OperatizI9r Aspectsof PASSENGER IRAN SPORT
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CHEAP-FARES VICTORY IN. LANCASHIRE
THE. much-debated question as to whether coach operators running express or stage services might he allowed cheap-day return fares for special occasionS, or to special resorts, is still a live issue in the North-Western Area, and a victory of Yelloways Motor Services, Ltd., Rochdale, against the opposition of the L.M.S. Railway at a sitting of the Traffic Commissioners in Manchester on Thursday last is sure to have repercussions.
The Commissioners held that the Blackpool illuniiitations were an occasion upon which the road operators might reasonably be permitted a cheap fare—not only on their excursion and tour trips but also on the scheduled services. . .
The applicant, Yelloways, Ltd., runs both excursion and express services, but could oiler the 4s. half-day fare for the illuminations only on coaches under their excursion and tour licence, except that they had already secured the concession for passengers on the express service from New Hey. Shaw and Oldham on the same route were included by the Commissioners, despite the representations on behalf of the railways to the effect that the Minister of Transport had ruled on appeal that, as a general practice, cheap fares should not be allowed on scheduledservices,
The appeal referred to was a series in which the North Western Road Car Co., Ltd., the Lanes United and Ribble concerns were involved and were denied cheap-day return facilities.
REVISED SCHEME FOR SALFORD BUS STATION.
VIJETHER consideration was given Iby the Salford Transport Committee last week to the proposed bus
• station at Victoria Bridge. In October of last year the City Council approved the resolution that the Ministry of Transport be requested to sanction the borrowing of £34,850 to cover the cost of the land clearance of the site, etc.
At its recent meeting, the committee resolved to recommend the City Council to vary the original resolution, reducing the amount to be borrowed to £31,500. It is proposed that the remaining £3,35o be taken from the funds of the transport undertaking.
CORPORATION TO OPPOSE ITS OWN APPLICATION?
THEpossibility of one department of the Cardiff City Council engaging counsel to fight another department at a Traffic Commissioner's inquiry was envisaged at the September meeting of the Watch Committee.
The chief constable said he had not been consulted on the matter of the route to be followed by the buses which are to replace trains on the Splott and city centre section. It wasproposed to run over the route now taken by the trams, it was understood, but the police did not agree to this proposal.
m36 Unless an arrangement was made, there might arise the situation of the corporation opposing its own application. "
It was decided that such a ludicrous position be averted if possible, and the Watch and Transport Committees will confer to that end, TOWN COUNCIL SUPPORTS BUS SERVICE APPLICATION.
MEMBERS of the Grantown Town Council gave evidence at the sitting of the Northern Traffic Commissioners at Inverness, on Friday last, in support of an application for a new service between Grantown and Inverness to be operated by Macrae and Dick, Ltd,
Supporters of the application were subjected to close questioning by representatives of the three rival bus companies and the railway company, which strongly opposed the grant.
The application was adjourned until October 29.
CHESHIRE OBJECTIONS TO DOUBLE-DECKERS
QBJECTIONS to the use of doubledeck buses were lodged by the Cheshire County Council and lvfarple Urban District Council when the North Western Road Car Co., Ltd., applied for licences for this type of vehicle on the Stockport-Mellor route. On behalf of the objectors it was urged that double-deckers constitute a danger to passengers and that there was no demand for them. For the applicants it was suggested that the company might decide to operate this type of vehicle between Stockport and Romiley only,
The decision as to the use of this type of vehicle was reserved pending i.spection of the route. It is understood that a third objector, the Bredbury and Romiley U.D.C., had withdrawn its objection as a result of a test.
NOTTINGHAM SAYS GOOD-BYE TO TRAMS.
"THE tram service in Nottingham saw the end of its days on Saturday last, The final route to be converted to either bus or trolleybus operation was from the Council House Square to Arnold, The last tram service to run was of a ceremonial nature, Aid. John Farr, chairman of the Passenger Transport Committee: being at the controls; his passengers comprised members of the committee, departmental officials and other civic chiefs, GLASGOW FACES LARGE DEFICIT.
DURING a meeting last week at Glasgow, when the question of spread-over duties was raised, the fact emerged that a deficit of 47,000 likely to accrue on the current year's operations of the transport department.
MORE TROLLEYBUSES FOR NEWCASTLE
A RECOMMENDATION has been Z-1. made by the Transport and Electricity Committed to Newcastle City Council that another section of the present tram route be -converted toetrolleybus Operation at a cost of £70,000. The route covers Church Street and Wellbeck Road area and extends six miles.
The. Transport Committee's decision is iii atcordance with the policy of the CitY Council that when a section of the tram track requires renewal some other form of transport should be introduced.
Mr. T. P. Easton, general manager of the.transport undertaking, has submitted" a report that renewals costing about £32,000 are now necessary on the Church Stieet and Wellbeek Road route, and this has resulted in the Committee agreeing to start a trolleybus service. If •the• scheme be approved it ii intended by the committee't.o meet The cost of £70,000 out of revenue without borrowing. One section of the Newcastle tram undertaking from Wallsend. to. Denton Burn was converted to trolleybuses last October, and the financial results have been better than were expected.
PROSECUTED FOR USING DEFECTIVE TYRES.
A FINE of 45 Was imposed at Port Talbot Police Court recently on Bassett Enterprise, Ltd.,. Gorseinon, for allowing a bus to be used with a defective tyre. The driver was ordered to pay costs for driving the vehicle. The police said that when called to the scene of an accident they found the off-side front tyre burst and there was a hole 3i ins. by 2-i ins, in the tyre, the tread of which was good. For the defence, a piece of tyre found near the scene of the accident was produced, and it was shown that it fitted the hole. The police maintained, however, that the. defect was of loris standing.
