• Operating Aspects of PASSENGER TRANSPORT
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LATEST NEWS FROM THE TRAFFIC AREAS
RAILWAY ,DIRECTORS SAID TO BE BUYING BUS HOLDINGS.
THE question of railway interest in bus companies arose in a discussion of an address entitled "The National Planning of Transport," delivered by Mr. A. M. Skeffington to members of the Omnibus Society (reported on page 324).
Commenting upon a suggestion of Mr. C. E. Lee that in no case did a railway company have more than a 50per-cent. interest in any bus concern, Mr. Skeffington revealed that, although official records might show this to he the ease, certain railway directors had, in their own names, purchased large holdings in road-transport companies. He had it on the authority of several members of the Stock Exchange that such purchases had been made quite recently.
SHOULD SINGLE FARES BE ALLOWED ON EXCURSIONS?
ROAD-TRANSPORT " care law" has been made in the north-western area, when, In a number of appeals heard last week in Manchester, the " Venture" ruling of the Minister was quoted.
The appeals were against the refusal of express-carriage licences for services between Manchester and Blackpool, Manchester and Cleveleys, and Ashton and Cleveleys, the 'grievance being that the various operators had been in the habit of issuing single-day and periodreturn tickets before the advent of the Road Traffic Act. Under these excursion and tours licences the operators concerned were not now able to issue single tickets. Mr. Lustgarten, for the NorthWestern Road Car Co., Ltd., Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., and the Lancashire United Transport and Power Co., suggested that if the ruling on the appeal of the Venture Transport Co., Ltd., was admitted, there was nothing to stop the hundred and more Manchester operators to Blackpool and district from becoming scheduled operators, because they ran for a season of six months to the detriment of the scheduled operators who worked all the year round and looked to the season to recoup their losses of the winter months. Strong opposition was also forthcoming from the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Co. The appeals were heard by Mr. T. R. Kellner.
WELSH BUS PIONEER DEAD.
TEEE death has taken place of one of the pioneers of the bus industry in West Wales, Mr. Thomas Itlaraden Daniel, Gendros, Cardigan, who was proprietor of Tivy Garage and Services. Mr. Daniel founded the Cardigan-Newcastle Emlyn bus services, the fie-St in the area, and was for some years a member of Cardigan Town Council. on which he put in considerable work.
NEW LEEDS BUS SERVICE.
THE transport committee of Leeds
Corporation has approved an amended scheme in connection with the proposed circular bus route. It has decided to apply to the Traffic Commissioners for licences for running buses on this route and for the extension ofthe Old Parsley route from Hyde Park, via Woodhouse Street, etc., to Eastgate.
ALLEGED BREACH OF AGREEMENT: HIGH COURT ACTION.
AN interesting situation has arisen at Cleethorpes, where the local council recently made an offer to the Provincial Tramways Co.. Ltd., asking it the lowest acceptable price for the tramways. At the same time, the East Midland Traffic Commissioners granted a licence to-the council to operate a bus service' between Cleethorpes and Park Street, parallel with the tramways route.
From Old Clec Road to Park Street It is probably not more than 200 yds. from the tramways, and it is understood that it is to be linked to a Grimsby Corporation bus service, which would extend the competition all the way between the towns. The tramways authorities are seeking an injunction against the council on the ground that the operation of this bus route is a breach of agreement. The motion is down for hearing in the Chancery Division on April 25.
RESIDENTS TO RUN THEIR OWN BUSES?
THE Mumbles Travellers' Association has been informed by the Ministry of Transport that the alleged grievance of the association with regard to fares on the Swansea-Mumbles bus route shall be fully Investigated by the-South Wales Traffic Commissioners at a public sitting to be held at Swansea.
It was stated that, if satisfaction was not obtained in these alleged grievances, the association would consider putting into force its formerly proposed scheme of running its own buses for its. 000 members and other residents. RAIL VIEW OF COACH FARES.
ROAD and rail fares were considered at a sitting of the North-Western Traffic Commissioners, in Manchester, when the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Co. objected to applications to revise fares.
It was mentioned that the fares had been recommended by No. 5 Regional
• Committee, and apparently had been approved by the railways. Mr. H. G. Read, for the L.M.S., said that coach fares did not appear to bear any relationship to mileage. ',,The railway rates. Were strictly logical.
