APPEAL SUCCEEDS AFTER THREE YEARS OF LITIGATION.
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AS a result of his appeal to the Minister of Transport, Mr. George Galley, of Newcastle, is to be allowed to run a restricted bus service from Newcastle to Hull, via York. This decision follows a legal battle which has lasted for about three years.
Mr. Galley's appeals were against the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners' decision that the service should be operated only between Newcastle and York, with an amended time-table and with restrictions on the picking up and setting down of passengers in the Yorkshire Traffic Area ; and against conditions relating to time-tables and fares which the Northern Traffic Commissioners imposed in respect of the whole route between Newcastle and Hull. When these appeals were heard, Mr. Galley withdrew an appeal against the granting by the Yorkshire and Northern Traffic Commissioners of sanction for the running by East Yorkshire Motor Services, Ltd., of a bus service from Hull to Newcastle, via York.
The Minister has ruled that Mr. Galley shall be permitted to run his Newcastle-Hull service, on condition that he should operate two journeys a day in each direction from October . to April inclusive, but only one journey a day in each direction from May to September inclusive, when East Yorkshire Motor Services, Ltd,. will be operating on the route.
With regard to Mr. Galley's upped. against the conditions imposed by the Northern Commissioners, the Minister has decided that the former times of departure shall be reinstated, but he has refused to make any Order as to fares.
The Minister has allowed an appeal by East Yorkshire Motor Services, Ltd., against the Yorkshire Commissioners' decision in restricting the number of vehicles on that company's NewcastleYork-Hull service to a maximum of one, with a maximum of two on the Saturdays before and after August Bank Holiday. He has decided to order the Commissioners to permit the continuance of the existing system of duplication, requiring the company to notify the Commissioners within 24 hours after a coach has been run in duplicate.
TOURING BY CAR: APPLICATION REFUSED.
AN unusual application came before the Northern Scotland Traffic Commissioners. at Inverness, on September 6, when Mr. A. R. Fairburn sought permission under the name of Messrs. Scottish, English and Welsh Motor Tours, Cathcart, Glasgow, to operate cars on a series of tours from Inverness. Objections were lodged by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Co., David MacBrayne (1928), Ltd., W. 'Alexander and Sons,. Ltd., and a number of other operators.
The applicant stated that he would be catering for the type of passenger which did not normally travel by coach or bus, but which, perhaps, through age or infirmity, would be prepared to share in the hire of a small car. He had operated similar services elsewhere, he declared.
The application was refused. '
CORPORATION AND COMPANY JOINT PURCHASES?
DONCASTER Corporation's Transport manager has been authorized to negotiate, in conjunction with the Yorkshire Traction Co., Ltd., for the joint acquisition of certain bus services in South Yorkshire..
FLEET OF OIL-ENGINED BUSES FOR NEWCASTLE.
MEWCASTLE Corporation is to pur1 chase 14 new buses-10 of them single-deckers—the vehicles being required for the Branch End and Ponteland routes. All the single-cletIers will have Daimler chassis, with the fluid flywheel transmission, as their bases, but they will have four-cylindered oil engines of Armstrong-Sa-nrer make. The order for the bodies is being divided between MetropolitanCammell-Weymann Motor Bodies, Ltd., and the Northern Coachbuilders, Ltd., of Newcastle.
The double-deckers will also comprise Daimler chassis, but they will be equipped with Gardner oil engines. The bodies will be built by the Metropolitan-Cammell-Weymann concern. The total value of the order exceeds £20,000.
For some weeks past the corporation has been experimenting with an Armstrong-Saurer oil engine in a proprietary make of chassis, the results proving so satisfactory that the transport committee has decided to adopt oil engines for all immediate replacements.
BOURNEMOUTH WELL SATISFIED WITH TROLLEYBUSES.
yvIIEN Bournemouth Corporation inIN stalled its first fleet of SunbeamB.T.H. trolleybuses in June last, it was said that the entire tramways system would be superseded by trolleybuses within a period of three years. It would appear that this type of vehicle is giving such satisfactory results that its use is being extended more rapidly than was anticipated.
Following the delivery of 12 vehicles which formed the nucleus of the corporation's Sunbeam fleet, a further six vehicles of this make were ordered, and we are now informed that the Sunbeam Motor Car Co., .Ltd., has received a third order from the corporation, this being for 36 trolleybuses; the value of the order is approximately £80,000.
The new vehicles will be similar to those recently supplied, the chassis being the Sunbeam M.S.2 six-wheeled type, with B.T.H. regenerative traction equipment. The 56-seater bodies will , be built by Park Royal Coachworks, Ltd., and will have front and rear staircases to the upper deck and a front exit. OVERSEAS BUS ORDERS FOR BRITISH MAKERS.
