New Co-ordination Agreement
Page 9
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WHAT may be the beginning of interesting developments in co-ordination is the institution, as from May 9, of the first service to be run jointly by the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., and Walsall Corporation. This will run daily every half-hour between Walsall and Dudley.
Walsall Corporation has long had inter-working arrangements with Wolverhampton and West Bromwich Corporations, but the joint services, which one might expect in, for example, the Darlaston and Cannock areas, have not so far materialized.
Walsall's most recent development in through running was in the institution, on October 4, 1948, of a joint service with West Bromwich Corporation from that town to Streetly, via Aldridge. A little later, on October 17, West Bromwich also started a joint service with Wolverhampton between those two towns.
The most recent "Midland, Red" development is the starting, on May 7, of a new daily service between Birmingham and Leamington, via Stonebridge and Kenilworth, This is the first daily service between Birmingham and Kenilworth.
In Birmingham itself, the corporation has recently extended its service to Whittington Oval and that to Sheldon Heath Road to cover extensive housing developments in the Yardley area.
HIGHER FARES WANTED AN increase in bus fares in Merthyr Tydfil was proposed at a reeent sitting of the South Wales Licensing Authority. The increased revenue, it was stated, would convert a loss of £15,355 last year into a surplus of £2,666 next year.
The transport manager, Mr. T. H. Thomson, said that receipts had already increased by £4,000 a year by the
elimination of return fares. Despite every possible economy in staff and maintenance, however. costs bad increased beyond his control.
SPECIAL ORDER FOR TENDERS
ASPECIAL Order has been made to permit the.use on roads in and near
• London, Northolt and Cardiff airports of three Cardox fire-crash tenders, although they do not comply with the Construction and Use Regulations as regards overall width, overhang and size of tyres. it is known as the Motor Vehicles (Authorisation. of Special Types) Order, 1949, and came into operation on May 5.
LEYLAND BUILDS TROPICAL CAB
ACAB intended for its export,range of bonneted super heavy-duty goods chassis, has recently been put in production by Leyland Motors, Ltd., Leyland. Of all-metal construction, it provides such amenities as a Clayton Dewandre combined heater,•ventilator and . windscreen demister, doableskinned' roof, sides and rear bulkhead insulated with Isoflex, leather, seating with Latex Yobbeffillings. and an easily removable front to •the'instrunien:
panel: • " • The method of mounting is such that the cab structure cannot be adversely affected by any :weaving, or• fleiitire. of. the chassis. Separate jig-assembled units, including floor, rear bulkhead, front assembly, roof and doors, are employed to Simplify the supply of cabs for shipment completely knocked down.
A MATTER OF TIMING
I N the article entitled "Road or Rail
in 'The Island'?" in last week's issue, the Ramsey-Peel service by I.M.R.S. was stated to be increased from 10-11 timings a day in winter to 60 in summer. in fact, the stammer headway is 60 minutes.
OVER £4,000,000 FROM SALES
THE last of the 11 auction sales of Government surplus vehicles at -the, Ministry of Supply, depot,Byram Park, Brotherton, near. Pontefract, ended last week. Receipts brought the aggregate proceeds from all. • the sales to £4,237,430. The auctioneer throaghout the sales has been Mr. Frank A. Richardson, of Messrs. Hollk and Webb, Leeds.
. INDIA TO JOIN
ONE of the oldest road -associations in the world, the Indian Roads and Transport .Development Association, has applied for membership of the international Road 'Federation., The leader and .members of the Third Indian Road Engineers' Deputation to the U.S.A. were ,entertained last week by the I.R.F. The Federation arranged for the delegates to be received at the Ministry of Transport.
INDUSTRIAL DESIGNPOLICY
THE first of a series of meetings on design policy . for industry, organized jointly bythe Federation of British Industries Industrial Art 'Cornmince and the Council. of Industrial Design, will be held a4 21; Tothilr Street, Westminster, S,W.1, on May 19. The subject will be "Automobiles and, their Accessories."
TYNESIDE AND. 1947 ACT
Al' the request of Jarrow .COrporadon,Newcastle. Upon Tyne City Council has. agreed, to calla conference of -'Tyneside councils . discuss the effects of the Transport Mt. 1947, on
• the Tyneside industrial area.
Great Scope for ,Co-operation
DOSSIBILITIES of the development A. of "groaning among free hauliers arc mentioned in the annual report of the Road Haulage Association's Yorkshire West Riding Area.
Discussions at the R.H.A. conference in Edinburgh, last September, made it clear, that much could be achieved by closer co-operation between members remaining outside the scope of the
Trarisport Act. Whether t ha t co-Operation should be by means of groups, either functional or district, is a matter still to be decided," the report adds. " but certainly this is an avenue which offers a great scope for development."
The area committee is investigating the'matter. 'Questionnaires on the subject have been circulated.
Looking into the future, the report says that " any attempt by the Road Transport Executive to interfere unduly with short-distance transport will be resisted with the utmost vigour; but at the moment there is no indication that the Executive propose to take this course and consequently, if mutual advantage can be achieved, adequate liaison at the right level should be beneficial to both parties."
, 'Alluding to the meat carriers' functional group, the report states that the question of nevi regulations for the construction of special vehicles for the carriage of meat is being closely watched."
MINISTRY LACKS COURAGE
AN attack onthe-tortuous procedure for obtaining permission to run buses 8 ft. wide was made by Mr. Raymond Birch, M.I.Mech.E., chairman, at the annual general meeting of the Yorkshire (W.D.) Transport Co., Ltd. He Said that to have opened all roads, except the few that might be unsuitable, to 8.-ft..-wide buses, "would have called for a greater degree of boldneis than the Ministry of Transport were prepared to display."
Mr. Biech reported that the company had achieved a new record in the replacement of rolling stock by adding 100 new units to the fleet.