ARMS DEMAND HOLDS UP TROLLEYBUSES
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OVING to rearmament work, South Shields Town Council's plans for replacing the trams with trolleybuses are being held up, and the new service from the Market Place to Ocean Road, which was expected to have been in operation some time ago, will not start for some weeks. The council is still awaiting delivery of two trolleybuses and certain materials required for conversion purposes.
S.M.T. ASKED TO PROVIDE NEW SERVICE.
RUTHERGLEN Town Council has asked the Central S.M.T. Co. to inaugurate a service of buses between Rutherglen and King's Park. The company intimated its willingness to do so, and requested Lanark County Road Board to express its views on the matter before a formal application is made to the Traffic Commissioners. The Road Board has approved the proposed service.
TRAMS CALLED "BOXES ON WHEELS."
A PAST president of Southampton
Rotary Club, Mr. Harry Parsons, J.P., referred to Southampton's trams as" boxes on wheels." He was addressing members at a club luncheon. He also referred to the danger of the rails.
REDUCED FARES AT DUNFERMLINE.
DUNFERMLINE magistrates have had a conference with bus owners on the subject of the fares for intermediate stages on the Rosyth Dockyard and Inverkeithing routes. The operators have agreed to submit to the Traffic Commissioners at Dunfermline on September 23, proposals showing a reduction of a halfpenny on each of 17 intermediate stages.
The question of season-ticket rates on these routes was also discussed. The bus operators had intended, to make increases in the monthly and quarterly charges, as compared with the rates at present in operation on the Rosyth and Inverkeithing routes. They have now agreed not to ask for the suggested increases, and to continue the present scales, which are under the standard season-ticket rates as fixed by the Traffic Commissioners.
LIVERPOOL SUCCESSFUL.
THE application of Liverpool Corporation for permission to provide an all-day service of bffses between West Derby district and the city has been granted by the Traffic Commissioners for that area.
LONDON BUS DRIVERS DO WELL
I T is good to introduce competition into the realms of safe driving, and no fewer than 79 drivers, attached to the West Norwood garage of London Transport, qualified for awards for the safe handling of their vehicles during 1936. "A" division of London Transport showed the best record, 73 per cent, of its 4,043 drivers qualifying;
" B " division had 69 per cent., and " C " division 71 per cent.
LONGER PERIODS FOR EXPRESS LICENCES
HE passenger section of the 1 Commercial Motor Users Association has approached the Ministry of Transport in connection with the limitation of road-service licences, as they affect express coach operation. It is pointed out that the present limitation of operation, which is for a period of one year, prevents, by its obvious insecurity, expansion and provision of new services to meet the ever-increasing public need.
It is without question that there has been considerable anxiety, unrest and uncertainty in the industry since the introduction of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, and the institution of a threeyear validity period would promote a more settled and satisfied feeling among passenger-vehicle operators.
DRIVERS AND CONDUCTORS ON SAME WAGES BASIS.
DUNDEE Transport Committee has given approval, by a majority of one vote, to a Labour proposal that the wages of corporation bus conductors should be increased by 4s. a week. The increase, which will cost £1,600 a year, will place drivers and conductors on the same wages basis.
TICKET IRREGULARITIES ALLEGED. INVESTIGATIONS are being made .1 into certain aspects of the transport facilities provided by Heanor and District Omnibus Co., Ltd., which runs a number of services for employees at the Celanese works at Spondon. It is alleged that amongst some of the irregularities, on some occasions tickets are not issued. The operating company made an application to the Commissioners for increased fares on certain routes, in support of which it was stated that the company had made a loss during the past two years.
LAST' OF NEWPORT'S TRAMS.
F'LLOWING the march of progress, Newport has said " good-bye " to its trams and tramways system. More than 80 buses are now in service, having replaced about 47 trams, some of which have already been broken up.
DRIVERS COMPLAIN OF BEING CRAMPED.
THE drivers of new buses delivered 1 to Glasgow Corporation have complained about the lack of accommodation provided for them. Representations are to be made to see if those vehicles not yet delivered can be improved in this respect.
NEW AIRCRAFT FACTORY PRESENTS TRAFFIC PROBLEM.
WITH the starting up of the new YV aircraft factory by the Austin MOtor Co., Ltd., a serious transport problem has arisen, with the result that the interested parties have cooperated to provide the solution. The Austin con‘ern, the West Midland Traffic Commissioners, Birmingham Tramway and Omnibus Department, the Midland " Red " Omnibus Co., and the railway companies have produced a scheme which is to come into operation on September 27. Even so, it has been necessary to introduce a spread-over schedule of working hours for the Austin employees.
STEEL SHORTAGE HOLDS UP BUSES
GLASGOW Corporation programme, to add 100 new buses to the municipal fleet for exhibition services, is being held up by the steel shortage. The contracts were placed early in 1937 on the understanding that the vehicles would be completed, and ready for service, by the end of this year. Only 25 vehicles have been delivered, and some of the makers state that they will not be able to finish the contracts as originally arranged, because of the difficulty in obtaining materials. An appeal is being made to the Government to expedite supplies of steel,
NO STOPPAGE LIKELY IN SUNDERLAND.
THERE. is little likelihood of a stoppage in Sunderland Corporation services, . following complaints by the employees regarding working conditions. Following the inquiry by the Joint Industrial Council, a conference is to be held between the men's representatives and the council, and a peaceful settlement is expected to result.
GLASGOW MAY REVERSE ITS POLICY.
HITIHERTO, Glasgow Corporation has been opposed to letting space on its buses and trams for the display
of advertisements. The matter has been raised before the transport committee of the corporation and, providing the vehicles are to lose nothing of their dignity, it seems likely that there will be no serious opposition to a reversal of the present policy.