PROBLEMS OF THE HAULIER AND CARRIER.
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Some Further Considerations of a Country Bus Service—Points in Connection with Choosing a Vehicle.
IN our last week's issue we considered the various points dealing with the choice of district in which to start a rural bus service, and this week I propose going on to other aspects of importance to the future carrier, presuming that he has selected his prospective working ground.
Obviously the vehicle, which is to be the chief part of the stock-in-trade, is one of the most important items, and in most cases a start will be made with one vehicle. `I shall work, therefore, on this as a basis.
Passenger and luggage capacity is the first vital point. It is useless buying the largest bus to which the capital will, run unless the volume of passengers Is sufficient to justify its employment. . It must he remembered, for example, that there is a difference of some £1 14s. per week between the cost of running a 14-seater and of running a 20-seater bus for 150 miles. From this it may be gathered that the question of economical capacity is important. Obviously, a 14-seater bus, employed reasonably fully, will pay more than a 20-seater carrying the same number of people over the same distance. It may look very opulent to run a big vehicle such as a 30-seater bus, but, if only a quarter of the seats are usually occupied, it is an expensive way of gratifying one's personal pride.
In industrial districts the percentage of travellers in regard to the population is fairly steady from day to day, that is to say, the difference between Monday's passenger total and that of Tuesday will show but little change. Early-closing day, of course, may put up the figures slightly, but the normal variation is usually not so great as in the case we are now to consider, namely, that of an agricultural district. Here the early-closing day may not be the cause of " peak " loads, but market days have a much more pronounced effect. There may be enough passengers to keep a 20-seater running and paying on three trips a day, but a 30-seater doing two journeys a day might be only partly filled, and thus not such a paying proposition to its owner. The smaller vehicle, running the greater number of journeys in such circumstances, fits in better with the public convenience, and thus the proprietor reaps a fair reward.
For the beginner, then, it seems in most cases to be the wisest course to buy a fairly small type of bus which can be guaranteed a fairly full working load all the time, and to buy another vehicle to deal with the extra passengers when business warrants it. It is a very common mistake to find a novice starting business in a country area with a vehicle which, to be worked economically, really needs to be used in a big town. It is better to have too small a machine than too large a one. " Little and often "—by this being meant a frequent service—is quite a good rule to follow.
Now, as to the body of the bus ; the number of seats is taken as settled, but the arraugenlent of them needs thought, If placed across the chassis—that is, in the manner of the ordinary char-h-bancs--the vehicle will have a short wheel-base in the case of a small-capacity bus, and thus be somewhat cramped for luggage space. It is better for the seats to run fore and aft in the case of vehicles used for country bus services. The passengers will face each other, and this point is in favour-of the type rather than against it, where there is a social aspect to the ride to and from the market town.
This arrangement of seating gives ample space for a good number of parcels on the floor between the feet of the passengers and allows of a bulky but light object being carried on the knees, and it must not be forgotten that many passengers will be carrying baskets of eggs and other fragile loads which they will not trust out of their bands. Again, parcels may be stowed under the seats, which is more convenient than if they were placed crosswise, as the feet of one row of passengers then project under the seat in front and occupy useful luggage space.
The seats themselves may well be made to fold up against the body sides when out of use, being held there by means of clips or straps, thus allowing the interior of the body to be used for goods if necessary, or partly for goods and partly for passengers as circumstances demand. It is not much use, in the case of a fairly large vehicle having each longitudinal seat in one piece, as this may mean that all the goods have to go on one side of the vehicle and the passengers to the other, causing uneven loading. It is better for this type of Work that seats be made in two or three sections, each independently, hinged, so as to enable the driver to put up or down the right number of seats to accominodate to the best advantage the respective proportions of live and dead loads.
The doors must be wide and ;under the ,driver's control ; the reason for the width of the door is obvious, as so many people carrying packages will want ample space for entry and exit. Regarding the necessity for driver's control, although, again, this is fairly apparent, it should not be overlooked that in unlighted country districts there is a temptation for passengers to try to dismount when they think they have reached their destination although the vehicle may still actually be on the move.
As a rule, one-man operation is essential in the interests of economy ; therefore, the front-entrance type of body is indicated, having emergency doors at the rear. Please note doors, not door. The ordinary emergency type is all right for passengers, but it must not be forgotten that, when the body is to be used for goods from time to time, .such objects may have to be dealt with as a large crate of eggs or a calf in a-sack, and it is far handier to be able to get round the load on both sides, so that two men can lift or lower it gently, without having to tip it up on edge to get it through the back entrance of the body.
The low load-line is a good feature, but it is not absolutely essential. Elderly passengers appreciate a low bus, but there is rarely space under the overhanging part of the body for a luggage cratch, as occurs in the case of many high-level frames. On the roof luggage rails are essential, and a flat surface is preferable to a slightly rounded one. The proprietor of a country bus is well advised to have a tarpaulin made to fit on to these luggage rails so as to protect bulky packages which may be carried on the roof in wet weather. The sheet also, of course, serves as a 'fastening medium when it is windy.
A fixed ladder is not always convenient for gaining access to the roof when carrying a fairly awkward load up or down ; it is often much easier to take the load direct to the point on the roof at which it will be carried. In any case, the ladder provided should be mounted securely when stowed away for running, and it should be capable of being clipped tightly against the luggage rail, as a heavily laden man ascending the ladder often cannot spare a hand to steady himself, and an insecurely fixed ladder may lead to a fall.
Inside decoration of the body should not be elaborate, as it must be remembered that dust and dirt are inseparable from goods loads, therefore the body should be such that it is not easily spoiled, and cleaning, in the interests of the passengers, can -readily be carried out.
Let us now turn to the chassis; for long-wearing qualities and low upkeep costs it is best to mount the body on a substantial chassis which will run normally well within its power range. In addition to the costs Question there is the matter of overload, and it must be remembered that both the number of passengers and the weight of goods vary within wide limits on country bus services. Particularly in hilly districts, a good reserve of engine power is essential, and a vehicle with a four-speed gearbox will often have the pull over a three-speed type in such country.
Tyre equipment undoubtedly should be pneumatic, in the interests of the carrier's pocket and the passengers' comfort. Not only is vibration an important matter when many miles of secondary roads have to be covered, but the " drumming " which arises from the vibration and hinders conversation is unpleasant, and those who recall the days of the old horse-drawn carrier's van will remember what an important factor in a journey conversation was—and still is. Methods of transport may have changed, but human nature has not; therefore, a vehicle which favours easy talking is to be preferred to one in which the rattle and drumming make it a difficult matter to hear one's
neighbour. S.T.R..