Correspondence.
Page 14
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Coroner's Juries' Inspections.
The Editor, " THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
Sir :—I served recently on a coroner's jury in Manchester, and our inspections took three hours by horse omnibus, instead of half that time which would have been necessary with a motorbus. The time and convenience of jurors ought to be studied, and I name the point that those who arc interested may take it up.—Yours faithfully, " TRACTOR."
A Motorbus Service h-cm Finsbury Park.
The Editor. "THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
Sir :—Permit me, through your esteemed journal, to "beg and pray " for a reliable service of motorbuses between Finsbury Park (Manor House) and the South-West, or WestEnd of London, via Camden Road. I may say that the Associated Omnibus Company started a service between Finsbury Park and Victoria about eighteen months ago, and, a few months later, other companies (the London General Omnibus Company, London Standard Omnibus Company, London and Westminster Omnibus Company, Pat Hearn, and Birch Bros.) put vehicles on the route, but they were all withdrawn for various reasons. Then, quite recently, two " A.B.C." buses were put into service here, but these splendid machines were also withdrawn. I sincerely hope that at least one more company will give this route a good trial and reap the benefit.
I trust that you will find room for this " appeal,"—Yours
faithfully, A. E. Hows, 26 Canning Crescent, Wood Green, N. • Oil Droppings from Motorbuses.
The Editor, " THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
Sir :—In both London and provincial towns, objections have been made to the motorbus on account of the large quantities of oil which it is alleged it distributes about the road. When a motorbus moves away from a stopping place, it generally leaves behind it a greasy spot on the surface of the road, but I have noticed that even the largest variety of pleasure car never does this, and the lubricating arrangements on this latter type must be very similar to those of the average public-service vehicle. From observations I have made of various motorbuses both here in London and in some of the provincial towns, I find that the dropping of oil is often due to a lack of care on the part of the driver. I particularly noticed a London bus a day or two ago : when the driver pulled up the piston of his oil pump, a lot of oil, which must have been above the head of the piston, bubbled out at the top of the pump cylinder and dripped down on to the floor-boards. This had occurred several times until the boards were thoroughly saturated, and the oil, continually overflowing and dripping down, found its way through cracks, etc., on to the road surface. At each stopping place several drops fell in one place and spread themselves over a large area. This is an easily preventable fault and proprietors would do well, for the sake of bringing motorbuses into even greater favour with the travelling public, to give their drivers a word of warning on this most important point.
—Yours faithfully, EDWARD JAMES. Manor Park, E., 3rd February, 7908. Motorbus Entrances and Exits.
The Editor, "THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
Sir :—In these days, when an enormous amount of money, and brains, is brought to bear upon the efficiency and comfort of passenger-carrying vehicles, I think it is strange that so little thought has been given to the matter of doorways in motorbuses. Go to any point in the City where business men are returning from their work, and what do you see? A narrow doorway filled with people ; some trying to get out, and others fighting to gain admittance to the interior. For the younger men it is, no doubt, exciting to run after a bus and hang on to the back rail and so on to the platform before the wheels come to rest, but it is the reverse of pleasant for those, especially women, who have to fight their way out of the crush. The conductor is helpless for the simple reason that he is generallypinned inside the small
recess beneath the stairway. I suggest that it would be a good plan to have two doors to each vehicle ; one in the front and the other in the centre of the end wall as it is at present. I enclose a rough sketch which may help to elucidate my idea. At the sacrifice of one seat you have comfort and safety for the passengers, inasmuch as those who have finished their journey go out by the back door, whilst those who wish to board the vehicle go in by the door at the
front.—Yours faithfully, ALBERT SMALL. Barnstaple.
[[he Metropolitan Police Regulations forbid front catrances.—Rir.11 London Bridge Station and Motorbus Services.
The Editor, "THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR."
Sir :—London motorbus companies are frequently opening up new lines, but, as yet, no company has thought fit to run an efficient service to London Bridge Station. Every other great terminus in London has a continuous stream of motorbuses running past its gates or into the yard, but London Bridge, with its thousands of suburban travellers, seems to have been forgotten. A few motorbuses pass the top of the station approach, but these run very infrequently, and, since their ultimate destination is the " Elephant," they are always crowded, no room being left for the short-stage traveller. Further, their route does not lie along Holborn and Cheapside where they are most urgently required. At present, only steady-plodding, rumbling horse-buses carry impatient travellers to and from this terminus, and, during the " busy " hours, when going out, I have had to wait to or even 15 minutes for a seat, as, in the evening, all vehicles are " Full up, sir I " before they get to the Bank. The average horse-bus takes some 12 minutes to run from Holborn Circus to the Mansion House. I have known a motorbus do the same journey at the same hour of the day in four minutes, and hundreds of city men would welcome a service right into the station yard at London Bridge, I do not know if it is that the police or railway authorities will not allow the vehicles to run in, but the large square would accommodate half-a-dozen at a time, with ease, and there is plenty of room to turn round in.
Taxicabs, too, are conspicuous by their absence at this station, and unless one is fortunate enough to catch a cab that has just brought in a passenger, it is necessary to walk to the Bank and pick up one there—or else take a comparatively slow hansom. Drivers, instead of spending hours on the rank in Piccadilly, could reap a rich harvest in fares from the crowds of men who daily travel up from Brighton and other Sussex towns.—Yours faithfully, "SEASON-TICKET HOLDER." Mitcham, Surrey.