New Liverpool Buses.
Page 5
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The new type of motor omnibus with covered upper, deck adopted by the Liverpool Corporation, has an A.E.C. chassis, with a 45 h.p. Tyler engine. The lower deck is. built mainly of oak, and is fitted with transverse seats to accommodate 25 passengers: There is also accommoda-t don for two passengers in the driver's cabin. The cover of the upper deck is very light in weight, and chiefly consists of Duralurnin and glass. The windows are allowed tfodrop sufficiently to provide for good venlatints The upper deek ex
lends over the driver's cats_ and is fitted with longitudinal knife-board type of seats in the centre of the upper deck and has accommodation for 27 passengers, The totalseating capacity is 55.
The bus is fitted with a patent front arid rear wheel lifeguard---designed by Mr. Maa-is—which is carried by forwardly-projecting brackets mounted on the front axle, thereby the variations set up by the bogy springs are eliminated and a fixed clearance is given between the road and lower edge of the guard, which is so arranged that the wheels are protected at whatever angle they take in the steering el 'the vehicle, The rear wheels are protected by a similar type of guard fixed to the axle' and so arra.nged that it cart he adjusted to allaw for tyre svear. We reproduce an excellent, illustration of the new double-decker on this page, 011(1 intend in Our next issue to publish pla.n and elevation views of the general designlarid.seating capacity.
London's New Mai*.
The Ministry of Transport, now the authority on the subjeet, has assigned a new index mark to London. It Was first of all allocated the mark A-available for 110 snore than 9,999 registrations, and it is amusing to reflect that when the Motor Car Act wentthrough .Parliament provision was made only for the registration of these 9,999 vehicles whereas up to the present nearly 200,00I registrations have been made with the London County Council.The new mark is XA,thus leaving T unused. Or is it intended (as was suggested recently in " One Hears" page) that the LZ mark should be reserved for the tin • Lizzies? If the groups based on X and Y (Z too is readily alterable by dust or mud into X) are reserved for London, nearly. 380,000 fresh registrations axeiprovided for.
Buses for Barbados.
We understand from a correspondent located in the West Indies that there ia a very good opportunity in the Island of Barbados for the sale of a number of motor omnibuses either of the single(leek or of the char-a-banes type (probably the later), to seat from 29 to 30
passengers. .
The .tramway service in Bridgetown, which ie'the principal town in Barbados, is in a very unsatisfactory state. The vehicles ase nroledrawn, and the concern which runs theta is an American one, with its head office in Cleveland, Ohio. • Recently the townspeople got up a petition to the Governor of Barbados, praying that efforts might be put forward towards the improvement of this tramway service. So. far, all, that hag been elicited from the company isinning the service is.nothing but excuses, and many of the prominent business men of the town have come to the conclusien that the .bestsway to meet the situation would be the establishment Of 'a 'motor
omnibus service. War experience has taught the people in the Island Colony the advantages 'of Motor transport over a rail-borne service, providing a demonstration of the capacity of tho motor vehicle which had never previously been possible; hence the success of a motor omnibus service seems assured,' and we believe inquiries are being instituted in this country with regard to the class of vehicle likely to meet. local needs. As it happens, circumetances which have favoured the American manufacturer have now swung in the opposite direction; to the comparative advantage of the British manufacturer if he is prepared to grasp the opportunity. The very high rate to which exchange on New York has risen, amounting tri as mush as over 2'4 per cent, depreciation of the pound sterling, has placed a decided check on others to the 'States from the West Indies, in addition to which
there is the matter of freight, which is quite as high now from New York to the West Indies as from London, The Quebec steamers, running between New Yoelt amid the 1West • Indies, are now charging from 35 to 50 cents per cubic foot, equal to. about 60s. to 80s. per ton, against the pre-war rate of 15 to 18 cents per cubic foot. From London the rate is from 35s. to-80s, per ton, according to
the class of soeds carded. . .
Everybody's Doing It.
Many local authorities are seeking power to run motorbuses outside as well as inside their own areas. The Lancashire 1Qpinity Council reports that several Bills have been introduced to engle borough and urban district councils to run buses outside their districts. The same occurs in many other counties in the country ; and the time has artived when the Ministry of Transport should make some general proposals for Parliament to adopt with regard to the position of county councils and other highway authorities in relation to the extension of the trading powers of borough and 'urban districts to run outsidr thew own respective areas.