Operating Aspects of PASSENGER TRANSPORT
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GLASGOW TO PLACE BIG ORDER FOR BUSES
AT a meeting held on Friday of last week, the transport committee of Glasgow Corporation unanimously agreed to recommend the placing of orders for 100 double-deck buses and 30 single-deckers, at the approximate
cost of £150,000. .
The tenders recommended for acceptance were:-50 chassis for double-deck buses—Albion Motors, Ltd.; 50 chassis for double-deckers and 30 chassis for single-deck buses—Associated Equipment Co., Ltd.; 80 double-deck bodies snd 30 single-deckers—Metropolitan 2.ammell-Weymann Co., Ltd.; 20 louble-deck bodies—R. Y. Pickering Ind Co., Ltd., Wishaw.
In a report, submitted by Mr. R. F.
i'mith, general manager of the trans iort department, it was stated that, wing to war conditions, it was imperaive that the department should place rders for additional buses now, as
lifficulties were bound to arise, later, hrough firms being busy with war iork. He also pointed out that there ,as urgent need for some measure of eplacement in the fleet of municipal uses, as 300 of the double-deck .thicles, at present in service, are over ight years old.
In addition, Mr. Smith stated that 'arks in the outlying areas of the city .ould be employing an increased umber of men, and the department ould be responsible for providing ansport facilities.
BLACKPOOL TO DISMISS 630 EMPLOYEES.
r was reported to Blackpool Trans)ort Committee, last week, that the duction in transport services will ean that 830 men will have to be smissed.
Dismissals will be carried through on seniority basis.
SCOTTISH OPERATOR MAKES MANY ROUTE CHANGES.
SWING to enforced restrictions W. ;Alexander and Sons, Ltd., has Ind it necessary to effect a number of erations On various routes from tsgow. The routes affected by the tnges are those from Glasgow to erdeen, Dundee, St. Andrew's, ven, Falkirk, Kirkcaldy via Kincare 13ridge, Dunfermline via Kilsyth, ding via Saffron, and Oban.
.0INT UNDERTAKING SEEKS NEW GENERAL MANAGER.
T a meeting of Burnley, Coble, and .Nelson Joint Transport Committee, I last week, applications were con. ;red for the positiOn of general lager. Mr. Harry Broughton, chief
administration assistant, Mr, Alex. Blackow, chief assistant engineer, and Mr. Robert Whalley, traffic superintendent, all of that undertaking; Mr. L. L. Cristie, traffic superintendent, Bradford Corporation; Mr. James Whitaker, traffic manager and chief assistant, Leicester; and Mr. Frederick Bryan, traffic manager, Easter National Omnibus Co., Ltd., were placed in the short list.
There were 22 applications for the vacancy, which has come about as the result of the appointment of Mr. C. H. Stafford, to Leicester.
BLACKBURN DEFERS PURCHASE OF NEW BUSES.
T"purchase of 15 new buses has been deferred by Blackburn Transport Committee. This decision has been taken in view of the restrictions which petrol rationing has imposed.
BLACKPOOL'S LIGHTING EXPERIMENT.
rrHE latest development in the 1 interior lighting experiments, carried out by Blackpool Transport Committee, is a bus with its windows tinted blue.
Mr, W. Luff, transport manager, states that at night the tinting is quite effective, but in daytime it shuts out the daylight too much.
LEICESTER MAKING LIGHTING EXPERIMENT.
I T is understood that Leicester Cor poration is experimenting with a screened lighting system for its vehicles, as the effectiveness of the black-out is causing considerable inconvenience. Any scheme of this nature would, of course, have to receive the approval of the police authorities.
DUNDEE TAXI APPLICATION REFUSED.
THE application by Tay Taxis, Ltd., Dundee, to have its fleet of privatehire vehicles licensed to ply for hire in the streets, as *rejected by Dundee magistrates, last week.
It was stated for the applicant that, under the petrol rationing scheme, it would be allowed only the ration given to private cars, and in order to carry on the business it was essential for it to have the licensed taxi ration.
For opposing hirers it was pointed out that, owing to the reduction of train services, hires were few, and that there was no room for more taxis plying on the streets and no room for them on the stances.
The Deputy Lord Provost, who intimated refusal of the application, said that the review of the taxi bylaws, for which applications for licences had been adjourned at previous sittings,. would not now take place until the end of the 'war.
BIG INCREASE IN BLACKPOOL'S RETURNS
DURING the past five months, receipts on Blackpool buses and trams, at £295,842, showed an increase of £11,564, as compared with 1938.
Takings on the buses came to £123,717, an increase of £7,785, whilst the passengers carried numbered 19,050,637, which is 1,398,241 more than in the corresponding period of 1938.
TRAMS REDUCE SOUTH SHIELDS' SURPLUS.
THE transport committee of South Shields Town Council reports that, during the year ended March 31 last, the trolleybus undertaking earned a surplus.of £5,842 and the buses £4,122. The trains made a deficit of £6,171.
" RIBBLE " COMPELLED TO DISMISS 1,543 EMPLOYEES.
AS a result of the petrol rationing scheme, Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., which operates 1,100 buses, has been compelled to dismiss 1,543 drivers and conductors. This statement was made by Major H. H. Hickmott, managing director of the company.
NO FURTHER CUTS IN GLASGOW'S SERVICES.
MO further reductions in Glasgow's IN transport services are at present contemplated. This assurance was given last week by Mr. R. F. Smith, transport manager, who stated that there was no truth in the rumour that, owing to petrol rationing, corporation bus services would be cut by a further 20 per cent.
In an interview, Mr_ Smith explained that the corporation was endeavouring to maintain as full services as possible in the circumstances. The staff had been reduced by several hundred men, who had joined the Services, and it had been necessary, to make many adjustments.
Ifs aim had been to maintain the services at the peak periods, and, generally speaking, he thought The public was sympathetic to the problem which the department had to face, Mr. William Reid, convener of the transport committee, is calling a special meeting this week to consider the improved lighting of trams and buses. He is taking this action because he contends that London's trams and buses are far better lighted than are those in Glasgow.
" There is no black paper on the windows," he said, " and if London is conforming to the regulations, it should be possible for Glasgow to get some relaxation."