Mr. W. Chamberlain, chairman of the Commissioners, pointed -out that, although there had been reasonable agreement regarding excursion and tour fares, applications had been made almost weekly to vary them, because the rail rates had suddenly been changed. Mr. Read contended that the inability of coach operators to determine a basis for fares was responsible for the absence of agreement on the subject between road and rail. He agreed that the L.M.S. had six or more different. fares from Liverpool to London.
Mr. Chamberlain said that seaside operators were seriously affected by the railway 10s. " anywhere" tickets. The Commissioners reserved their decision.
RESULTS OF KEIGHLEY MERGER.
TFIE accounts for the first quarter's working of Keighley West Yorkshire Services, Ltd.—the joint company formed by Keighley Corporation and the West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd.—show "a reasonably satisfactory return to the corporation," stated Alderman M. P. Cryer (chairman of the corporation's Finance Committee), at a meeting of Keighley Town Council, on .April 6.
DERBY STATION CHARGES.
WITH the exception of the vehicles of
the Trent Motor Traction Co., Ltd., all buses using Derby Corporation's new station are to pay 1d. per departure, with a minimum charge of 10s. per month for each operator. The Trent concern has obtained a 14-year lease, at a rate of 1420 per annum (in addition to rates) and £580 a year for use by buses.
DAIMLERWAYS GIVES UP BOOKING FOR INDIVIDUALS.
IT has been decided by Dainderways, 243, Knightsbridge, London, S.W.7, to discontinue the booking of individual passengers at inclusive fares for scheduled tours on the Continent. It has been found that agents prefer to deal direct with hotels for the accommodation of clients.
The Continental coaches will be operated by a French concern entitled Paris-Excursions, which will work in close touch with Daimlerways. The price for the hire of a coach for a Continental tour is £8 8s. per day, allowing 100 miles a day, with excess mileage at is. 6d. per mile. This figure does not include the driver's board and lodging.
The coaches touring Britain will be operated by Daimler Hire, Ltd., at a charge of FT 7s. per day, for 100 mil2s, with is. 6d. per mile in excess of that figure. This rate includes the driver's board and lodging. The vehicles em
B38 ployed at home and abroad are Daimler 15-seaters.
CARDIFF BUS POSITION.
CARDIFF Corporation's transport manager has been asked further to consider the question of reducing the losses on the bus undertaking and to submit his suggestions for remedying such deficits to another special meeting of the committee.
CHESTERFIELD BUYING MORE PRIVATE SERVICES.
THE Minister of Transport has in formed the transport committee of Chesterfield Corporation that he will consent to the borrowing of 18,000 in connection with the purchase of bus services, if, within a reasonable period, the consent of the Traffic Commissioners be obtained.
The committee has now decided that the goodwill of the services operated by Messrs. Creswell and Sons and Mr. S. J. Staton be purchased, together with two buses from the former and one bus from the latter, at a total approximate cost of £2,550.: N.W. AGREED FARES.
AA SUPPLEMENT to gazette 95 has
. issued by the North-Western Traffic Commissioners. The publication contains long, detailed lists of fares for excursions and tours to many places in the North-Western area.
HILLMAN'S COACH BUSINESS.
WE are informed that the paragraph headed "Hillman's to be Taken Over?" which appeared on April 7, is inaccurate, also that it is possible to misconstrue the comment regarding Mr. E. H. Hillman's possible future activities. We express our regret to Mr. Hillman, and would point out that we wished only to imply that the Hillman coach organization is so well established that it no longer needs such close ifersonal attention froa its managing director, who would be able to devote more time to the development of commercial aviation, of which he is a well-known pioneer.
LIVERPOOL BUSES TO GO. LIVERPOOL City Council has de cided, as a result of a large annual loss for the past three years, to abandon the buses from the centre of the city.
A decrease of £106,219, as compared with they previous year's results, is shown in the receipts on the combined tram and bus undertaking for the financial year 1932-33. The reduction in the number of passengers is 15,804,634, and in mileage 1,685,892. MIDDLESBROUGH MERGER OF SO far as the services within Middles brough are concerned, the proposed merger between the corporation transport undertaking and United Automobile Services, Ltd., has been abandoned. Under the terms of the offer, the corporation would, it is reported, have received 113,600 for a year's working, whereas the municipal undertaking is estimated to show a gross profit of about £10,400 for the year.
"SQUEEZING" OUT COACH OWNERS.
