Commercial Motors in Rio de Janeiro.
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Apropos intended developments for the exploitation of commercial motors in Brazil, our readers may be reminded that Rio, the capital, and probably the most-beautifully-situated city in the world, still offers wide scope to British motor manufacturers. The bulk of the business is, unfortunately, now in the hands of French and German makers. For some years, the Brazilians have adopted petrol machines for pleasure purposes, in the neighbourhood of the large ,towns, but a new development in the use of cabs and heavy vehicles has taken place. There is considerable need for extensions. Many million of pounds have been spent in improving the streets, and in making them fit for motor traffic in the last decade, and it is hoped that the English makers will realize that motor transport is an accomplished fact in Rio, and that there is much more trade to be done.
There is a two-minute service of motorbuses along the celebrated Avenida Atlantica, the chief street of Rio, and one which compares with Prince's Street, Edinburgh. The vehicles are very small, according to English ideas, but they are lighter and rather faster than the London bus. They are practically limousine-body cars, carrying 10 passengers inside and two beside the driver, whilst, on some, there is room for three or four to stand on the rear platform, after the Continental fashion.
There are several heavy motor wagons successfully in use, but they appear to suffer from neglect and bad handling ; further, their wheels are in all eases too small in diameter to stand the racket of the bad cobbles in the side streets.
There are large numbers of cabs (without taximeters) in use—chiefly do Dietrichs and F.E.A.T.s There is a fixed scale of charges for each size of cab, based upon horse-power ; for instance, a double-cylinder cab to carry four passengers costs 7,000 reis per hour, with 1,000 reis extra per passenger beyond two. This comes to 10s. an hour for three persona, including a is. tip. This is not expensive, taking into account that living in Rio costs more than twice what it does in London.
The ordinary hansom costs 5,000 reis per hour, and only takes one passenger beside the driver ; it has no room whatever for luggage.