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British manufacturers need to concentrate on comfort, says operator

28th April 1972, Page 40
28th April 1972
Page 40
Page 40, 28th April 1972 — British manufacturers need to concentrate on comfort, says operator
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

ONE PERSON at least thinks he knows who is going to win the Concours d'elegance prize at Brighton next year (April 14 and 15). He is Mr R. L. Hardwicke of Bee-Line Roadways, Middlesbrough, and it's his coach that's going to win. For at the conference held on Saturday before the rally got under way, he made a public compact with Duple that if he supplied £25,000 (the reported value of the Va Hool coach which won at Blackpool and again at Brighton) they would produce a prize-winning coach.

The compact came during a lively discussion on the quality of British coachbuilding, sparked off by Mr F. R. Alden, managing director of World Wide Coaches Ltd. He said that he travelled the world looking at coaches and that British ones were often inferior in design and construction. He thought that British coachbuilders concentrated too much on styling and not enough on comfort; British coaches were a "disgrace" to travellers in both winter and summer because of inadequate heating and ventilation. Another point was in providing adequate luggage space: foreign manufacturers could manage, why could not the British? Braking systems also tended to be inadequate on British coaches. Brakes should not need to be "protected by retarders and exhaust brakes".

In the ame discussion Mr D. W. Redmond, engineering director of Seddon Diesel Vehicles Ltd, gave the four points around which he thought future coach designs should be built: new safety standards; the new minimum bhp/ton regulations for trucks (the average coach now has 12 bhp/ton but it will need at least 14 bhp/ton to keep ahead of the trucks); increased luggage capacity; and improved interior comfort. Bigger engines would almost inevitably mean a centre underfloor engine configuration and this in turn, although producing good ride, would mean more expense to provide adequate sound deadening and luggage space.

One of the biggest future problems facing coachliuilders, said Mr W. S. Newnham,, technical director, Plaxtons (Scarborough) Ltd, was how to meet the EEC roll-over requirements. More steel would have to be used but the difficulty was going to be with the Department of the Environment who seemed to want to retain the tilt test, thus creating centre-of-gravity problems. Whatever happened, operators would be faced with extra costs to cover new designs capable of withstanding a 10-ton load imposed on the roof.

A searing attack on the services offered by the Road Transport Industry Training Board was made by Mr Ken Flight, managing director of Flights Tours Ltd. Speaking after Mr Brian Wilson, the Board's operative training manager, Mr Flight described the Board as the "greatest creative printers" he had ever known. Mr Wilson had earlier explained the publications available from the RTITB. Mr Flight said that though he firmly believed in training, he resented the Board's approach. "We are paying for your palatial offices," he said. After detailing a number of areas where he thought the Board was letting the industry down, Mr Flight arrived at his main point: onor off-the-job training.

"If you can't give us on-the-job trainini you are a waste of time. We can't afford it,' Mr Flight told Mr Wilson. The only wa3 to train drivers who needed practica experience, said Mr Flight, was on the jol but the RITTE only sanctioned off the jot For long-distance and Continental work th. only satisfactory way of driver-training wa to double-man vehicles. Operators could no afford this; the Board could, but did no alloW it.

Mr Flight said that the bulk of operaton levies was used to train stage carriage ani heavy goods drivers. Although most of th Board's officers were now well trained, saii Mr Flight, he did not take kindly to former ticket inspector telling him how ti run his business.

Mr Flight's remarks brought a rousin reception from the audience and seven speakers later congratulated him on hi sentiments. Mr Wilson said that the Boar had trained 170 driving instructors fo coach fleets and these should be able t carry out training within individuE company structures. Most of the Board' facilities were paid for largely by th Goverhment.


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