York and the Question of Plying for Hire.
Page 54
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The chief constable of York reports that the number of private bus services in the city is now 40, as compared -with 34 in 1927, and there is a total of 244 licensed vehicles plying for hire in the city, as against 141 in 1927 (exclusive of corporation vehicles).
There are also eight long-distance services, in connection with which booking offices have been established in York. Vehicles connected with these services only remain a short time in Blossom Street and have. not been licensed hitherto in the city, as it has -always been understood that to book passengers was not to ply for hire. In the case of Griffin versus Grey Coaches it was decided recently in the High Court that such booking may constitute plying for hire, amd the matter is receiving conaid oration by a committee.
Tyneside-Manchester Bus-service Expansion.
The Northern General Transport td., of Cheater-.le-Street, which is Co.,;his year launching out more extensively in long-distance bus work, has made an interesting addition to its chain of routes radiating from Newcastle by the inauguration of a twohourly service between Tyneside and Manchester, in place of the former once-daily service which linked up these two important centres.
The route is via Ripon, Harrogate and Leeds, and besides instituting cheap fares this concern is issuing special tickets which permit passengers to break their journey on two occasions.
Remarkable Swedish Traffic Growth.
A recent estimate shows that there are now about 178,000 motor vehicles in use in Sweden, the number in the city of Stockholm being 14,467. The growth of motor traffic in Sweden has been extraordinary, for 10 years" ago there were only about 8,000 vehicles in use in the country. The increase in the past year has also been most marked, and 33,000 new vehicles were put into service. It should, of course, be understood that the figures relate to all types of motor vehicle.
Guy Six-wheelers for the Vit.D.
Amongst the various orders which have recently been received by Guy Motors, Ltd., Fallings Park, Wolverhampton, one of the most interesting is that for 18 3-5-ton subsidy-type six-wheeled chassis, which are being built for the War Depattrnent. This makes the 17th repeat order which this concern has received from this Government department.
The Ogmore and Garw Appeal.
With reference to the announcement made on page 354 of our issue dated April 23rd that the Ogmore and Garw Urban District Council had refused to abide by a Ministry of Transport decision relating to a licensing appeal, it is interesting to note the reception which was accorded the deputation from the local authority that waited upon the Ministry to give the reason for the refusal. According to the town clerk's report, the attitude of the Ministry is that it would be manifestly unfair to review or to reverse its decision on the representations of one of the parties c24
concerned, and the Ministry has no intention to commence a system of appeals ad infinitum.
The Ministry has promised to communicate with the council, and, in the meantime, we hear from South Wales that the council is still withholding the issue of the licences in question.
Railways' Acquisition of Municipal Buses. '
The transport committee of the Rotherham Corporation has appointed a sub-committee to negotiate with the officials of the railway companies in connection with the proposed acquisition of certain interests of the corporation in motorbus services.
Report on a Swiss Show.
The Department of Overseas Trade has prepared a memorandum relating to the Sixth International Motor Exhibition, which was held at Geneva from March 15th-24th, and British concerns desirous of receiving a copy should communicate with the Department at 35, Old Queen Street, London, S.W.1, quoting reference X 7,839.
Licences in Abeyance at Leeds.
The watch committee of the Leeds Corporation has adjourned consideration of several applications for licences for motorbuses to ply for hire Within the city in connection with the following services :—Messrs. Walker, Taylor and Sons, Leeds and Blackpool; Mr. W. F. Johnson, Leeds and London ; West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd., Manchester and Newcastle.
New Lucas Service Depot.
Joseph Lucas, Ltd., Great King Street, Birmingham, advises us that it has just opened a new service depot in Liverpool, this being situated at 450458, Edge Lane. The .depot has been established to enable the requirements of users in the area to be met in the matter of Lucas, Rotax and C.A.V. equipment.
The World Engineering Congress in Japan.
It will be recalled that a few weeks ago we commented on the fact that a British committee on the World Engineering Congress in Japan (representative of some 26 engineering institutions and technical societies) had been formed with the object of organizing a party of British engineers to attend the congress in Tokio and to secure a number of papers on engineering subjects for presentation.
As a result of the committee's endeavours we understand that 76 papers have been contributed and some of them have a direct interest to men in the transport industry. For instance, Sir Henry P. Maybury, G.B.E., K.C.M.G., C.B., is the author of a paper entitled " Recent Read Development in Great Britain," and Messrs. A. Healey and W. Bond have contributed a paper en titled "The Pneumatic Tyre in Heavy Transport," whilst Mr. J. B. Osier, 0.B.E., M.Inst.T., has written a paper entitled "The Necessity of Co-operation Between Designers of Commercial Road-transport Vehicles and Operating Managers in the Road-transport Industry."
Medical Test for Rotherham Drivers. The watch committee of the Rotherham Corporation has considered the advisability of insisting on the medical examination of drivers of hackney vehicles, and recommends that in future medical certificates as to physical fitness be required from applicants for licences.
Guildford-London: Half-hourly Service.
The watch committee of the Guildford Corporation has granted two additional licences to the Skylark Motor Coach Co., Ltd., to enable the company to increase its bus service between Guildford and London during certain parts of the day from an hourly to a half-hourly service.