Operating Aspects of
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PASSENGER TRANSPORT
SAFETY TREATMENT OF P.S.V. WINDOWS
TO a suggestion in the House last week by Mr. Cocks, that the Minister of Transport should issue an order that the windows of trams and buses in London and elsewhere should be treated with certain adhesive material or replaced by cellulose fabric as a protection against flying glass, Lieut.-Col. Moore-Brabazon replied that he recently circulated to the associations which represented public passenger transport operators suggestions for reducing the risk of injury by flying glass, and expressed the hope that operators in vulnerable areas would adopt one or other of the methods of treatment suggested. He was making inquiries now to see how far these suggestions had been given effect.
Mr. Cocks then asked if these safety devices were to be 4t-ted at the expense of the operators or owners of . the vehicles. To this the Minister answered that the main question was regarding the areas to start with, adding that he would look into the matter of charges.
"SHELTER" PASSENGERS CAUSE PpOBLEM AT STOCKPORT
'QTOCKPORT bus drivers are airing a L., novel complaint—not for any personal or selfish ends, but for the good of their regular patrons. It appears that the town has some big, safe caves, which are used by large numbers of people as night shelters, especially. during " alert " air-raid warnings. The crowds arrive from places some miles away—Manchester outskirts, Cheshire towns and villages, and even from the Derbyshire border. Nobody protests against their sharing the caves, but when the first buses start out in the early morning these " strangers " are said to cause serious scrambling, so much so that " regulars " are prevented from getting aboard at all. Regular travellers who are ratepayers feel that they should have priority and the busmen agree.
"BAD FEELING" BETWEEN BUS AND TRAM DRIVERS TWRING the hearing of claims and L./counter-claims for damages to buses and trams arising out of collisions, Judge Richardson at Newcastle-onTyne County Court, last week, said it was obvious that bad feeling existed between tram and bus drivers on the route concerned. Mrs. Annie Norfolk, bus proprietress, of Stocksfield, who operates a Service between Newcastle and Stocksfield, claimed £5 from Newcastle Corporation in inspect of damages to a bus in a bus-tram collision on April 2 and • £22 8s. 6d. damages in respect of • a further collision on July 4.
Newcastle Corporation counterclaimed for £8 14s. in respect of damages to a tram on April 2 and £33 15s. for the July 4 collision. T. Morrison, bus driver, said that on April 2, in Scotswood Road, Newcastle, he was about to overtake and pass a tram travelling west from the City when the driver accelerated and failed to halt at a compulsory stop. But for that he said he would have got clear of an oncoming tram.
Judge Richardson, giving his decision in favour of Newcastle Corporation in both instances, said that the tram driver was not guilty of contributory negligence. The bus driver had taken a risk he was not entitled to take. It was not right that tram drivers should give way to buses in all cases.
76 SCOTTISH BUSES IN LONDON
FOR the information of Mr. R. Gibson; it was stated in the House last•week that 76 motorbuses had been transferred from Scotland for service in London.
CUT OUT CHRISTMAS TRAVEL —GOVERNMENT APPEAL
-THE Government has called for the I production of war supplies to be continued during the forthcoming Christmas season, and there is no question that the appeal will, meet with complete success. To ensure no hold-up in deliveries, products of factories and workshops have to be transported, and this demand will be met by the transport workers, but it is possible only by the limitation of passenger services.
During the Christmas season, the normal daily and Christmas Day services will be maintained and, as there will be no addition to road facilities, the Government is urging the general public not .to travel unless it be absolutely necessary.
RESERVED BUSES FOR RETURNING WORKMEN
A SUGGESTION that evening peak
hour traffic difficulties in the district would be relieved if one of every two buses was reserved for persons travelling with return workmen's tickets was made at the Dewsbury Industrial Welfare Advisory Panel's inaugural meeting, last week. Mr. Norman Hudson, who put it forward, said that if people with spare time could not do their shopping and return home before 5 p.m. they should not be allowed to use the buses requited to carry workers to their homes after that hour. He also remarked that a better spread-over of bus drivers' and conductors' working hours would help to relieve the situation caused by petrol rationing and the shortage of buses and drivers.
Mr. J. L. King, North-eastern Divisional Welfare Officer, who presided, said a great deal more staggering of factory hours was required to reduce the time which workers spent . in travelling,
RESERVING ROADS FOR LONDON BUSES
A PLAN is being considered by the PI Minister of Transport and the Commissioner of Police in London under which only buses and othPr public-service vehicles will be permitted to use certain roads during peak-traffic hours in the morning and evening. Such a scheme would tend to minimize delays to travellers, but it Might greatly inconvenience operators of commercial vehicles,
SALFORD MUNICIPAL BUSES 'WELL SUPPORTED g■
THE report of Mr. J. W. Blakemore, 1 general manager of Salford Corporation transport undertaking, shows that bus receipts amounted to £525,127 in the year ended March 31 last, being an increase of £50,756. Since the incep'tion of the department in 1902 the gross income has aggregated nearly £16,750,000, the gross profit almost £3,500,000, and the net profit £683,365 —out of which rates have been aided to the extent of £399,183.
BIRMINGHAM TO EMPLOY • AUXILIARY CONDUCTORS
WITH the object of helping to solve the problem of congestion on buses and trams at peak hours, Birmingham Transport Committee is appealing for volunteers to act as auxiliary conductors between 4.90 p.m. and 6 p.m., from Monday to Friday inclusive. Duties of the men will be to assist conductors on the city services in loading and unloading. The auxiliary conductor will be identified by an armlet and will occupy a position on the platform tlf the vehicle. At the start the experiment will he confined to buses.
GOOD SURPLUS ON NEWCASTLE BUSES I N his report for the year ended March .31 last, Mr. T. P. Easton, general manager of Newcastle-uponTyne transport and electricity undertaking, emphasizes that, since the • outbreak of war, the operations of the department nave been adversely affected by the rapid rise in wages and materials, and that the financial position will be seriously impaired if it continues to operate on the basis of the present fares.
In the period under review, income on the motorbuses was £239,247 and, as working expenses totalled £163,230, there was a gross surplus of £76,017. Deducting interest, redemption and other charges, the net surplus comes out at £58,102, which compares with £.43,958 in the previous year.
In the case of ,trolleybuses, income amounted to £243,177 and working expenses to £161,614, the gross sur plus of £81,563 being reduced to a net figure of £51,758 after deducting interest and redemption charges hitherto borne by trams; in the previous year the net surplus was £65,318.
During the year the motorbuses covered an aggregate mileage of 3,438,965 and carried 29,990,520 passengers, comparable figures in respect of trolleybuses being 3,132,619 miles and 42,295,414 passengers. •