ROAD TRANSPORT IN OTHER LANDS
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Britain's Imports and Exports. THE following statistics of Britain's shipping trade in complete commercial vehicles and motor chassis will be of interest to manufacturers, in consideration of the imposition of the 33i. per cent. import duty on commercial vehicles ts from May 1st, 1926. As far as private cars and private-car chassis are concerned, it will be recalled that the duty was repealed on August 2nd, 1924, and reinstated on May 1st, 1926.
Transport Co-ordination in Belgium.
A CONSEIL Superieur des Transports has recently been appointed by the Belgian Government, the purpose
of which is the rational organization of all forms of transport in Belgium. The council will include representatives of the railway, road and canal transport undertakings, and will endeavour to bring about a co-ordinated method of working which, whilst allowing the full development of each form of transport, will prevent unnecessary competition between them.
Shell Petrol Supply in Ceylon.
THE first petrol-pump station was
opened in Colombo in 1921. Supplies were then maintained, by bullock-cart. Now there are 29 stations in the city B42 with a total of 55 pumps. Supplies are aeLivered by a fleet of Dennis and Thornycroft tank lorries. Outside of Colombo, the first pump station to be erected was one at Negombo in November, 1926. Since then 43 stations, having 61 pumps, have been established up country, and these are supplied by 16 motor lorries from 15 bulk-storage installations.
Gibraltar—a Small British Market.
THERE are 130 commercial vehicles in use in Gibraltar, 23 of these having been registered for the first time in 192S.
A Transport Board Formed in Auckland.
THE Transport Board of Auckland,
New Zealand, has taken over from the Auckland City Council the whole of the tramway and motorbus undertaking of the corporation. After conferences with the local authorities concerned, the Auckland City Council finally promoted a Bill for the creation of a transport board, which was passed by the House in an amended form. The legislation, however, was somewhat unique in that it was not to come into operation until it was approved by polls of ratepayers of the local authorities in the area affected.
With the inauguration of the board the Auckland City Council ceased to be the licensing authority under the provisions of the Motor Omnibus Traffic Act, 1926. At the time when the commission sat there were nine different services (including the corporation buses) licensed to run to 34 different termini, in the metropolitan area. On these 'services. 133 buses were licensed to be used, and drivers' licences to the number of 325 were in force.
Motor Vehicles in Canada. THERE is now one motor vehicle (private or commercial) to every 6.6 people in the province of Ontario, Canada, the number of motors in Ontario being 482,000. Twenty years ago there were only 3,033 motor vehicles in the whole of 'Canada ; now the number owned and registered in the Dominion is 1,058,100.
In the latter half of 1928 4,451 commercial motors were registered in the province of Saskatchewan, and in Manitoba 6,515 such vehicles were registered in the complete year.
More Farm Tractors Used in Germany.
AN estimate recently made by the
German Agricultural Society shows that, roundly, 28,000 tractors were in use on German farms during the summer of 1928, as compared with only 11,700 in 1925. An expert opinion places the German tractor production at about 13.000 machines per year. There are at present 15 manufacturers of tractors in Germany and it is said that four of these companies produce between them 70 per cent. of the total output. A factor which has aided German tractor manufacturers has been the formation of a credit organization known as the Agricultural Machinery Financing Co., founded at the end of 1926. This organization is controlled by several of the more important banks in co-operation with the German Government. It has been found that credit can be
granted in nearly every, case. The credits usually run for about 26 months, the rate of interest averaging about 8i per cent. Estimates indicate that at present more than 50 per cent. of the tractor sales in Germany are financed by this company.
Motorbus Developments in Prague.
IT is reported that 12 new motorbus routes are shortly to be started in the city of Prague to work in conjunction with the tramway system. It is also stated that from 180 to 200 new motorbuses will be required for the services—, a point for British makers to note.