Protests Against Plan to Raise Fees
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THE passenger vehicle operators' associations are understood to be protesting strongly to the Minister of Transport against proposals to raise the charge for public service vehicle licences and certificates of fitness.
In a letter to the associations, the Minister said he proposed to increase, in the autumn, the fee for a public service vehicle licence from 44 to £6 10s. and to raise the price of a certificate of fitness from £5 to £5 10s. He gave as his reasons the higher cost of administering the licensing system.
The associations are likely to send deputations to discuss the proposals with the Ministry. They are expected to point out that if the increases are effected, the cost of public service vehicle licences will have been raised by 225 per cent. since 1952. The increase in the cost of fitness certificates in the same period would be nearly 100 per cent.
A spokesman for the B.E.T. told The Commercial Motor, on Monday, that the extra cost to their bus companies would be £32,000 a year.
VW OUTPUT UP TN 1955, the Volkswagen company 'made 49,907 commercial vehicles, compared with 40,199 in 1954. A total of 19,256 was sold in Germany last year, whilst 30,338 were exported. Exports in 1954 totalled 22,205.
The company concentrated last year upon building a branch factory at Hanover for the manufacture of commercial vehicles to meet demands. In a progress report, Volkswagen refer to stiffening competition from foreign vehicle makers and the large capital investment being made by British concerns.
The industrial version of the VW engine, for use in fork-lift trucks and Other appliances, is being made in greater numbers.
DISPUTE BETWEEN POLICE AND BUS COMPANY SETTLED T'HE Western Licensing Authority last I week settled a dispute on the siting of a bus stop between Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co., Ltd., and the Bristol police.
At present, Bristol Tramways' Weston-super-Mare service leaves from the city centre, but the police wanted the stop to be re-sited in Anchor Road. The company argued against this because it would involve their passengers in a long walk to and from the centre.
• . The Authority, to whom the dispute was referred, have kept the stop in the centre, but on the side opposite to where it now stands. The new arrangement will come into operation on September 10, The police may ask for a reconsideration if it is not satisfactory.
A32
Men in the News
MR. K. G. BURRIDGE has been appointed works manager and MR. A. F. CaAwponto, secretary and accountant, of the International Synthetic Rubber Co.
MR. L. H. MCMILLAN, formerly deputy manager of the Midland region of Fina Petroleum Products, Ltd., has been transferred to the north-east region in a similar capacity. MR. D. M. NOBLE has been appointed Midland region assistant manager.
MR. K. E. PAGET-CLARK has been appointed by the North British Rubber Co., Ltd., salesman for U.S. Royal Tyres in Kent and Sussex. MR. W. PARK will be responsible for Lancashire, Cheshire and Derbyshire, and MR. R. H. MARSHALL for part of Yorkshire.
Ma. E. E. JOHNSON, accountant with the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., and associated companies, is to retire at the end of this month, after 45 years with B.E.T. He will be succeeded by MR. IVAN M. SMITH, at present secretary, who is to combine the posts of secretary and accountant.
MR. W. N. WILLIAMS has been appointed assistant engineer of the Western Welsh Omnibus Co., Ltd. He will succeed MR. J. WALsti, who has joined the Rhondda Transport Co., Ltd., as chief engineer. Mr. Williams, who will take up his new duties on September 10, is at present works engineer, Birmingham district, British Road Services.
STUDENT EXCHANGE
JN co-operation with vehicle manufacturers in Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, the Institute of the Motor Industry have again organized an exchange of students. At present, British students are in Germany and Spain for a month, and another group will soon visit France and Italy. Foreign students will arrive in this country from the beginning of October.
Buckley Open New • • London Depot
AIMING at the use of articulated vehicles on 75 per cent. of their trunk services, John Buckley and Co. (Warrington), Ltd., have opened a new depot at West Ferry Road, London, E.14, and plan to build a £10,000 extension to the premises to provide storage facilities, The terminal is used by 50 of Buckley's vehicles, 70 of Harris Road Services, Ltd.,and 35 of Shenstone Transport Co., Ltd., associated companies.
The group's main services at present are between London and Lancashire, and London and the Midlands. Three Scamnaell maximum-capacity quickrelease articulated outfits employed on this service will be augmented by a fourth in January. These vehicles return 11 m.p.g. and in the four months in which they have been operating have covered 25,000 mild.
The new depot is up to date in design, and a Stacatruc appliance is available to deal with palleted loads.
TWO BOOKS ON ACCIDENTS
TWO new books of statistics dealing with road accidents have been published. One is "Road Accidents, 1955" (Stationery Office, 4s. 64.) and the other "Road Accident Statistics, 1938-1955," issued by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, 52 Grosvenor Gardens, London, S.W.1, at Is.
The official publication notes that 390 accidents last year concerning goods vehicles were caused by defective brakes, whilst 378 involved overloading. Turning right without due care contributed to 16.861 accidents, and crossing without due care at road junctions to 14,409, In the.Rospa booklet it is shown that 39,770 goods vehicles were involved in accidents in 1938 compared with 58,278 last year.
The Roads Campaign Council view with concern the figures in "Road Accidents, 1955." Mr, B. Rogers, secretary, said on Monday: "What new heights must the death rate reach before authority . . . . sanctions spending on the roads Britain urgently needs?"
COVENTRY BUSES HIT BY REDUNDANCY
REDUNDANCY and short-time working in local factories are having a substantial effect on Coventry Transport Department. Revenue for the past three months was £12,000 below estimates, and some 60,000 fewer passengers a week are being carried.
Announcing this on Monday, the chairman of the transport committee, Cllr. W. R. Jones, said that whilst bus journeys to the factories could be discontinued, there had been a general reduction in passengers carried.
An increase in fares in March was based on the number of people then travelling. The committee were watch. ing this latest development.