Bird's eye view
Page 49
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
he third man
ifford, who has held every elected in the RHA at area and national as made a life member of the AssociaJanuary. Bob is only the third person o honoured. Last week at the area in Newcastle he received an illumindress from the Association, presented ham McMillan, national vice-chairiere are many who will echo his tribute s long and faithful service to the RHA.
ransport veteran
Ian who possibly looked forward tan anyone else to the official open„he new operating centre of Leicester ransport last week was ex-Alderman 'wards. A 91-year-old widower, Sam Is was for many years a member of i's transport committee, his service capacity dating from the early 1920s. the only person at last week's function is also present at the previous major the department's history, the opening ew head office in Abbey Road in 1936. Edwards, who retired about 16 years is very impressed by the new control vith its bank of TV screens, and the ite occupying the whole of the top the building, furnished by the departstaff recreation club. He also enjoyed m the Park'n Ride bus service between Road car park and the city centre.
'acts and figures
eek Commercial Motor uncovered a enomenon in transport—an accounio could talk knowledgeably about lance, repairs, operation and plant. explain the intricacies of the Triangle ester, the functioning of steam boilers ! more complicated points of vehicle lance. He understands vehicle routeing men who drive the machines. Who is m? Step up K. M. Brown of Crow ig Co. But perhaps Mr. Brown should Dmpanied by the company's recently Led engineer, Dennis Broome formerly MT. Apparently Dennis was partly 4ble for KMB's tuition.
'olour scheme?
uniliar red tie of the Transport ens' Club, London area, is being replaced by a blue one. One wonders if there is any significance in this change which follows closely on the Club's visit to the House of Commons when the members were entertained by Mrs. Margaret Thatcher, Shadow Transport Minister. Members will be well advised to hold on to their red ties for April 30 when Labour's Douglas lay will be the guest speaker, and indeed it may be necessary to find a new colour for the September meeting when Peter Bessell, Liberal MP for Bodmin, will meet the members.
* Not with-it
When Manchester Corporation's differential fare scale (you pay more with a conductor than with o-m-o) came into operation on Monday, buses appeared on the streets with the lable "Conductor operated” but this did not lessen the surprise of many passengers who had not heard about the fares increases. Possibly to follow the more modern retailing approach would have been better, with all the o-m-o vehicleslabelled"Special3d off".
* Blox b/-monthly
Another enterprising haulage concern has started its own house journal, I see. This time it is the contract hire specialist Blox Services Ltd., of Tooting, with a well-produced eightpage publication which it is planning to send bi-monthly to customers and staff.
An interesting item in this first issue is an article about Blox's driver training scheme—run by no less a person than the former chief instructor at the Metropolitan Police driver training school at Hendon.
* No take-overs?
It seems clear to me that Tom Galley, chief executive of the National Bus Company, does not like the idea of NBC subsidiaries being taken over by the new PTAs. I was chatting to him last week about the possibility of the Tyneside PTA absorbing some of the NBC companies operating entirely in the new Tyneside area. He argued that there seemed to him no reason why the companies could not run as agents to the PTA.
At a branch meeting of the Institute of Transport on Monday, Mr. Galley reiterated this view. However, one valid comment he made to me was that it was very difficult to negotiate with the PTAs until there was somebody to negotiate with!
* Big Brother?
I learned at the excellent Manchester Steamship Owners Association dinner on Friday that the US Federal Maritime Commission is taking an interest in the rates being charged for the movement of containers within Britain. What's it to do with them? Well, it's all related to the US shipping regulations. Nothing to do with British hauliers? Don't be too sure. Francis Hill, the UK Chamber of Shipping president, revealing this US interest, said he reckoned American lawyers to be the highest paid shipping executives in the world, and always ready for action. In considering the rates discussion, he pointed out that traffic eastwards across the Atlantic was not comparable with the westbound traffic since in these circumstances like was not being compared with like.
* Capital punishment
Definition pronounced at the Manchester dinner: Capital punishment is when the Government sets up in business in opposition and then imposes taxation that takes away all your profits.
* Crossing ages
Some fascinating bits and pieces of information come out of council meeting minutes. I occasionally see the Greater London Council questions and answers put out by their very efficient Press office, and one of last week's took my attention. A councillor asked, among other things, how old the Thames river crossings were, and the answers may surprise you (as they did me) in some cases. Here is the list:— Bridges: Albert 1873 (opened); Battersea 1890; Chelsea 1937; Chiswick 1933; Hammersmith 1887; Hampton Court 1933; Kew 1903; Kingston 1828 (partly recon. 1940); Twickenham 1933; Lambeth 1932; Putney 1886; Richmond 1777 (partly recon. 1940); Vauxhall 1906; Wandsworth 1940; Waterloo 1944; Westminster 1862.
Tunnels: Blackwall 1897; Blackwall (new) 1967; Rotherhithe 1908; Greenwich (pedestrian) 1902; Woolwich (pedestrian) 1912.