Opinions from Others.
Page 16
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A Basis for Motor-wagon Rates.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MoroR.
[1,249] Sir,I was surprised, and not a little saddened, to learn, from Mr. Creasy's paper on " Goods Train Rates," which you recently published, that railway companies have only established a basis of rates for about 50 per cent. of the staple traffic which they handle. I was surprised that with all their experience behind them they had practically to acknowledge that such a large proportion of work must be done by carriers at a less price than the railway companies can charge as a matter of fairness and equity. I could not help reflecting that, if such powerful corporations as the railway companies can be
squeezed " by the public in respect of 50 per cent. of their traffic, the small motor-haulage contractor stands an infinitesimal chance of ever establishing a basis for motorwagon rates. Fortunately for the motor-haulage contractor, however, he is not trammelled by history—it is his province to create history, and, in doing so, he has the opportunity of establishing the right to insist on his receiving a fair remuneration for all work done. The customary basis, for determining rates by motor wagens, is the" ton-mile," but the drawback to the" tonmile" as a unit is that it requires the assumption that there are always " tons " which can be reckoned ; it takes no account of light " running, and becomes difficult to calculate where "empties" have to be handled, which condition is frequent in the brewery trade, and in other kinds of traffic where the goods are packed in large cases.
A simple method of arriving at a basis of goods rates by motor wagon is "the vehicle-mile." Having fixed upon the mileage per day which the vehicle should run, and the amount per day it should earn, it is easy to calculate the rate per mile to be charged for any particular journey. This rate must he modified according to circumstances ; if, for instance, a trailer is required, the rate must be increased accordingly.
This basis of calculation has the advantage of simplicity ; the carrier need only keep an account of the mileage which his machine performs, together with the financial returns he has obtained. Having ascertained the average rate per mile which he must charge, in order to obtain a fair remuneration, the carrier must be careful to graduate his charges according to the nature of the traffic he is handling, otherwise he will find that his business will he limited to a very small compass. A very useful calculation to make, in order to ascertain whether a business is progressing in the quality of work secured, is to take the distance run, the tons carried and the total earnings over a fixed period: from this data the average earnings per ton, and the average distance that has been run for each ton carried (this result obtained must not he confused with ton-miles), may easily be computed. By comparing such figures over regular periods it can be seen at a glance whether the value of the business is increasing or otherwise.
I have been asked to state what is represented by " the percentage of work done " given in my weekly log sheet. It represents the percentage of miles run, out of the total miles involved in the week's work. It takes no account of loads which may be " missed," as they may and often are, due to causes which have no connection with the efficieney of the machines. Our log sheet for the week is as follows:— Earnings, £98; tonnage, 210; mileage, 980; percentage of work done, 89; coke used, 11 tons; gear oil, 17 gallons and cylinder oil, 8 gallons.--Yours faithfully,
" MOTOR-WAGON CARRIER."
Long-distance Journeys by Motorcab.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
1.1,250] Sir,—I have recently been studying carefully yo' admirable little book, " Twenty Points for Users of London Taxicabs," and I have nothing but commendation for it, in so far as the question of the use of a taxicab in London itself is concerned. I, Sir, however, reside in Twickenham and, should I fail to catch the last train to that point, I am faced with the necessity of fmding my way there by other means than the railway—obviously by taxicab. Upon each of the several occasions upon which I have made the journey in this way, I have made a bargain with the driver, who has invariably asked his full fare, an allowance for the return journey, and something extra because it is late at night.
From your booklet I gather that the two latter items cannot be legally demanded, but any crumb of comfort derived from this fact is at once removed by the statement that no driver is obliged to drive for more than six miles at a time. I am anxious to know exactly what this statement means. Does it mean that he cannot be compelled to go further than six miles at one hiring, or more than six miles for any one hirer ? Suppose I were to hire a motorcab and get the driver to take me six miles towards my destination and I were then to alight and proceed upon my way on foot, I take it that any other hirer could then engage the cab and insist upon being driven six miles in the direction he desired. This surely must be correct, or is the driver entitled to give up work for good after having driven six miles? In the latter case, of course, I am absolutely limited to a six miles' run, but, if the former is the legal position, would I be within my rights if, after going six miles, I alighted, paid the fare, and immediately reengaged the taxicab to drive another six miles ; or, had I a friend with me, on the conclusion of my six miles' hiring, eould he then hire the vehicle and continue the journey ? Your point No. 17 is that "no agreement for the payment of more than the proper fare is binding on the person making it. (1 and 2 W. 4, C. 22, S. 43.), and it is the question, " What is the proper fare " under the circumstances, that. is so often a difficult matter to decide. I am acquainted with several gentlemen who, from time to time, go by taxicab to such points as Harrow-on-the-Hill, Kingston, Uxbridge, and so forth, and they tell me that their experience is the same as my own, namely, that a special bargain has to be struck with the driver, and this in my own case has varied, for the run I mentioned in the early part of these observations, from fifteen shillings to twentyfive shillings, according to the state of the weather and the driver's cupidity.
Now, Sir, is there any rule which we can apply to this problem ? Are we, as I strongly suspect, simply at the mercy of the taxidriver, or can we make repeated individual hirings until we have completed the journey necessary to enable us to reach that admirable solace for travelworn-mortals----bed? The question is one which undoubtedly calls for a definite answer. The metropolitan cab-rider has a clear guide-book in your little publication, but we, suburban passengers, are still in the grip of ignorance. I, for one, shall be very grateful if you will make some authoritative pronouncement on the point, or indicate some rule to be followed in calculating the proper fare to be paid for distances above six miles in length.— Yours faithfully, SUBURBIA.
[Th's correspondent is referred to Answer to Query No. 1.672. The significance of the words " at a time " applies to immediate rehiring after each six miles, which is a legal possibility. "Back fares ' are illegal if paid, they should be marked up as Extras by the driver.—Eo