AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

GLASGOW AND ADVERTISING BAN

9th September 1938
Page 52
Page 53
Page 54
Page 52, 9th September 1938 — GLASGOW AND ADVERTISING BAN
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

BY nine votes to two, the transport committee of Glasgow Corporation has decided to take no further action in connection with proposals to permit advertisements on municipal transport vehicles.

The consideration of offers for the advertising rights, on vehicles run by the corporation, was being undertaken by a subcommittee, and a deputation visited a number of English cities where such advertising schemes were permitted. As an alternative, it was proposed by Progressive members that no action be taken and that the matter be continued with a view to having a modified scheme for advertising inside the vehicles.

ABERDEEN BUS CONTRACTS APPROVED.

1--NN Monday last, Aberdeen Town 1.../Council adopted the recommendations of the transport committee with regard to the placing of contracts for 10 single-deck, and 10 double-deck vehicles. The recommendation of the committee was, that whilst Mr. William Walker, of Aberdeen, should receive the contract for the bodies of the single. deck buses, he should build only three of the double-deck vehicles, the contract for the seven others to be allocated to the Metropolitan-Cammell Weymann Motor Bodies, Ltd., London.

LEEDS MAY HAVE SECOND BUS STATION.

DURING the discussion which has arisen concerning feeder services to Leeds Corporation's new motorbus station, which is at least a 10-minute walk from City Square and the railway stations, the point has been made, in corporation quarters, that the new bus

a34 station does not represent finality. Mention is made of the possibility, ultimately, of providing a bus station on the west side of City Square, for the use of north and north-west services.

MORE TROLLEYBUSES IN NEWCASTLE.

TWO more trolleybus routes came into operation in Newcastle-on-Tyne on Sunday last, when the city council abandoned the trams on the Osborne Road-Central Station and Wallsend boundary-Benwell routes. The changeover has not meant the dismissal of any tramway workers, as these are being trained by the council in the operation of trolley vehicles.

REQUEST TO LIMIT NUMBER Of TAXI LICENCES.

I N Bradford, where numerous 8d.-a

mile taxicabs have been introduced, the local Taxi Owners' Association has asked the watch committee to limit the issue of new taxi licences. At its meeting on Friday, September 2, the watch committee adjourned the matter for further consideration and the submission of further information by the Association.

LICENCE AMENDMENT FOLLOWS APPEAL.

FOLLOWING an appeal, made by the Lincolnshire Road Car Co., Ltd., against a decision of the East Midland Traffic Commissioners to allow Mr. F. A. Stark, of Tetney, North Thoresby, Lines, to continue a service of excursions and tours from acethorpes, Lines, the Minister of Transport has made an order on the Commissioners to amend Mr. Stark's licence. This amendment will provide that only one vehicle may be used in any one day, on excursions and tours.

WILL GLASGOW HAVE TROLLEYBUSES ?

BY the chairman's casting vote, the finance and works sub-committee of Glasgow Transport Committee decided, on August 31, to delay consideration of a report on the subject of trolleybuses. Bailie Victor D. Warren, a strong advocate of the trolleybus system, protested vigorously against the continued delay in dealing with the question. It may delay consideration of the report for weeks or months, he said, but it could not prevent the making of an experinient with trolleybuses. It was bound to come. The report came up for consideration on September 7.

The retention of trams, in preference to the adoption of trolleybuses, is supported by a large number of transport employees in Glasgow.

The Possilpark branch of the Transport and General Workers' Union, representing almost 1,000 tram and bus employees, has written to Glasgow Town Council Labour group supporting the report of Mr. R. F. Smith, general manager of Glasgow's transport department, who has recommended the transport committee to• continue the tramway system.

This, he states, will be more economical and efficient than the adoption of trolleybuses, an experiment which is suggested by a Moderate member.

Consideration was delayed of a report dealing. with the inter-availability of season tickets on all transport services.

EXTENSION OF BUS TRAFFIC IN SWEDEN.

AT the recent congress of Swedish bus operators many interesting facts were revealed, regarding the present extent of bus traffic in Sweden.

The total length of roads served by buses in regular service is upwards of 70,000 miles, or about seven times the length of the country's railways; 4.500 buses are now in daily service on Swedish roads, on 3,600 routes.

The great inroad made by the bus lines, on the earnings of the railways from passenger traffic, is being gradually adjusted through co-operation between the railways and bus com panies. This applies, also, to some extent, to . the fierce competition between the railways and lorry owners in respect of the carriage of goods, where it is also, attempted to reach a modus vivendi that will satisfy both parties and be acceptable to the public.

TWELVE TENDERS AND ALL THE SAME

AN alleged combine among structuraltural engineering firms, to keep up prices, was criticized at a meeting of Glasgow Corporation transport committee. Mr. Robert Smith, the general manager of the transport department, reported that tenders had been received from 12 firms for the structural ironwork for the new bus repair plant at the Larkfield garage.

