New Fitness Regulations Drafted: Few Changes in Existing Buses

13th November 1953, Page 66

13th November 1953

Page 66

Page 66, 13th November 1953 — New Fitness Regulations Drafted: Few Changes in Existing Buses

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AFIER an interval of 3i years, the Ministry of Transport has again revised the draft Public Service Vehicles (ConditiOns of Fitness)Regulations prepared in May, 1949. Further provisos. have been inserted so that in most cases new requirements will 'not apply to existing vehicles: There are, however, certain exceptions.

On. re-cerrification, . existing vehicles will have to be constructed so that (1) they have pneumatic tyres, (2) no part of the fuel tank or apparatus for the supply of fuel, such as an Autovac, is placed in the driver's cab or passenger compartment, (3) all electrical cables .are adequately insulated and prci7. tected from the effects of.Water, petrol Or oil, (4) every entrance or 'exit door is made to open from inside or outside by one operation of the lock, (5) no emergency door is power-operated, (6) no seat is fitted to any door, and (7) they .are not such that the lighting systems are ineapable of complying with the Road Transport Lighting Acts, 1927-1953, and regulations.

Flashing Indicators. • The regulations will exclude flashing direction indicators at the sides of vehicles from the measurement of overall width.

• As the result of a fatal accident in Glasgow in 1951, in which a bus front spring broke and the axle moved backwards so that the driver lost control, the Ivlinistry proposes that every vehicle shall be constructed or adapted so that failure in the, suspension system will not cause the driver to lose direc tional control. .

To discourage the use of unnecessary high voltages in fluorescent lighting systems, the voltage in any !Circuit, 'other than a high-tension ignition. Cir

cuit, is not to exceed 120. Special safety measures are prescribed for circuits carrying more than 40 volts.

Higher Panels In new open-top vehicles, front and rear panels or rails are to be at least 4 ft. high. Side panels and rails are ; to be at least 3 ft. high and 1 ft. 6 in. above the highest part of any passenger . seat. 'Guard rails on outside staircases are also to be a minimum of 4 ft. high.

• The Ministry says that the dangers of having both .exits at One end of the vehicle have been .increased by the use of large underfloor-engined singledeckers, and particularly crush-loaders. Consequently, it is proposed that in -a single-decker or on the lowerdeck of a double-decker, each seating more than 28 people, one exit shall be at least 10 ft. forward of the other, -taking the measurement opposite the centre of each exit at gangway level. The height of the gangway at an emergency exit is to be not less than 5 ft. 6 in.

To counter the tendency to make the gangway immediately inside the door extremely narrow, it is proposed that every gangway shall be at least 1 ft. 6 in. wide at a point more than 4 ft. above floor level.

Although there must be a clear space of at least. 1 ft. 7. in. between the front of a.transverse seat and any part of the facing seat,any, support for a table may . be disregarded if there is, 9' in. clear, between the support and the front of the nearest seat and passengers are not inconvenienced, •• The existing Regulation 41 is to be continued and will not, is proposed in 1949, be reworded. .

,The associations to whom the draft has been circulated have OtiI the end of the year to submit their comments, so the new regulations are not likely to come into force for several months.

• • NEW AUTHORITY TAKES OVER 11/IAKING a brief appearance at an M inquiry at Newcastle upon Tyne, last 'week, Mr. J. A. T. Hanlon, the newly appointed Northern Licensing Authority, was congratulated and welcomed by Mr. J. L. R. Croft, Mr, T. H. C. Wardlaw and Mr. F. Milton.

Expressing his thanks, Mr. Hanlon said he looked forward to a continuance of the co-operation and the friendly atmosphere which his predecessor, Mr. S. W. Nelson, had enjoyed.

• KERRY'S EXTEND INTERESTS

. A CONTROLLING interest in rt.. Merriman and Howard, Ltd., 336-8 Deansgate, Manchester, has' been acquired by Kerry's (Great• Britain), Ltd., Stratford, London, E.15. Mr. P. E. Jordan, manager of Kerry's Oxford branch, has been appointed manager at Manchester. He will -be succeeded at Oxford by Mr. E. A. Forsyth, who, in turn, will be replaced at Brighton by Mr. W. Warrick, at present sales supervisor in London.

NOTTINGHAM INQUIRY

• AF a proposal to set up a com

mittee of inquiry into the working of the transport department had been withdrawn on October 5, Nottingham City Council decided at their November meeting to establish such a committee. Their terms of reference are to inquire into the organization, administration and operation of the department.

MORE MONEY FOR ROADS?

• I THINK it is a fairly, level bet that

I there will be a greater amount of money allocated to the capital maintenance of roads next April," said Mr. R. E. G. Brown, secretary of the London and Home Counties Division of the Traders' Road Transport Association, when he addressed the East KeneArea last week.

Glasgow to Reduce Fares? •

WITH his department now showing a profit, Mr. E. R. L. Fitzpayne, general manager of Glasgow Transport Department, has submitted interim proposals to the transport committee to reduce certain fares. If implemented they would cost the department about £100,000 a year.

On motorbus services, he suggests, five instead Of four stages could be given for 4d., seven instead of siX. for .5d., and the maximum fare could be '6ti. for Over seven stages in place of the existing ruling of over six. The price of weekly tickets would remain un

altered. . „ . Trolleybus services could have a maximum fare of 5d. for over six -stages, instead of the Present Maiitimin

of ,6d. for over eight stages. • Fitzpayne is net in favour of the introduction of transfer tickets.

MORAL RESPONSIBILITY ON NEW EMPLOYERS AT a meeting in London of delegates representing met-fibers of the Trans-port and. General Workers' Union employed by British Road Services, Mr. Arthur Deakin, general Secretary, said that the highest legal authorities in the 'country had come to the conclusion that there was no obligation on buyers of -vehicles under denationalization to provide employment for the 'displaced employees.

Mr. Deakin submitted that there was, however, a moral responsibility. "If there is redundancy, then trade union principles must apply--seniority must be the determining factor,' " he said.

7s, RISE FOR MILK WORKERS: "co-oP ? CLAIM •

vOLLOWING. discussions between the Milk Marketing Board and the Transport .and General Workers' Union, all workers covered by. the transport agreement have had. their pay raised by 7s: a week from October

The T.G.W.U. have asked the Cooperative Wholesale Society, Ltd., for a substantial increase in 'wages for transport employees.

NEW ORDERS ON TAXATION.

'TWO new Statutory Instruments deal./ ing with local taxation licences have been made. The Road Vehicles (Excise Duties and Licences) Order, 1953, which came into operation on November 4, • re-enacts the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Order, 1921, as amended in 1937. The principal change is in the restriction of applications for renewals of licences at Post Offices.

The Road Vehicles (Transport Levy) Order, 1953, came into operation on November 5 and makes provision for the collection and payment to the Minister of Transport of the transport levy.