Wide Buses on Narrow Roads
Page 54
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AS an assistant mechanical superintendent at a large bus depot in Essex. I am constantly "driving buses, mostly on test, and hold a RSV. licence. In addition to these points I have a thorough knowledge of the roads upon which the vehicles operate and the drivers' reactions to them.
The main subject of my letter concerns 8-ft.-wide buses and how they compare with the former models of 7-ft. 6-in, width, in view of present-day road conditions, and I would be interested to read contributions from other readers on this matter.
Some three years have now elapsed since the eightfooters were first permitted to operate. When the then Minister of Transport sanctioned their use, did he (a) check the accident figures after the first year; (b) have personal experience of the driving of this type of vehicle on secondor third-class roads, or (c) did he take a ride in one on a main road?
When the company by whom I am employed received their first batch of the wider buses, I inquired as to which routes they would operate on, and was then told that they would be only on routes covering main roads. This earlier restriction is no longer observed as more of the new vehicles come into service, so that now the bigger models are on practically all routes.
I am convinced that, judging by conditions in my own locality of Essex, the secondand third-class roads in this Country are not sufficiently wide for them to be operated safely. Various incidents have emphasized this view. For example, last winter two vehicles of this type met and one pulled in as far as possible to the side of the road to make safe passing possible. However, it became stuck in soft mud at the verge and the near-side rear wheel could not grip, whilst the bus was leaning over at an angle. On measuring the road it was found to be only 16 ft. wide.
Previous to this incident, a driver alighted from his cab and was walking to the rear of the bus on the off side when another bus pulled away from the stop.
The unfortunate driver was jammed between the two and rolled along, being badly injured and detained in hospital for several months. It seemed to have been because the driver of the second vehicle had difficulty in gauging the distance between, them. Other accidents included .a coach ending up on its side in a ditch, and a collision in which a heavy lorry almost ripped out the side of a bus.
During a recent day tour to Hastings, I was amazed when travelling between Gravesend and Tonbridge at how close the hedges were to the near side of the vehicle when a stream of traffic passed in the opposite direction. Objects were constantly missed by disturb ingly small margins and I wondered just how much was
due to driving skill and how much to sheer luck. Taking a point from the centre line of the driver, he
had about 7 ft. of vehicle on his near side, and to miss a post set at, say, 7 ft. 3 in. from him, would have been no simple task. I noted further that the near-side wheels of the coach passed over the kerb at least six times; this was not the fault of the driver, who was one of the best with whom I had.ridden.
Only a week or two ago, three of the most recent 820
batch of wide buses were in our garage for servicing. Althoughthey were not six weeks old, each had its near-side front wing dented' and scratched.
To avoid such troubles, 1. believe that the makers should revert to a 50 per cent. production of the narrower vehicles until such time as the Government produce better roads more suitable for the larger • models.
Southend-on-Sea. E. GREENWOOD.
Our Coaching-era Roads
RECENTLY I read with interest a reference to a vehicle with an exceptionally long load being " jammed" for 36 hours in Monmouth. It is not
surprising that this sort of thing should occur, in view of the cart tracks" that take the place of proper main roads in England. Road expenditure is still largely confined to patching' and scraping, widening a bit here and a bit there, if it can be afforded, or a, few corners chopped off (when the men and road rollers are not working in the public parks), whilst potholes are filled in until the rain or a passage of a
few heavy vehicles force out the fillings. What a policy for a country that is always supposed to he in the forefront of everything modern !
When there is a war on, money is spent like water, but when it goes to a humane project such as improving roads, a few miserable pounds are doled out. It seems that in Britain we are still in the era when Wells Fargo took 60 days to crawl from Chicago to San Francisco.
On our main" roads we see eight-wheelers bunched together, with express coaches running similarly in the middle endeavouring to overtake them. Roadside cafes are for the most part primitive and under-staffed with a few old tables and chairs and last week's Sunday papers for reading matter. .
Loads are in many cases badly arranged and carelessly sheeted, and as a result they are often a danger to other road users. In the U.S.A. anyone found with an inseculle load is "given a ticket ". right away by the police patrols. Rear lights are still in many cases most inadequate and often virtually hidden by the rear of the body. Mud flaps are compulsory in America and should be so here, especially with the latest type short mudguards that cover about a quarter of the wheels. Sun visors should be standardized on British .vehicles. They are essential to prevent dazzle.
Let us get out of the stage-coach era and get the Barber-Greenes, the Caterpillars, cement mixers, eightwheeled tippers and dumpers rolling full speed ahead to build those long-promised better roads.
The "Crazy Gang" is perfectly sane compared with what happens around here, where a by-pass is a crying
need. The nation requires to spend not less than il,000m. on roads during the next 10 years, if road transport is to he kept moving at more than 20 m.p.h.
Tettenhall, nr. Wolverhampton. J. W. Moatus.