Operating Aspects of
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Passenger Transport
IMPORTANT FARES APPEALS SUCCEED
THE Minister of Transport has decided an important group of appeals in favour of Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., and four other appellants. Controversy with regard to the return fares on 160 routes served by the appellants in co-ordination has continued for years. One decision of the North Western Traffic Commissioners was stated to involve the Ribble company in an annual loss of revenue to the extent of £11,000..
The Minister has directed the Commissioners to amend the licence conditions in accordance with the applications.
The applications involved modifications of fares during peak traffic at week-ends, but to bring about the change the Ribble concern was prepared to face a loss in revenue estimated at £3,339 a year.
WORKED—FOR 251 HOURS NON-STOP.
THE statement that a driver " achieved the impossible " (as the prosecuting solicitor put it) by working 25i hours continuously in one day, was made at Doncaster West Riding Court, on Tuesday, in a case in which William Morpus, bus proprietor, of Rossington, near Doncaster, trading as Rossie Motors, pleaded guilty to 17 summonses for permitting a driver to work excessive hours. He was fined £17.
On behalf of Morpus, it was statedthat the driver in question had recentlycaused differences and had insisted on being allowed to take seaside parties, because of the considerable emoluments in the way of tips Ultimately, in a fit of temper, the driver asked for his cards, and Morpus gave them to him. After his employment was thus terminated, he saidthat he was going to take his record sheets to the Traffic Commissioners for inspection.
Mr. R Carnross, defending, suggested that the driver was endeavouring by means of these proceedings to wreak his private vengeance on Morpus.
DELL DECISION SECURES SUMMONS DISMISSAL.
ON the basis of the Evans versus Dell case in the High Court, Weston-super-Mare Justices, have dismissed: a summons against Messrs. C. T. Bakerand J. N. Baker, coach proprietors, of Locking Road, Weston-super-Mare. The Western Traffic Commissioners prosecuted them for wilfully failing to comply with their licence conditions, by permitting -passengers to be picked up other than at Weston-super-Mare. ' The defence was that the defendants were not liable, as they knew nothing ofthe offence until a traffic examiner called to see Mr. j. N. Baker. More, over, it was argued that Mr. J. N. Baker had taken all reasonable steps to ensure that employees complied with the regulations. "
Reviewing the facts, and adopting the phraseology used in the decision on the Evans versus Dell case, Westonsuper-Mare Justices held that Mr, J. N. Baker, who was solely in charge of the part of the defendant's business concerned, was unaware of the use to whiat the vehicle involved was being put, that he had not deliberately shut his eyes to the offence, but had taken steps to ensure that employees complied with the regulations.
The summons was dismissed.
DEATH OF MR. J. M'CREA.
ULSTER transport circles have lost a noted personality in the death of Mr. James M'Crea, M.Inst.T., who,
until his resignation last February, was general manager of Northern Ireland Road Transport Board. A pioneer of bus operation in the Belfast area, he was also largely responsible for the establishment of the Belfast Omnibus Co, Ltd., in 1927.
£3.5,000 STATION OPENED.
R ECTED at a cost of about £35,000, Salford's first bus station was opened on Monday. It will be used by some 700 buses daily. If Parliament approves Salford City Council's Bill seeking power to cover the River Irwell, the station will be extended.
£170,000 BUS PLAN.
BIRMENTGIIAM transport Committee proposes to abandon the Hockley group of tramways and to replace it by buses. The capital cost is estimated at £209,000, including £170,000 for 85 buses,
Efforts are to be made to arrange with West Bromwich Corporation for the operation of a through service to Dudley and WedneSbury, to be run jointly by the two authorities.
HOPEFUL FOR 1938.
I-1HE New Year's resolution of emI ployees of the Brighton, Howe and District Omnibus Co., Ltd., seems to be to earn more money and to have longer holidays. They are seeking a new agreement, under which higher rates are requested for Sunday work and extended holidays. The matter is understood to be under consideration by the executive of the Transport and General Workers Union.
DUNDEE TO APPEAL ON WAGES AWARD
BY21 votes to 15, Dundee Town Council has decided to appeal against the wage increase of 2s. per week for municipal transport workers of adult status, awarded by the
National . Joint Industrial Council. '
The decision was taken in view of the serious state of the transport department's finances. It was pointed out that conductors in the city were at present receiving 4s. more than the Industrial Council's minimum, whilst Mr. Spencer M. Cove, transport convener, mentioned that the recent wages increase had cost £10,000, and the superannuation scheme £9,000.
Last year the bus section showed a deficit of £2,600, which was borne by the trams. This year there was a . deficit of £290, which had become £1,500 by a wages increase to conductors, granted after the estimates were prepared.
GLASGOW SPREAD-OVER AGREEMENT.
pir EGARDING proposals for new
spread-over duties, an agreement on principle has been reached between the Transport and General Workers Union and the management of Glasgow Corporation's transport department.
The union requested that certain changes to minimize overtime be introduced, and contended that special early-morning duties on Saturday should be paid for at time-and-a-half rate. Sunday duties are also brought within the spread-over schedule, which is to be based on an average day of seven hours 35 minutes. The maximum day's work is not to exceed eight hours 15 minutes.
The proposals, which are subject to the approval of the committee on wages and conditions of service and the town council, are estimated to cost more than £20,000 a year.
TUNNEL BUS ISSUE RAISED' AGAIN.
AT a meeting of the council of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, last week, the question of running buses through the Mersey Tunnel was again discussed.
The debate arose on a report from the transport committee of the Chamber that the question of bus services through the tunnel was under consideration, but that no definite decision had yet been made. The Merseyside Co-ordination Committee would be called together when the various local authorities had appointed their representatives, following the elections. Dealing with the question of 'a bus service through the tunnel; Mr. G. H. Ward said the co-ordination committee had done nothing since its formation. Time and money were being lost through delay in running buses through Queensway (by which name the tunnel is known).
DRIVERS MUST. HAVE• AMPLE TIME COACH operators generally were
warned by Mr. W. Chamberlain, chairman, at a sitting of the NorthWestern Traffic Commissioners in Blackpool, last week, that there might be trouble, next summer, • unless they allowed drivers adequate time to complete their journeys.
He .said that drivers had complained to him about the matter, and had asked him to protect their licences. Some firms, in drawing up schedules, allowed a stay of half an hour for meals, but that halt was sometimes a quarter of an hour longer, owing to
passengers not being ready. Even then, the drivers always reached their destination on time, and there had been reports from the police authorities concerning convictions for speeding.
Mr. Chamberlain intimated that he was taking up the matter with the caterers to cut out delay from that source.
ST. HELENS' DEBT WIPED OUT.
Kbtheannual inspection on Decemer 1, the chairman of St. Helens' transport undertaking (Alderman A. Rudd) was able to announce that the undertaking had discharged its debt to the corporation.
When, he pointed out, the corporation took over the concern in 1919, £125,000 had to be found to keep it going. The last outstanding amount of £16,500 had been paid back last year.
VOLUNTARY PACT ON . MERSEYSIDE?
ON the Cheshire side of the Mersey, official opinion seems to be ripening for a more serious consideration than hitherto of the problems of coordination. All three new mayors of Birkenhead, Wallasey and Bebingtoa have expressed• themselves in favour of a move forward. The desire for voluntary action has probably been enhanced by recent utterances of the Minister of Health, which encourage the belief that a compulsory scheme of amalgamation may be in contemplation.
So far, an agreement on the ferry and tunnel-bus questions has been found to be Impracticable, owing to the supposed clash of interests.