Aspects of the B.T.C. Report
Page 35
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Dealing with Interesting Points in Sections Relating to the Road Transport, London Transport and Railway Executives
THERE is so much of vita! interest to our industry in the monumental first annual report of the British Transport Commission that we will deal with this in Iwo or more special articles, of which this is the first. We have purposely selected for reference in this those three particular sections which may be of more immediate interest to our readers, omitting for the time being the more general subjects covered.
Dealing particularly with the former Road Transport Executive, it is pointed out that the traffic position was generally good during June, 1948, but there was deterioration between June and September, some improvement in the next two months, but at the end of the year road transport facilities were not extended. Statistics reveal some degree of unbalanced loading amongst acquired undertakings, but progress towards establishing Traffic Report Centres for the exchange of surplus traffic and vehicle space may achieve economy. .
In some cases: important customers were given the facility of placing all orders for road transport through a particular one of the undertakings controlled by the Executive. It was decided that " smalls " traffic would eventually be brought within the Divisional organization, but because of the complex problem of adjusting wide networks of the larger. "smalls" operators, a Central Advisory Committee, including those that had been acquired, undertook a preliminary examination for traffic exchange and correction of
unbalanced loading. .
List of Approved Suppliers Arrangements were concluded with manufacturers and suppliers in respect of fuel, tyres and other main supplies. Vehicle and battery makers were approached, but at the end of the year negotiations were in a preliminary stage. To prevent initial confusion, companies were instructed to continue to use the same type of supplies and to order from the same people. A list of approved people and -of bulk prices negotiated and approved by headquarters, was compiled. Companies and units can thus order without having to check specifications or discuss prices.
Of importance is the workshop procedure. Listing of facilities was commenced, and included those owned by acquired undertakings, and others not owned by these but by former subsidiary or associate concerns. In some cases arrangements were made for the work to be continued, for the time being, for an agreed payment. Independent facilities, such as repair specialists in engine reconditioning, bodybuilding and the like, are being listed for inspection, with a view to using them if it becomes necessary to do -so.
A long-term maintenance organization will eventually be planned to provide self-contained repair facilities, ranging from routine inspection in the garage to fully equipped unit and vehicle reconditioning plants.
Unions Being Consulted Wages control proved a difficulty. The Road Haulage Wages Orders apply only to holders of A and B licences. The Commission does not require these, also the machinery for enforcement was felt to be inappropriate for a public body. The first problem was met temporarily by the acquired companies continuing to observe the R.H. series for those employees to whom it had hitherto applied. Discussions with the appropriate unions took place concerning future negotiating machinery, and it is expected that agreement willbe reached before the Executive becomes an operator, of transport on a large scale.
Even when acquisition is complete, the Executive will not by any means embrace the entire haulage industry, TN-cc parties are concerned directly with negotiating -machinery she Executive, the privately owned concerns and the trade. unions with membership in both sections. One purpose of she Road Haulage Wages Council Act of December, 1948, is to substitute for the Central and Area Wages Boards a single Road Haulage Villages Council, still applying only to
holders of A and B licences. As the clerical staff grows, its members will need to be brought within suitable machinery of negotiation.
The Executive has both the advantages and disadvantages of organizing an industry made up of a large number of small units. A comprehensive system has to be built up from an industry where personal and direct relations between staff and managers or proprietors are the general rule. Therefore, efforts are being made to provide joint consultation at all levels, especially at the Group level, where the majority of the staff will work. it is regarded as essential that the staff should know their managerial leader and be in possession of full information on work, plans and policy.
Traffic Increase in London As regards London Transport, road traffic in 1948 was a record. On the central buses, passenger journeys increased by 177,000,000, or 7.9 per cent., on trolleybuses by 46,000,000, or 5_3 per cent.; and even on trams by 19,000,000, or 6.6 per cent. Service growth was particularly marked in the country buses, on which 18,000,000 (63 5 per cent.) more miles were operated than in 1938-39, a change associated with the altered distribution of population. In passenger journeys the increase was 23,000,000, or 8.6 per cent. over 1947.
In 1949 London Transport is to receive 1,500 new buses, and the programme for mounting new bodies on some existing, chassis will enable the balance between withdrawals and addition's to he restored by the end of this year Then attention can be directed to the problem of replacing the remaining trams by buses, which will take about LIN vehicles. There is also the need to augment existing/services to keep in line with traffic requirements.
Two important developments were being tested in 1948a new method of fuel injection to eliminate Diesel knock and a modified preselective gearbox in which the drive is continuously maintained throughout the gear range, and halts in acceleration during changing are eliminate.
Railway Excuses for Losses Some interesting points occur in the record of the activities
of the Railway Executive. It is stated that for general merchandise traffics there was evidence, as 1948 developed, of ad excess availability' of inland transport, to which a progressive growth of C-licensed vehicles contributed. There was some preference for road transport facilities for shorthaul traffic, particularly to the ports with exports.
The continuance of a railway freight charges system based upon a classification of commodities in which value of the commodity determines the rate, side-by-side with the operations of other forms of transport with charges based mainly upon other considerations, are said to have placed British Railways at a disadvantage in competing for transport of the more highly classified commodities.
There was evidence also of some general constriction of money for travel and holidays. This tended to throw added emphasis upon disparities between the level of railway fares (55 per cent. over pre-war) and the level of fares of passenger road transport undertakings, many of which remain at the pre-war level. This is particularly so in the case of contract coaches operating on selected dense traffic routes.
As part of the future programme, the development of "palletization " and "fork" trucks was studied jointly with representatives of industry and Government Departments.
British Railways operated 11,329 road motor vehicles with their complement of trailers in their collection and delivery services for goods and parcels traffic.
Another study was made of the increasing field of mechanization of horsed-cartage working, with special emphasis on experimental, work with electrical units.
Under "Road Motor Engineering," the stock of railway vehicles is given as exactly 1,000 more than the figure mentioned above, and reference is made to 15,731 trailers.