The Tramway's Decay.
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By the Rt. Hon. Sir J. H. A. Macdonald, G.C.B., Member of the Road Board.
(Concluded from page 119.)
The Pull Tramcar Cannot Overtake Stopping Ones.
Another serious defect in the tramway service is caused by the cars being often tied down to their route for the whole day's running. In some cases the service cannot be increased at exceptionally-busy hours and diminished at hours when traffic is slack ; in other cases, this can only be done at great inconvenience. Thus it comes about that at a certain part of the day the cars are running almost empty, and it other times there is difficulty in taking up all the pazsengers desiring to Use the cars, even although straphanging is encouraged, while it is normally prohibited in the case of the omnibus. Nertain temporary relaxations of police regulations apply to motor omnibuses in some areas during the war.—En.] Again, however full a car may be, it cannot go, forward freely. It must stop time after time, as often as a car in front stops, they both being confined to rails ; whereas an omnibus, when full, can go on and overtake other like vehicles until passengers desire to alight, thus clearing the road and creating no obstruction.
Recourse to the Trailer-car.
All this non-flexibility of the tramcar has led to a recent change, of which the public have reason to complain. Sanction has been given to the introduction of double cars, a second ear being hitched on, so that, instead of a vehicle, a short train is put on the road, taking possession of nearly double the length of driving space. Anyone who visits the Victoria Embankment will see such trains constantly passing, with perhaps half-a-dozen people in each train. This doubled car has to be trailed about at great expense for haulage, for at least several trips daily, in order that, at time of stress in the morning and afternoon, the train-train may be able to take up the extra crowd of passengers seeking conveyance. That such double cars cause additional obstruction to the free movement of traffic is undeniable. The scene at the southern end of Westminster Bridge is convincing. This introduction of car-trains is another evidence of the evil of allowing such a body as a County or a Borough Council to own tramways. Their powerful influence with Parliament and the Board of Trade enables them to push schemes through, whereby the privileges and the comfort of the general community are more and more sacrificed to help the municipality to earn profits as speculators, or to spend the ratepayers' money to save their speculation from financial breakdown.
Some Minor Evils.
A minor evil of the tram system is the disfigurement caused by overhead wires, which at iunctions form spiders' webs above the roadways. To avoid this, the expedient is resorted to of placing the electric leads in underground conduits, adding additional iron lines upon the streets, so that the street has six iron lines running along it, increasing the risks to horse traffic.
The tramline is also at a great disadvantage in times of wet weather, and still more when snow falls. Even when it is still possible to run the cars, leakage of current, both from aerial wires and conduit bars, causes increase of expense. In the case of snow falling heavily, the service may be brought to an absolute standstill, movement along the rails being obstructed until, at great labour and expense, the line can be cleared for traffic. In the case of underground leads, the clearing away of the snow must send quan 044
tities down the slot, tending to cause a, block, an certainly involving great loss of current. Purthe from the flange of the wheels running in grooves, nc outside the rails as on a railroad, there. is great loE of power in forcing the car forward against the sno lodging in the grooves, some of which is squeezed o to the rail surface, causing slip and loss of powe If a thaw takes place, followed by frost, as is ofte the case, the groove, acting as a drain, is filled wit ice, and so further obstruction is caused. Difficultic have occurred from time to time from these cause. and there have been occasions, both here and abroac where the motor omnibus has made great harve: from the tramway service being for the time unworl able. It is plain that at no time can a breakdown c passenger-carrying vehicles be so great as when silo: is falling or has fallen to a considerable depth. Th pneumatic-tired vehicle has proved itself to be th least affected by such a state of things. The solic rubber tires of motorbuses are very superior .unde such conditions to any metal tires.
Total Suspension of Service on Certain Occasiom The permanent occupation of the streets by railwa lines is also a great inconvenience when any specie use of the street is required under exceptional carcurr stances. The inconvenience is great to the tramwa service itself. If on any public occasion traffic has t be stopped on a, route, as for a procession, or an irn port-ant function, or on the occurrence of a seriou fire, or a dense crowd being on the street from an, cause, the whole tramway service is brought to standstill, the traffic in both directions being blocked and the cars having to be crowded one behind th other in large numbers, until the passage is reopened In contrast to this, the free-running traffic can b diverted to other routes, and continue to run. In th case of any work requiring to be done on or uncle the street, on gas or drainage or water or electri works, business is necessarily greatly hampered, i the tramlines are to be kept open. Cases have beei observed where work had to be clone below groan( on a street crossing a tramway route, of its beim necessary to tunnel below the rails, and support then like the roof of a coal working, so as to enable tin cars to continue running.
Repairs and Relaying.