BLACKPOOL Town Council has re ferred back to the transport committee a recommendation that objection be made to a pending application before the Traffic Commissioners by Blackpool coach owners to reduce their fares for certain local runs from is. 6d. to 1s.
Alderman R. Fenton said this was an attempt to " squeeze " out the private coach owners, and the corporation, by its objections to street stands and other decisions, had already nearly completed the process. He accused the corporation of grasping and trying to sweep away coaches altogether.
Councillor Hill, himself a coach owner, expressed the view that the corporation should run traffic only to satisfy recognized public routes, and not for pleasure, and Councillor Ashton pointed out that 50 per cent. of Blackpool's visitors arrived by coach.
Alderman Lumb, on behalf of the transport committee, declared that nearly 50 per cent. of the local coach firms were now merged in the big outside combine and so the hardships to socalled ratepayer-owners of coaches was not so great as had been described. Negotiations were proceeding for the purchase of other local firms by the big combine.
ASKED TO PAY FOR STRIKE.
THE Gelligaer municipal authority has decided to ask its bus employees, who took strike action during January last, to defray the expenses involved in the stoppage. The cost was 1103, but it is reported that the council is prepared to consider any reasonable counter-offer.
SCHEME TO HELP LOCAL AUTHORITIES.
THE chairman of the Northern Traffic
Commissioners, Sir John Maxwell, is to put forward a recommendation to the Ministry of Transport that arrangements should be made for bus companies to submit to local authorities in Co. Durham details of applications to the Traffic Commissioners' where the proposals are such as to affect municipalities.
Sir John Maxwell gave this undertaking at a conference of local authorities, at Durham, last week. He also said that it was hoped to arrange, in future, for applications relating to the same local authority to be heard, so far as possible, on the same day. This will be a considerable convenience.
BOOKING AT EASTBOURNE. THE watch committee of Eastbourne Corporation has deferred consideration of the application of the London Coach Owners Federation for permission to erect a booking kiosk at the central coach station.
"EASTERN COUNTIES" WINS APPEAL AGAINST CONVICTION.
A SUCCESSFUL appeal was made,
a few days ago, by the Eastern Counties Omnibus Co., Ltd., against the decision of the Ipswich Borough Bench, fining the company for breaches of licence conditions.
The prosecution had been brought by the Eastern Traffic Commissioners, it being alleged that the company had been guilty of negligence in allowing its employees to charge fares less than those prescribed under the licence conditions for the protection of Ipswich Corporation's transport undertaking.
It was stated that the company had, however, after receiving complaints, warned conductors against this practice. Two employees of Ipswich Corporation were assigned the task of travelling on certain "Eastern Counties" buses and they were charged less than the prescribed fares.
At Ipswich Quarter Sessions, the Recorder said that, whilst accepting the evidence of the tickets being taken, he considered that it had not been proved that the directors or higher officials of the company had been responsible for the infringement. He could not hold the company as negligent in failing to comply with the conditions. The prosecution was dismissed with costs, and the Recorder agreed to state a case.
RHONDDA BILL PASSED.
THE Rhondda Passenger Transport Bill was passed a few days ago, subject to the deletion of clauses giving special privileges in connection with the bus undertaking in competition with other operators, by a selected committee at the House of Lords, presided over by Lord Burnham.
The Bill, which was promoted by Rhondda 'Urban District Council and the Rhondda Tramways Co. provides for the substitution of buses for trams. It was proposed that the council should contribute £50,000 towards the provision of a bus system and the company should pay £1,000 a year for 14 years, thereafter paying £2,000 a year into a fund to be used at the end of 30 years for the purchase, by the council, of the bus undertaking.
ILLEGAL RUNNING ALLEGED.
IT was alleged, last Friday, on behalf of the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co., Ltd., that unlicensed buses were being operated, particularly on Saturdays and Sundays, in the Forest of Dean. It was said that these vehicles were run immediately in front of the " Bristol" buses.
Col. A. S. Redman, chairman of the West Midland Traffic Commissioners, agreed that the Commissioners would endeavour to help the company if the allegations were put into writing.
MORE ABOUT PERIOD BOOKINGS.
THE subject of period bookings for excursions and tours was again raised when Mr. A. E. Lingley, of Stretford, applied to the North-Western Traffic Commissioners for the continuance of a licence for excursions and tours.
On behalf of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Co., it was soggested that the figures for period book
ings in respect of the Blackpool route, for 1930, 1931, and 1932, hardly merited the granting of period return tickets during the whole season from April to October.