Mr. T. J. Jones, general manager of the bus company, said that the concern had a contract with a tyre company for the supply and maintenance of tyres. Two men were employed regularly at the garage to look after the tyres.
The employees of the tyre concern produced records showing that the particular tyres had been inspected before the bus went into service on the morning of the accident.
COMMISSIONERS' WARNING IGNORED.
HOW a Lake District tour was used as evidence in a prosecution Was revealed last Friday, when Mr. W. Ff. Crawford, Winfield, Long Bank, Birtley, Co. Durham, had two charges preferred against him before the Newcastle magistrates—one for causing a motorcar to be used as an express carriage while not being the holder of a P.S.V. licence, and the other for not
having a road-service licence. • Prosecuting on behalf of the Traffic Commissioners, Mr. Barry Jones stated that defendant had advertised the Lakes trip although he had been warned by the Commissioners that-he could not legally carry passengers in his private car, Notwithstanding this warning, an inspector, of the United Automobile Services, Ltd„ obtained two tickets for the trip.
Mr. H. Lion, a traffic examiner, explained that a motorist might take a private party. but it was an offence if separate fares were charged and paid for.
Both charges were dismissed on payment of costs.
A MODERN DEPOT FOR DONCASTER'S BUSES.
WORKis about to begin on the completion of Doncaster's £51,000 municipal transport depot in Leicester Avenue. The first section of the depot, costing £18,000, has been in use for about 18 months. When the scheme is completed next y'ear, all the municipal transport -vehicles will be housed under one roof, instead of in four separate garages as at present. The new building will be capable of accommodating 130 vehicles. At the front there will be offices, in a twostorey building. Trolleybuses and the petrol and oil-engined buses will enter by separate entrances and will leave again by exits at the back of the building. This will make it possible to put a large number of vehicles on service without delay.
A MANCHESTER TRANSPORT BOARD?
DOSSIBILITIES of joint passenger
facilities in the Manchester area were discussed at a meeting of the Manchester City Council last week. Approval was given to a proposal to consider the desirability of convening a conference of local transport undertakings, both publicly and privately operated, and including the railways. The matter is to be the. subject of a report by the Corporation's Parliamentary Committee. • INCREASED WAGES FOR BLACKBURN EMPLOYEES.
AT a meeting of the Blackburn Corporation Transport Committee last week, it was agreed to accept the findings of the Appeals Tribunal in favour of the corporation's transport employees.
They will now receive the increases awarded by the National Joint Industrial Council, of 2s. 6d. per week for drivers and conductors, and is, for juniors and other grades. The concession will cost £1,600 a year.
ANOTHER BIG BIRMINGHAM BUS ORDER.
BIRMINGHAM Corporation has placed an order with the Daimler Co., Ltd., for a further 65 bus chassis, and the Leyland and A.E.C. concerns have also received orders for five chassis each. In addition, 12 Leyland-G.E.C. trolleybuses are to be purchased.
• . • 12-JOURNEY BUS-TICKET PROPOSALS
JT was, stated in Newcastle last week Ithat the proposed restrictions on 12journey tickets for which the London and North-Eastern Railway Co., Ltd., will apply at Newcastle on September 24, as reported in The Contartereial Motor last week, wilt be opposed by the majority of the local authorities in the Northern area.
The chief reason for the opposition is that if the restrictions are granted, it will entail great hardship for very many young people who, owing to the extensive use of machines in the pits, have had to seek employment in the neighboating towns. They find the bus. services not only cheap but also quick and convenient in getting to and from their
places of employment. • There are other objections, of course, and public feeling has been aroused to sneh a pitch .of resenttrient• that the forthcoming inquiry promises to be altogether Unique in road-travel history LIVERPOOL COMPARES BUS COSTS.
IN his annual survey of the city Ifinances submitted to the September meeting of the Liverpool City Council, Mr. W. H. Legh-Smith, city treasurer, includes an interesting comparative statement of unit costs in various cities. It is shown that the revenue per bus mile in LiVerpool is 12.46d., compared with 13.20d. in Birkenhead, 14.79d. in Birmingham, 11.85d. in Glasgow, 14.74d. in Manchester, and 14.20d. in Wallasey.
Passengers per bus mile in Liverpool were 7.0, as compared with Birkenhead 7.2, Birmingham 8.7, Glasgow 5.8, Manchester 7.6, and Wallasey 8.9.
Other useful figures concern the average mileage per day of the buses, which were in Liverpool 91, Birkenhead 116, Birmingham 111, Glasgow 146, Manchester 122, Wallasey 109..
The .total operating expenses per: bus mile are:—Liverpool 13,26d, ; Birkenr head 9.35d, ; Birmingham ;Glas gow 10.48d. ; Manchester 11.38d., and Wallasey 10.8d, Average distance of Id. fare: Liverpool 1,27 mile, Birkenhead 0.77 mile, Birmingham I mile, Glasgow 1.13 mile, Manchester 1.17 mile, and Wallasey 0.64 mile.
MERSEY TUNNEL SIGHTSEEING. I N a letter received by Mr. R. V. Edwards chairman of the Transport Committee of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Walter Moon, town clerk of Liverpool and secretary of the Tunnel Joint Committee, states : ' There is no objection whatever to parties hiring motor-coaches privately for the purpose of journeying through the Mersey Tunnel, either with the intention of returning or otherwise." Such journeys would not, of course, infringe Traffic Act regulations provided operators did not ply for hire in streets, but were privately hired forthe purpose.