When it becomes necessary to relay the line, or ts execute important repairs, as it is at intervals of 4 few years, the inconvenience and nuisance to othe. users and to frontagers on the street are very great the necessary appliances and plant having to be laic down on the sides of the street ; otherwise the tram cars cannot run, and most of the noisy work has tt be done at night, to the disturbance of the rest o: the residents. If it is said that there is also incon venience when an ordinary street is opened up, oi put under repair, the answer is plain. As in othei cases of block, if the work being done on the stree1 is such as seriously to interfere with free passage the free-running traffic can be diverted at that poini and carried round to its proper route again. An this, further, is to be observed in the comparison ol the two cases, that where a tramway is upon a street. and repair or renewal is necessary, the time occupik in that repair, and during which ordinary traffic is in terfered with, is much longer, than in the case of ar ordinary street repair. This would be the case eves if the repairing or renewing had full possession ol the part of the street laid with rails, but, as the
tramway traffic must continue to pass over the railway, having no other means of keeping up the service, there must be serious loss 'of time and protraction of the obstruction of the street.
New Considerations for Pedestrians.
It would extend this paper too far to make any elaborate statement regarding accidents. It iz only possible to call attention to some principal points. The accidents to foot passengers form the most
• important matter for consideration, as accidents caused by collisions or capsizing of vehicles may be held to be exceptional. it was not to be expected that, when a faster mode of locomotion was adopted in street traffic, there would not for a time be an increase of accidents in proportion to the number of vehicles ramming. The fact disclosed in the Board of Trade Report, that it is ascertained that 55 per cent. of the street accidents to foot passengers were the result of their own negligence' is very instructive as to the need of reasonable care being taken to instruct people how to proceed when passing from the footpath on to the vehicle-bearing part of the street. The writer has found by wide inquiry that very few people have any idea how to cross a street, so as to take reasonable care of their own safety. But as regards the accidents which do happen, it is the effort of those who are promoters of tramways to give the worst possible character to their bete noire, the motor omnibus, and to proclaim loudly, as the writer has heard one, the increased number of accidents. A numerical increase of accidents is not necessarily a real increase ; the increase must be more than proportional to both the added number of vehicles and their mileage, to be a real one. This essential point it too frequently ignored. But, after all, the question of accidents is a purely side question, and does not affect the matter directly. The motor vehicle is a necessity of the times, and well established. Precautions against accident cannot take the -form of suppression. Much is being done to diminish the number, and, according to the Board of Trade reports, it is diminishing, although the population and the number of pedestrians on the streets are constantly increasing.
In conclusion, it may be too much to hope that the elimination of the tramline will be a rapid process. Those who appreciate its disadvantages, as compared with an efficient free-running traffic, must be content in the meantime with what is already occurring. Every new proposal for a tramway is sure to be met by a firm and effective opposition. An instance of this is the case of Oxford, where, a few years ago, steps for putting down tramways were far advanced. The public would not allow this to be done, and by active opposition caused abandonment of the scheme and the introduction of a satisfactory omnibus service. The same course is being taken in other places. Tunbridge Wells is an outstanding example. It is now quite certain that where any opening arises for a passenger road-service, the free-running system will be preferred. Far-seeing people will have no difficulty in discerning its advantages for rapid introduction, easy expansion and extension, and the freedom from cramping and confining limitations caused by a system which requires a fixed railway road. In two particulars, in addition to those mentioned before, the omnibus has and always must have an advantage. While the tramway-car is confined to its one route with a fixed terminus, the omnibus has full freedom. The excursion is an impossibility to the tramway. The omnibus can at any time be applied to excursion service. On occasions, the omnibus company can organize excursions to long distances into the country on week-ends and holidays. It can, in fine weather, lift off the closed body and put on a char-kbanes body, enabling crowds of town-dwellers to get a bath of fresh air and sun, and to enjoy a few hours in delightful rural Erurroundings This is a -source of profit to the proprietor, and of pleasure to the public, from which the tramway owner and those he caters for are absolutely shut out. The every-day route is the only one he can offer them, and there is no possibility of obtaining change of air and change of scene, those medicines that are better than any drugs to the jaded Worker The freedom to pass out into the country when freerunning traffic is employed may be seen by reference to the Board of Trade statistics, which sho;;v that from London outwards 16 services run from 15 up to 21 miles outside the City—war modifications excepted.
These facts speak for themselves. The motor omnibus has become a dominant vehicle, both for town and country. Whatever hold the tramline has obtained during the long period when it had no rival, the day of its predominance is passed, and it has no plea except that of the proverbial "nine points " where it is in possession. It can never compete with ' the, omnibus on new ground.
Tho writer is well aware that in expressing his views as to the disadvantages of the tramway, and the advantages of the free-running vehicle, he lays himself open to animadversion as being interested to decry the one and make out a case for the other. He confesses to being interested, but his interest is entirely as a citizen, desirous to promote what his discernment convinces him is best. He has no connection, either direct or indirect, with any company or other organization which promotes the motor omnibus. But feeling strongly, as a non-technical observer, he has expressed his views strongly, although, he trusts, not offensively.