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Page 85
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new BY THE HAWK
. eran Vicissitudes
.THOUGH the absence of an issue of COMMERCIAL Moron last week prevented our reporting the HCVC o Brighton, the journal was represented in fine style Aleague Ron Cater, who had been given the honour iving the club's 1919 RAF-type Leyland 4-tonner. He .ccompanied by photographer Dick Ross, and "Chivers", e is affectionately known by club members, plodded ly along at 18 m.p.h., reaching Gatwick in 90 minutes Put at Crawley hopes of a rousing finish were dashed a sudden loud backfire was followed by a dead engine. spark. Ron recalled the dimly remembered drill for tg with mag trouble and stripped the unit down. He • did find the trouble but at least when reassembled it them enough spark to start again—only to pack up Imes in succession in the last two miles.
hough they were towed in, they made their own way • thanks to a Bosch mag lent by A. E. Adams, of as and Bristow Ltd.
me Priority
/NDON TRANSPORT never ceases to amaze me. In the annual report for 1965, just published, it is stated that board is considering the practicability of introducing an natic fare system for the buses, and that research and iment in this field is being undertaken as a matter of niority. Good for them.
t now for the catch. To me this would suggest the ing of front-entrance, rear-engined double-deckers to cc the now ageing RTs being regarded as a matter of icy. But, oh no! This would be too enterprising, by far. solitary experimental, rear-engined Routemaster is being , to join the 50 Atlanteans and eight Fleetlines already perimental service. This vehicle will have to go through 3ng proving trials (and subsequent further trials following inevitable modifications) before any decision to order Auction batch is taken. Think of the time being wasted! lave it on good authority that LTB is not in any hurry .der any more buses. (The present order, for RML buses, out in the middle of next year.) "There is still plenty fe in the RTs", I was told. So, whatever the report might it lqoks as though it will be some time before an autoc fare system is introduced—unless one can imagine entrance Routemasters with automatic fare-collecting :es.
Golden Opportunity
PASSENGER operators who have time to look up from their daily chores of trying to contain their own costs when everyone else seems to be increasing theirs may get ideas. Up, that is, to see how air transport does its figuring.
Take the little matter of building the Concorde aircraft. First estimate for the project in 1962 was around 1150/170m. Tactfully avoiding any "not-with-it" questioning as to why plus or minus the odd f 10m., we—you and, me as taxpayersare told : "We must grab this golden opportunity".
By 1964 it had become even more golden. The planemakers now said they would let us in on this opportunity for £280m.
But that, of course, was two years ago. Today this cinch is available at a round figure of £400m.
It might fly in the 1970s and carry the equivalent of a couple of bus loads.
If only surface transport was also a glamour industry!
Too Busy
CPEAKING at this year's SRPTA conference at Turnberry, Sir Reginald Wilson stated that he was pleased to see so many known faces. "But", he added, "they are all the big men in the passenger industry. I am a little dismayed that the smaller operator is not in SRPTA and I ask myself tonight: where is the small man?"
One operator, in an aside to our correspondent, offered a possible solution: "Out making money, I shouldn't wonder".
Talking Shop
THE tipping side of the industry will be spotlighted in the coming months. Spare a thought for the back-room boys involved in two of the more spectacular cases.
The South Eastern LA's staff is, I gather, still wading through the morass of "Mid Southern" documents before their submission to the Transport Tribunal. No dates have 'yet been fixed for this cause célèbre.
Now the multiple bids of East and West Midland hauliers seeking to carry tippable 'materials in England and Wales to the direction of A. Fletcher and Co. Ltd., of lbstock, have been started at Birmingham and Nottingham.
The three days set aside for the, Nottingham hearing were not half enough—and five more days in June have been allotted. So far about 130 documents have been registered by the East Midland deputy LA, Mr. A. R. M. Ellis.