New chief for 9-group Sheffield
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• Under a complete local government reorganization planned by Sheffield City Council, nine new "groups" will replace the City's existing individual departments, each group to be controlled by a group chief officer. The transport department will be replaced by a public transport group, headed by Mr. Noel McDonald as group chief officer.
Mr. McDonald, undoubtedly one of the pioneers of one-man double-deck buses, is at present general manager of Coventry Corporation Transport, a post he took up 61 years ago. He will succeed Chaceley T. Humpidge, who is retiring after eight years as general manager of Sheffield Transport Department. Mr. Humpidge had served for 10 years as general manager of Bradford City Transport before moving to Sheffield, and is regarded as one of the transport personalities of the present time. A tram enthusiast, he has often commented that he arrived at Sheffield just too late to save its tramway system—one of the most modern in the country.
Talking to Mr. McDonald last week, he told me that he does not believe in having standing passengers on buses. "It is senseless to encourage motorists to leave their cars at home, and then expect them to stand on buses", he said. "I think the 70-odd passengers that can be seated on Coventry's latest o-m-o double-deckers are enough for one man to handle, and the buses occupy less space than corresponding capacity standee single-deckers", he added.
At least Mr. McDonald, who served 4-1 years as general manager of Warrington Corporation Transport before moving to Coventry, will inherit a fair-sized fleet of o-m-o double-deckers when he takes up his Shef field appointment on June 1. F. K. M.