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International Touring in Europe
NEGOTIATIONS with various European governments under the auspices of the Inland Transport Committee of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe show that there are fair prospects that the network of regular-service international tourist bus lines for next year may expanded. The governments concerned are studying the possibilities of granting permits for the extension of existing lines and the establishment of new ones. One line, for example, would provide a seven-country tour.
Their operation is subject to official approval and the 1955 network will be the result of patient negotiation and inter-governmental agreement.
The aims to increase the touring facilities are based on social, cultural, political and economic reasons. The system enables large numbers of 426
foreigners to visit, under good conditions, hundreds of artistic, historic and holiday centres on the Continent. Those arranged this year are taking passengers over many thousands of miles. of Western Europe's finest routes. Tourist services are under regular schedules and are operated independently or jointly by private road transport undertakings and Europabus.
One of the longest lines takes Swedish passengers to Rome and back. Another, Finnish tourists, after a boat trip from Helsinki to Copenhagen, by road to Hamburg, Brussels, Paris, Cologne and back.
Cool Courage
riNE of our readers for 20 years, Mr. B. Carraher, who is now in Vancouver, has sent us some interesting pictures of the famous Alaska Highway, which is certainly a remarkable example of road
engineering. He also supplied details of an unusual rescue incident, of which the hero was a lorry driver.
While approaching Christochina Bridge, Alaska, this man saw a car disappear over the side into the river and found that it was upside down, with the wheels just showing above the water. His load being of large pipes, he fortunately had available a length of tow chain, which he attached to the vehicle, /hrowing the other end over the bridge. After quickly tying down the air horns to attract the attention of any other travellers, he descended the chain and reached the car. In this he found a family and the parents holding two children in their arms. All had their heads only just clear of the water.
A door was jammed partly open by a suitcase and the driver first rescued a baby, with which he climbed up the chain. Altogether he made three trips, the other occupants being hauled up to the bridge by people who had gathered there. Finally he squeezed into the car to search for anyone else and was nearly trapped in it.
Hot Cab Gives Hangover
THE air-conditioning of the cabs of commercial vehicles is a matter that should receive more attention from designers than it sometimes does.
A B.R.S. driver recently told a correspondent that in hot weather (of which there were a few consecutive days just then) he was always "in a sweat" with the engine almost touching his knees, but if he opened his window or the windscreen the draught gave him chills. He got home at night feeling too done-up to do anything and had a " hangover " the next morning so that he still felt unfit to start the day's work.
In such circumstances a driver may be a danger to himself and to other road users.
Another Additive for Dery
THE use of fuel additives in dery has already been acknowledged as an important factor in the reduction of maintenance costs.
During a recent demonstration of their many products by XZIT (G.B.), Ltd., 175 Piccadilly, Lendon, W.1, information was given concerning the use of XZIT additive for oil fuel. South Shields Corporation Transport Department tested this additive last year on three of their new Guy-Arab doubledeck buses with Gardner 6LVVK engines. After exhaustive tests had been carried out, these buses ran twice their normal mileage before requiring top overhaul. So . successful were these tests that the Corporation are now using this fuel additive for their whole bus fleet.