ANUMBER of contracts for new uses is likely shortly to be placed in this country by Australian and South African authorities. In Australia, the Road Transport Commission of New South Wales has decided to purchase 50 double-deckersa most of them to have oil engines. The bodies are to be constructed locally. It is understood that an order for 20 vehicles has been placed and that tenders for the balance will be invited at intervals.
In South Africa, Pretoria City Council has decided to make a start with the replacement of its tramcars by oilengined buses, and has authorized the expenditure of £37,900 on the purchase of 10 single-deckers and six doubledeckers • Tenders will be called for
soon. •
Mr. C. J. Spencer, of London, who recently investigated the municipal transport system of Bloemfontein, has recommended that the trolleybus system be superseded by a service of oilers. His report, in effect, endorses the recommendations made in June by Mr. R. Macaulay, the city electrical engineer, and Mr. D. A. Thomson, a former chairman of the tramways committee.
MOTORBUS AND TROLLEYBUS RESULTS AT BRADFORD.
THE annual report of the passengertransport department of Bradford Corporation contains some interesting figures relating to the municipality's bus operations in the year ended March 31, 1934, which supplement the details given in our issue dated June 29.
The corporation operates both motorbuses and trolleybuses and, in the period in question, the former were operated at a gross profit of £14,230 and the latter at a gross profit of £1,893, the comparable figures for the previous year being £12,265 and £9,707 respectively. The total revenue on the motorbuses was £151,710 and expenses totalled £137,480. In the case of trolleybuses, revenue amounted to £120,705 and expenses to £118,812. After meeting sinking fund and other charges, the surplus on the motorbus system was reduced to £937, whilst there was a loss of £15,463 on the trolleybuses. .
During the year the motorbuses covered an aggregate mileage of 2,815,244 and carried 17,691,961 passengers, the comparable returns for the trolleybuses being 2,019,601 miles and 18,171,418 passengers. The former vehicles serve a route mileage of 57 and the trolleybuses one of 25. At the end of March last the corporation was operating 80 motorbuses and 66 trolleybuses. •
In spite of the fact that the whole of the petrol vehicles, with the exception of three buses bought during the year, are Over five years. old, the cost of maintenance has fallen about 10 per cent, and the service .reliability, is of a good standard. The . result of the corporation's tests with oil-enginod
buses has been very satisfactory. . LOWER FARES ON HIGHLAND BUS ROUTE.
A'a meeting of the Northern Scotland Traffic Commissioners, in Inverness, last week, it was agreed that reduced fares should come into operation, on October 1, between Inverness and Port William.
Mr. Henry Riches, chairman of the Commissioners, said that on that route they had hitherto approved of fares at a higher mileage rate than on most Highland rbads. The road had been under reconstruction, and running costs were, therefore, higher. Reconstruction was now finished, and the Commissioners felt that the time had come when there should be a reduction of fares.
• Regarding co-ordination of services on the route, Mr. Riches said it was clear that the public was not getting a fair deal. There were too many vehicles on the road at one time and too great an interval without any service. It was time that petty jealousies gave way to the general question of coordination, • On behalf of Messrs. W. Macintyre and Sons, Messrs. MacRae and Dick and David MaeBrayne (1928), Ltd., it was suggested that the question of co-ordination should be delayed until the bridge over the Onich at Fort Augustus was reconstructed.
DONCASTER RAISES WAGES.
FOLLOWING representations from the Transport and General Workers Union, Doncaster Corporation has granted wages increases to its conductors and conductresses, Details of the revised rates of pay are as follow :—
Conductors of 19-20 years, £1 10s, increased to £1 12s. 6d.; 20-21 years, £1 18s: fid. to £2 Is.; 21-21i years, £2 as. to £2 5s.; 214-221 years, £2 4s. to £2 7s. 6d.; 22i-233years, £2 5s. to £2 10s.; 23i years, maximum, £2 7s. increased to £2 12s. Conductresses: After two years' service, £1 12s. 6d.; after three years, 21 15s. GOOD RESULTS FROM WALLASEY'S BUSES.
THE returns just issued for Wallasey Corporation's tramway and bus undertaking show that during the year ended March 31 last, 24,577,008 passengers weie carried and £177,506 was paid in fares. The tramways, which were replaced by buses in December last, contributed £17,756 towards this total, the figures for the buses being 21,220,919 passengers, and £159,750 receipts.
JEDBURGH GARAGE FOR S.M.T. -FRE ,Scottish Motor Traction Co., 1 Ltd., has recently completed the purchase of a site in jedburgh and proposes to build a garage suitable for its needs. Hitherto the company has not had its own garage accommodation in this town.
It is understood that the company is also on the look-out for a site in a Border town on which to build another garage.