All the tenders were the same, and it was obvious that the firms concerned had reached an agreement to submit the same price. A previous contract had been delayed because of the combine, but as the erection of a repair shop for buses is urgent, the committee agreed to accept one of the tenders amounting to about £.12,300. The total cost of the workshops is estimated at £70,000.

EXTENSION OF BUS ROUTES IN MIDDLESBROUGH.

LAST week, Middlesbrough Corporation was granted permission, by the Northern Area Traffic Commissioners, to extend its bus service into certain parts of the Stokesley rural area. It was stated that the corporation would take over the " Panther " service operated by Mr. H. Frankland.

OPPOSITION TO BOLTON'S PROPOSED BUS STATION.

PLANS for a proposed new bus station in Bolton are not, for various reasons, meeting with 100 per cent. approbation. For one thing, vehicles are to be drawn up at right angles to the platforms, instead of lining up parallel with the footpath. The platform is to be covered in, so that there will be a measure of shelter during the waiting period, but the bus space has no overhead cover. In the case of corporation vehicles this would mean that passengers would have to walk in rain or snow for practically the length of the bus.

Users of machines operated by Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., would not be so much inconvenienced, owing to the vehicles having front entrances. The advantage of backing-up at right angles is that buses can arrive and depart with greater facility and dispatch. It is intended that the buses shall approach head-on to the platform, so that, on departing, 'they will have to reverse out. . .

As the loading platform is to be 120 yds. • long. it may. be that head-on positioning may later be dispensed with. The proposed bus station,

which is to cover 3,850 sq. yds., is to be quite extensive and is intended to absorb part of what is known as the new market site, adjacent to the Town Hall and Victoria Square. There will be four entrances, but the public, generally, will not have access to the platform, unless travelling. This stipulation, although desirable, does not apply at all bus stations.

The Chamber of Trade is opposing the scheme as "a grave mistake," but the shopkeepers' reasons are not published. The corporation committee concerned, has agreed to receive, at its next ordinary meeting, a deputation from the Chamber.

FREE OR CHEAP TRAVEL FACILITIES

lypTH reference to free and cheap VI' travelling facilities, . granted by municipal transport undertakings on their services, the Municipal Tramways and Transport Association submits the following report for consideration:—

That the number of concessions granted to certain classes of the community has been extended to such an extent as to be a serious charge upon transport undertakings.

That in the ease of limbless (leg or foot) ex-Service men, a case can be made out for some concession. At present, 48 undertakings give such concessions. If it be desired that these should be granted, it is suggested that the passes should be restricted to a definite route, or between the applicant's residence and place of work, and to persons residing in the borough.

That concessions, if they are to be given, should be a charge upon the funds of the corporations.

LEEDS SYSTEM TO BE REVIEWED

THE tram services of Leeds Corporation are suffering financially through the tendency of the population to live farther away from the centre of the city. This is due to suburban • building by private enterprise and to the development of corporation housing estates on the outskirts.

Mr. Fred Leach, chairman of Leeds Transport Committee, said that this tendency had put a large number of people who formerly rode shorter distances on the trams on to the 2d. tram fare. "We make nothing on a 2d. fare," he said, " and we have lost our Id. and lid. fares, the profitmaking fares, by the thousand, daily."

Because of this and other factors, the corporation's transport system, he remarked, was nothing like so remunerative as it used to be.

Explaining why the transport department does not issue season tickets, generally, on its bus routes, Mr. Leach said that, in present circumstances, this was economically impossible. Furthermore, there would be operating difficulties. "Season tickets can be checked on straightforward runs into country districts," be remarked, " but it would be another matter checking them on busy city runs. They are non-transferable, and the checking of their proper use would be most difficult."

He indicated that Leeds tram and bus passengers cannot expect any more fare concessions for a considerable time. The whole transport system of the city would have to be reviewed before the question could be considered.

TRAINING TRAM EMPLOYEES AS BUS DRIVERS.

OVER 150 tramway employees are being trained as bus drivers by Birmingham Corporation in readiness for the change-over from trams to buses, which will take place on four routes on January 1, 1939. By that date it is expected that the corporation will have commenced taking delivery of the 85 oil-engined buses with hydraulic transmission, which are now under construction at the Leyland works.

GOOD RESULTS FROM JOINT OPERATION

IN the year ended March 31 last there I was a net revenue of £65,038 on the operation of the buses of 13urrdey, Come and Nelson Joint Transport Committee, gross income having totalled £280,745 and working expenses £215,707. In all, the committee operates 140 buses, made up of 114 Leyland and 26 A.E.C., 99 of the vehicles being oilers.

In the year under review, the aggregate bus mileage was 5,186,690, whilst 43,433,284 passengers were carried. The buses operate on a route mileage of 87.85 and serve a population of 275,000 people.

WALISEND BUS STATION SCHEME DEFERRED.

A DECISION to defer for the present rI.its scheme for a bus station has been made by Wallsend Town Council. It is understood that this is due to the difficulty which has so far been experienced in obtaining a suitable site at reasonable cost.


comments powered by Disqus