach operators will be Li allowed to include Eire in their tour programmes next year. The Eire Government have decided to lift their ban on foreign coaches. This move follows persistent agitation by the country's hoteliers and tourist development authorities.
To qualify for a licence, tours must continue for at least four nights in the State, and must be confined to persons normally resident outSide Ireland who have made advance reservation. Tours must also be "popularly priced." The inclusive charge for transport, accommodation and other services should not exceed £3 5s. a day from May to September, and 13 a day outside that period.
Coaches may be imported for an occasion, or for the season, when the grant of duty-free facilities will be considered. The Government point out that a breach of the regulations would make an operator liable to pay full Customs duty on his vehicle.
Operators will also be allowed to hire vehicles from Coras lompair Eireann as an alternative to taking their own coaches into the country.
Eire's Tourist Board, in a statement welcoming the proposals, said many travel agents and tour operators had been in touch with them and with hoteliers, with a view to promoting tours next year.
NEW SHOCK-ABSORBING SEAT
ANEW design of driving seat has been developed by the Bostrom Manufacturing Co., of U.S.A., and is being handled in Europe by A.B. Licensstyem, of Stockholm, Sweden. It is claimed to cushion all road shocks by means of a system of rubber torsion springs and it is adjustable for varying weights and sins of driver.
For extra-rough work a hydraulic damper is installed in the seat mountings. The makers say the seat can be factory-installed in 25 makes of truck, including Leyland, and it can be fitted into existing vehicles without much trouble.
riA NEW Goggomobil 5-cwt. van introduced on Tuesday is claimed to be the smallest vehicle in the world with sliding doors and preselectivc gearbox as standard equipment.
It was originally conceived for fast mail delivery. Prototypes were eventually developed into the present version, which is intended for the small shopkeeper and fleet owner.
The sole concessionnaires in this country are Goggomobil, Ltd., 93-95 Old Brompton Road, London, S.W.7 The vehicle is available with a 293 c.c. or 392 c.c. two-strokc fan-cooled engine. The smaller engine develops 17 b.h.p. at 600 r.p.m., • whilst the larger unit develops 20 b.h.p. at 5,000 r.p.m.
The van has a carrying capacity of 5 cwt. and a loading space of 56 cu. ft. The raised portion above the rear wheel-arch is used as a loading plat form. The height from the well-floor is 55 in.
The driving compartment has accommodation for a passenger as well as driver, and the passenger's seat folds to permit easy access to the freight compartment. The two lateral sliding doors slide back into a double-skin wall and are self-locking when opened. 'The doors arc hung from the top to avoid sticking on the lower guide rail.
Twin exterior mirrors and a large windscreen provide all-round visibility. The front and rear suspension is by helical springs and hydraulic shock absorbers. The lever on the it,strument panel is for pre-selection of the gear required. When the clutch pedal is operated, the pre-selected gear is engaged. The electro-magnetic gearbox has four speeds and a reverse.
The standard returns for fuel are. quoted as 56.5 m.p.g. for the TL 300 model with 293 c.c. engine and 55.9 m.p.g. for the TL 400, which has the 392 c.c. unit. The maximum speeds are said to be 46.6 m.p.h. and 55.9 m.p.h. respectively.
Production at the Goggomobil factory in Dingolfing, Bavaria, is expected to increase from the present 200 vehicles per day to 400 per day by next year.
A large stock of interchangeable spare parts will be carried by the concessionnaires and 180 distributors and dealers at present in the United Kingdom.