Municipal Purchases and Proposals
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Hoye Corporation is to purchase a van for the canteen services.
BeltonEmergency Committee is to purchase a new tipping wagon. London County Council is to provide ambulanms for the Southern Hospital at a cost of Z1.088.
Gateshead C'orporation is to order three refuse cellectors and three 2-toe' lorries for post-war delivery.
Scarborough Corporation is considering the purchase of a used lorry for the electricity department. Lancaster Transport Committee is to purchase two buses—one a double.decker and the other a single-decker.
London County Council has voted estimates of £452,000 for lorries and plant for the A.R.P. services.
Failsworth Urban District Council is seeking sanction to borrow .040 tor the purchase of a lorry for the surveyor s and health departments.
Torquay Corporation is to apply to the Regional Transport Commissioner for a priority order for the purchase of a new 15-cat, light Vatl.
West Hartlepool Corporation has placed an order with the. Associated Equipment Co., Ltd., for two bus chassis and with C. Roe, Ltd., for two bodies. ;Twickenham Town. Ccuncii is to purchase two read sweepers with' snowpiertgbs, subject to a grant of 50 per cent., at an estimated cost of £1,600, in addition to a 2.ton lorry, estimated to cost £400. ' Wakefield Corporation is to purchase is combined gully-emptier and snowplongh at an estimated cost of £910.
Lovnasto(t Transport Committee has decided that buses to be purchased after the war be provided with oil engines.
Plymouth Jity Council reports the receipt of a licence to acqnstre six new motorbuses. The estimated cost is £13.500. Liverpool Corporation has decided to purchase 10 trailers, for attachment to salvage vehicles, from Rollalong Caravans, Ltd., Seymour Road, Ringwood, Hants. Caernarvon klea.th Committee is to reconsider the purchase of a 2-to0 scavenging lorry. Guildford Corporation has accepted the tender of Dennis Brothers, Ltd., for the supply of a cesspool-emptier. Swindon Transport. Committee has authorized the general manager to place orders for bones for post-war delivery with Leyland Motors, Ltd. (four douhle.deckers and three single-deckers), and Transport Vehicles (Daimler) Ltd. lave double-deckers and three single-cfeckers), Stockton-on-Tees Corporation has accepted the tender of the Northern Counties Motor and Engineering Co.. Ltd., for the supply of two bus bodies and has placed a contract with Metropolitan Cammell Weymann, Ltd ,. for the postwar delivery of 12 double-deck bus bodies.
Warrington Transport Committee has received authority to buy a double-deck bus, the chassis to be supplied by the Leyland concern and the body by East Lancashire, Coachbutlder.s, Ltd. The transport manager has alaa been authorized to place the corporation on the waiting list Of Leyland Motors, Ltd., for the supply of six new buses.
Clasgow Transport Committee made application 1.0 the Minister of War Transport for a licence to acquire 100 new buses, and authority to obtain 10 vehicles has been given. The committee, .therefore, has agreed to accept the offer of Albion Motors, Ltd., for the supply of eight. chassis and, with regard to the other two machines, Leyland Motors, Ltd. for the ehilISIS), RBA East Lancashire Coachhnilders, Ltd. (for the bodies), are to submit tenders.
LITTLE DEMAND FOR TRAINEEDRIVERS
I N addition to about 60 men, some 40 women have been, or are being, trained in the North-Eastern Division of the Ministry of Labour for work as motor mechanics, under the Ministry's scheme to recruit labour required for the repair and servicing of road vehicles. Apart from the women who are being trained under the scheme, one large haulage concern in Yorkshire is training women to act as mechanics in its workshops. Those trained under the scheme are placed in a labour pool, like the men trainees, and then they are "
rationed" to firms applying to the Ministry for mechanics.
There are still only a few men and women being 5trained in the NorthEastern Division under the Ministry's scheme to .provide men and women drivers of commercial Vehicles, as the demand for trainee-drivers remains small. The position appears to be that whilst there is some shortage of experienced drivers, the labour problem is not yet so difficult as to stimulate much'eall for trainees.
