AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

The Motor Omnibus World.

10th September 1908
Page 7
Page 8
Page 7, 10th September 1908 — The Motor Omnibus World.
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?

London's New Order.

Fiftymore Straker-Squire motorbuses of the latest pattern have been ordered by the Great Eastern London Meter Omnibus Company, Limited.

West-Country Trips.

Mr. George Young, of Langford, has to be added to the list of proprietors who are finding motor chars-abanes valuable in their jobbing and other hiring work. An illustration is given herewith of his Gardner-Serpollet vehicle, and we hear good accounts of its service over circular trips which include, Weston-super-Mare, Cheddar, Wells, Glastonbury, and

;eller points of interest. Mr. Young about to take delivery of a new Gurdimr-tivrpollet char-h-buncs.

Service Test of "Newcomb's Non-skid."

_liter many delays the Scotland Yard authorities have at last agreed to the fitting. of Newcomb's anti-sideslip device (as illustrated in " THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR of the 7th May last) to a public-service bus.

We understand that a three-months' trial is to be made on a Milnes-Daimler bus running on the Vanguard No. 5 route; there are sure to be during that period, numerous occasions when the state of the road surface will give the device opportunities for showingits efficiency as a side-slip preventer,

Manchester Licences.

.111 effort was made, at the last meeting of the Manchester City Council, to carry an amendment, in the following terms, in opposition to the resolutions 14 the Watch Committee recommending licences, as alreadyreported by u, to Mr. William Stanwav and Clarkeion's Ltd " That it be an instruction to the Watch Committee to furnish a report to the ( 'ouncil—ja) With the advice of the Town Clerk as to the powers of the Council with regard to licences for motor-omnibuses generally, and in particular ft) as to what (if any) conditions can be attached to licences ; (2) as to whether or not the renewal of licences can be refused ; (3) as to whether or nor the routes to be worked by the omnibuses can be defined ; 14) as to how far, if at all, the traffic can be restricted and what conditions if tiny) can be imposed thereon ; and (5) as to whether or not licences can be granted to one person or more to the exclusion of others, (b) On the various types of motor-omnibuses in use in other places with special roe:1rd to the following matters— namely, (t) safety in running, (2) noise, (3) dust and mud raising, anti (4) smell. (c) On the suitability of the various kinds of road surface in Manchester for motor-omnibus traffic, and, as nearly as possible, the estimated increase in cost of upkeep of the roads which would be doe to such traffic. ki) And generally ;nclude any other information on the subject of motor-omnibuses which the Committee may think it desirable that the Council should have. And that in

the niemtime no licences f.or motorontuibuses in 11.htnchebter la: issued."

The amendment, after discussion, was rejected by a large majority, and we note that other local authorities, of which we may quote the Stretford District Cooncil, have since granted corresponding licences.

Covered Top Decks.

Rej 'Mit MOLorbuses Lh cov ered k are to be sanctioned for use in London are, we regret to sty, premature. We have often staled the inequitable circumstances under which

and motorbuses have to compete, as regards protection for upperdeck passengers, but we fear that the Public Carriage Department of Sect. land Yard has no intention to reverse its decision as regards motorbuses.

"London General" Meeting.

Tr4oth annual general meetingof the I.: takin General Omnibus Company , Limited, was held, on Tuesday tam-teem last, at Salisbury House, E.C. Mr. Henry Hicks, chairman of the company, presided, and there was, having regard to the cire.unmstances, a remarkably small attendance of !.1.1areholders. In moving the adoption of the report and accounts, from which the, principal figures, together with numerous comparisons, were published in our last issUe, the chairman forecasted that Ile. tiret working year of the amalgamated ciattpanies would show an increase el 5o or (to per eerie in revenue on the o'imuo,243 then before themit wa• true they had faced a huge lass,

but that could not be imptaxed had they to live year Over again under the same conditions. He attributed the

i:t20,162) to six causes ( unseasonable weather ; (2) increased competition of L.C.C. trams; (3) the growth of tube traffic; (4.1 the increased 'lost of feedinghorses; (5) the hrevy

expense of maintaining their motorbuses, which had been kept :tt concert pitch, and which were the best in London -(cries of " No, no," which. the chairman answered by remarking that the buses would consequently cost less in future, and were in many cases far better than when new); and (6)• severe competition with the Road Car and the Vanguard companies. Looking to the future, the chairman stated that the directors anticipated economies in salaries, rents, and management. There would be an absence of competition, better driving, no racing, and fewer accidents. Further, they had a most harmonious board of directors. Ile was sure that they had now seen the " worst of it," but he was unable to say how long it would be before the company would regain a dividend-paying state; no effort to bring about that end would be wanting.

The motion was duly seconded, and, without discussion, carried unanimously, as was a resolutiem for the division of the company's stock into jJi shares.

The only diversion in the proceedings arose on the motion for the re-appointment of the company's auditors, quite half-a-dozen shareholders rising to protest against the lack of intelligible detail, and apparently thinking that the auditors were to blame. The report was frankly criticised by one gentleman as a " jumbled-up report of 5o years ago," whilst another compared it to a railway time-table. The regulation answer of not " giving away information to competitors " did not satisfy the ebjectors, and, after a representative of the auditors had thought it necessary to explain that itt respensibility fer the forum in which the accounts were presented rested with the directors, the delirium-1 prrmised that the matter of separating the horse and motor accounts should be considered. We reported, two weeks ago (page 586), the appearance of the letters on the " Vanguard " motorbuses, indicating the " times " 4-1 accordance with the system in use on the London General. These letters are no v being extended to the Road Car motorbuses, the " H " route having been fitted with slides showing the letters " T.T.A. '' to A further result of the recent combination of London omnibus interesis was to be seen last week, when Mr. Kingham's. name was rapidly paintud out on many motor and horse omnibuses of the London General Omnibus Company, and that of "John Christopher Mitchell " substituted as secretary. We congratulate Mr. Mitch?il on his appointment. The 6.E.L. route between Upton Park and Oxford Circus was, on the 7th instant, curtailed at Charing Cru-s; it is now worked via Poplar, Whitechapel, Bank, and the Strand.

Bolton's Satisfaction.

The Bolton Corporation has for the last six months been running a " Commer Car" on trial, and we understand that it has given unqualified satisfaction. Altlumgh run continuously over bad roads, and heavy gradients, it has not lost a single journey arising from any defect in its mechanism. The general manager of the Tramways Department, writing of these results states :--" If I had not had the experience, I should not have thought it was possible for any motorbus to have run the time this one has, without anything

going wrong." During the six months' running, the fuel used was the AngloAmerican Oil Co.'s .760 spirit." The Council, at its last meeting-, approved the purchase of the omnibus in question.

The Dwindling Horse Bus.

An officill of the London General Omnibus Company, Limited, has been unburdening himself to a representative of" The Daily Telegraph," on the subject of the extinction of horse buses in the Nletroixtlis. The views expressed, no doubt, suit the present posititm of the company in question, but we think that a proportion of the old-type omnibuses will survive, for the service, so far as the inner and central zones vie concerned, of people who are prejudiced against motorbuses, and for non-paying routes in the outer suburbs.


comments powered by Disqus