Mr. W. Chamberlain, chairman. of the Commissioners, said that they ,would limit the issue of this class of ticket to special periods within the season.
NOT CONTRACT WORK?
AN unusual contract-carriage case was
heard at the Assizes, at Stanley, Durham, last week, when Messrs. J. Hissett and j. W. Toward were charged with using an unlicensed public service vehicle. The driver was charged with the same offence.
The vehicle had been hired by a Rugby club to take the players to fulfil a fixture, but, at the last moment, the match was cancelled, and the party deatied to use the vehicle in order to make a visit to a match elsewhere. Two members of the club failed to make the journey and, at the invitation of the driver, their places were filled by two strangers, each paying 2s.
The defence was that the expenses had been defrayed by a collection from the party. The case against the owners of the vehicle was dismissed, but the driver was found guilty, although no conviction was recorded against him.
TIME AND MONEY SAVED.
OPERATORS in the North Western
Area hail with pleasure the listing together of unopposed applications for the renewal of licences. These are now taken at a special sitting about once a fortnight, at the ,offices of the Commissioners, instead of being scattered among contentious cases at the ordinary sitting. It means a big saving of time and money.
BUSES FOR TRAMS AT BURY?
APPLICATION is being made by
Bury Town Council for permission to substitute buses for trams on six routes, and sanction is being sought for the borrowing of 117,500 for the purchase of 10 buses.
COMBINED BOAT AND COACH EXCURSIONS.
ARRANGEMENTS are being made by P. and A. Campbell, Ltd., which owns the cross-channel steamers working from South Wales to the southwestern counties, for booking coach trips, particularly for parties, from the resorts served by the boats. Agents are at work in the mining areas giving advice on the organization of excursions, on tides, etc. P. and A. Campbell, Ltd., does not run coaches in these districts, so it would appear to be an opportunity for operators.
EASIER ENFORCEMENT OF LICENCES.
THE Eastern Traffic Commissioners
have informed Chelmsford Corpora• tion that read-service licences at present contained no provision forbus routes and stopping places in the borough, and that their proposal to make such provi
sion was to render the licences easier of enforcement.
They also pointed out that certain express carriages operating between London and the east coast picked up and set down passengers in the town, although unauthorized to do so. It was suggested that such services should be conditioned to operate over the by-pass road, but the. Commissioners desired to take no action if the council was satisfied that more complete definition was not required. The watch committee recommends that no action be taken in this matter at the present time.
MORECAMBE WANTS CONTROL OF COACH STANDS TIIE Morecambe, Heysham and Dis
trict Coach Owners' Association has asked Morecambe Corporation to obtain, if possible, a further Order under Section 90 of the Road Traffic Act, incorporating conditions as to the manner in which promenade stands should be used. The Minister of Transport has, however, expressed the opinion that no Order made under the section -could confine theuse of the stands exclusively to local proprietors..
The municipal transpert committee is prepared to pursue the subject further, with a. view to obtaining (through representations for the amendment of the law, or otherwise) the control over the stands. A sub-committee has been appointed to consider the matter. further, in conjunction with representatives of the Coach Owners' Association.
DEVELOPMENTS IN WIRELESS SETS FOR COACHES.
RADIO equipment made specifically for coaches by the Phileo Radio and Television Corporation of Great Britain, Ltd., 1, Argyll Street, London, W.1, was described in The Commercial Motor last November, with a report of its behaviour when installed in a coach while the vehicle was driven in and around London. Since then, the set has been considerably improved, and a further demonstration of its capabilities was recently given to us. As on the previous test, the set appeared to be practically unaffected by any condition encountered on the road, or by changes of direction, and the volume and clarity of tone compared well with those of an ordinary set of first-class manufacture. The main improvements are the elimination of the h.t. battery, the necessary voltage being obtained from a small dynamo, driven by a motor from the coach accumulator, and the use of six high-efficiency valves of a specially robust type, and of automatic volume control. The new set has about double the output of its predecessor, but we understand that the consumption is only about 3 amps—less than before—so that the extra tax upon the accumulator is slight. This new Philco-Transitone set, with aerial, sparking-plug suppressors, and motor-dynamo converter, costs 32
guineas, plus about for installation.
A NEW BUS COMPANY. A BUS company with the title pi Stanhope Motor Services, Ltd., is reported to have been formed in the Weardale area, under the management of Motor Supplies, Ltd., of Bishop Auckland.