BUS SHORTAGE CAUSES WORKMEN TO LOSE TIME
WHEN reference was made to bus Irlf facilities at a meeting of Jarrow Town 'Improvement Committee, the chairman, Alderman J. Hanlon, said that Sir John Maxwell, the Regional Transport Commissioner, had asked dozens of firms to stagger working hours, but they had refused.
The Town Clerk read a letter from the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., complaining that workmen were turning out for work at 7.15 a.m, each day instead of 7 a.m., ivith the result that duplicate buses were not used. Councillor J. Richardson said that about 2,000 workmen travelled from Jarrow to Hebburn to work and about 350 lost half an hour's work each day. He said that there were• not enough buses. The Committee decided to interview Sir John Maxwell on the position.
TRANSPORT CONCENTRATIOF URGED IN CITIES SCOTTISH trade associations have L./been given a definite hint that', in the near future, they must .take the necessary steps to limit the use of transport vehicles by members. This is stressed in warnings which have been issued, a typical example being that which St. Andrews Merchants' Association has given its members. A mutual scheme for the delivery of goods within the town, because of further petrol restrictions, was essential. This Association also points out that the telescoping of retail shops is inevitable, as a result of staff withdrawals.
In effect, this means that in towns and cities a vast amount of transport will be withdrawn, if possible by/ such voluntary arrangements, but failing such methods, by compulsion.
• The country position is more difficult and the Scottish Federation of Provision Merchants has indicated, after consideration of such .a request, that it is not feasible in country areas further to limit transport. On the other hand, it agrees that city transport can be limited if customers can be persuaded to come for their goods themselves.
All the indications are that a large number of commercial vehicles will be on the market when this process materializes, and that an added burden will be thrown on the remaining transport to such an extent, perhaps, that it will be found incapable of handling the work.
NOTTINGHAM'S MUNICIPAL BUSES KEPT BUSY
A DDRESSING the local rotary club in.some days ago, Mr. Ben England, general manager of Nottingham Transport Department, stated that there has been a large increase in traffic on the municipal buses in the city since the start of the war, and that this increase is continuing.
In the past municipal year, the vehicles of the corporation covered an aggregate mileage of about 9,000,000, a reduction of 800,000 on the previous
year's total. This fall was brought about by fuel rationing, but, during the same period, the mileage covered by the municipal trolleybuses increased by 52,000. The number of passengers carried during the same period was 2,250,000 higher at 105,000,000, and the revenue was E50,000 up at E680,000.
Mr. England made it clear that every available vehicle was now in use at peak periods, and he emphasized the need for employers to stagger the hours of workers in order to solve presentday passenger-transport problems.
TRACTORS CUT SCOTLAND'S SECOND HARVEST
Ipi all, 60,000 acres of Scotland's second war harvest have been cut by 550 tractor outfits mimed by the Government. This was stated in a report dealing with the Government's reserve of agricultural machinery issued by the Department of Agriculture Ix Scotland some days ago.
SCOTLAND PLANS A POOL FOR GOVERNMENT USE
AWELL-ATTENDED meeting of the Edinburgh and District Area Council of the Scottish C.M.U.A. has approved, in principle, a scheme to place a pool of motor vehicles at the Government's disposal in the event of an emergency in any part of Scotland. Mr. Robert Smith, of Universal Transport Co. (Scotland), Ltd., originator of the scheme, explained that it wal intended that the.scheme should function only in the event of an emergency and would in no way interfere with operators' private businesses.
It was intimated that Area Councils had already approved the proposals at meetings in Aberdeen, Dundee and Falkirk, which have appointed representatives, whilst at Glasgow, Fife, Dumfries and Inverness members were to meet shortly to appoint representatives.
The Edinburgh and area representatives were appointed as follow:— Messrs. W. R. Aitken, H. Arnott, H. Bryce (representing C-licence operators), J. Duncan, L. S. Jack, J. A. Leslie, Peter Paterson, William Paterson and Nelson Smith. When all areas have elected representatives, a national committee will meet to work out details and arrange procedure.
CONTROL OF CHARGES FOR WAREHOUSING
THE Board of Trade will, through the Control of Factory and Storage Premises and the Central Price Regulation Committee, exercise a general control over warehouse rates and charges other than those of statutory bodies.
Where possible, rates will be fixed by agreement between the Control and the associations or federations of wharfingers and warehousekeepers, failing which, the Board will fix regionally by Order the rates and margins which may be levied. No increase on existing rates may be made without the sanction of the Board of Trade. R.A.F. ROUNDEL PROHIBITED ON UNAUTHORIZED VEHICLES
UNDER the Road Vehicles (Service Marks) Order, 1941, dated October 8, the Minister of War Transport forbids the use on the highway of any vehicle bearing the red, white and blue R.A.F. roundel, which is employed by the Air Ministry to distinguish vehicles used' by it or on its behalf. The use of any mark or device which might reasonably be mistaken for this roundel is also prohibited,
SUCCESS OF SCOTTISH C.M.U.A.'s MEETINGS PLAN
AN interesting war innovation has been the Scottish C.M.U.A.'s plan for holding periodical business-cumluncheon meetings. It has been found that the idea admirably suits busy operators. The credit for the scheme belongs to the office-bearers of the Glasgow Area, who have been holding .weekly luncheon meetings since the outbreak of war. Edinburgh followed up the idea, and is now holding luncheons on the first and third Tuesdays of each month.
Members appreciate the attendance of officials in the industry, and Mr. Archibald Henderson, the Scottish Regional Transport Commissioner, has already attended several functions, DOG RACING GETS FUEL PRIORITY TO FOOD TRANSPORT
LITTLE satisfaction was gained by Lieut. Butcher when he asked the Secretary for Petroleum, last week, to give an assurance that, before the reduction in the basic ration of petrol for goods vehicles came into force, steps would be taken to prevent the use of fuel by private motorists for
attending such events as dog and horseracing, Mr. G. Lloyd, having informed the Member that the use of supplementary allowances for the purposes mentioned was illegal, said that steps had already been taken, in the direction urged, by the recent reduction in the basic ration, Lieut. Butcher then inquired why, if petrol could be used in this way, it was necessary for constituents to have to invoke the aid of their Members to obtain additional supplementary rations for the delivery of food in agri cultural districts. Mr. Lloyd replied only to the effect that this question should be put to the appropriate Minister.
PONTYPOOL TO BUY BUS SERVICE?
xy/E learn that Pontypool (Mon.) W Council may shortly tike over the bus service at present operated in the town and district by Councirler E. J. Peake, of Pontnewynydd. Mon. The council is to discuss the question of purchasing the service at its next meeting.
NOTEK CELEBRATION LUNCH
LAST week, Notek Electric Co., Ltd., held an informal luncheon at the Victoria Coach Station to celebrate the opening of its new offices at Coastal Chambers, 172, Buckingham Palace Road, London, S.W.1. Mr. R. Hinds, managing director, presided, and in welcoming the guests, which included Mr. G. French, managing director of Maidstone and District Motor Services, Ltd., Messrs. Lorkin and Daglish, of the Equipment and Engineering Co., Ltd., thanked them for their co-operation in these difficult times.
ELECTRICS TO SOLVE LAUNDRY TRANSPORT PROBLEM
THAT the laundry was suffering I through petrol restrictions interfering with the collection and delivery, of linen,. but. that the Society was negotiating for some electric vans for laundry use and hoped to have them running very soon, was a. statement made by Mr. A. N. Stroud, vice-president of the Plymouth Co-operative Society, in addressing recently a.meeting of local ea-operators.
MANY B.D.A. TRANSPORT MEN
GET SAFE-DRIVING AWARDS TN all, 29 motor drivers, who had not Ibsen involved in any accident during 14 years, were among employees of the transport department of the Bradford Dyers' Association to whom gold and silver safe-driving medals, awarded by the Accidents Prevention Association, were presented last week. As many as 97 per cent, of the B.D.A.'s drivers, at Bradford and elsewhere, received awards.
INFORMATION FOR A.F.S. PERSONNEL
A SMALL book of practically pocket Pt size, and which should be of particular value to members of the Auxiliary Fire Service is "Fire Engineering Hydraulics," by G. 0. Stevenson, published at Is. by Emmott and Co, Ltd., 78, Palatine Road, Manchester, 20.
It is one of the series of "Mechanical World" Monographs. It deals 'with its subject in a graphical manner and giver the information required on the three main aspects of the proliem—discharge from nozzles, loss of pressure by hose friction, and height and reach of jets.