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Bird's Eye
Page 74
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ViewBY THE HAWK
First-hand Comments
wHO would fly a bus driver 900 miles to check that he approved YV the cab layout of a new bus? Well, Stockholm Tramways have just done so, in fact flying two drivers to the Park Royal works in West London to have a look at a prototype of the driver's compartment planned for the 200 Leyland Panthers and 50 Atlanteans which Stockholm has on order.
They did not find much to criticize, I gather, and after a window lever and a couple of switches had been moved, they asked only that Park Royal should slightly lower the flag-holders mounted on the front for special occasions; they were just too high to reach. Olaf Kekonius, Stockholm's technical manager, and two other executives also came to have a look at the new designs. The buses will go into service in 1967 when Sweden changes to a right-hand road rule and the drivers will certainly find themselves in a highly sophisticated atmosphere. Equipment includes a radio/telephone for contact between vehicle and base, public address loudspeakers inside and out, automatic doors controlled by photo-electric cells, as well as automatic gearbox and so on.
Piracy Doesn't Pay!
SCOME people thought that organizing pirate bus services, complete with Jolly Roger, to meet complaints about local LTB routes, might have put Finchley Liberal Frank Davis sufficiently in the limelight to enable him to win the Conservativeheld seat at the General Election. He was also quoted as threatening to "sink the Labour Party in Finchley without trace". My politically knowledgeable colleagues tell me he should have known that electorates are notoriously ungrateful for services rendered. Anyway, the Labour swing sunk huh, the Liberal vote sliding from second place in 1964 to third place this time.
Perhaps the fact that his opponents were both attractive members of the fair sex had an effect that a mere male couldn't hope to overcome.
No Marriage Yet
ATHOUGH mooted on and off for a long time now, any merger of the Lancaster Corporation and Morecambe Corporation bus undertakings seems as far away as ever. Just recently the rumourmongers have been busy on this subject, no doubt inspired by the fact that certain discussions have been taking place between representatives of the two authorities and of Ribble Motor Services Ltd. The proposal in which all three are interested is the setting up of a new joint service next autumn which would take the students of Lancaster University to and fro between the university buildings, some of which are now being built on the south side of Lancaster, and their residential accommodation which lies in the Morecambe area. At the outset there will be some 700 students concerned, but numbers will rise gradually until the whole university project is complete in 1984. So far as the two corporations are concerned a fresh service could well start up operations bearing the sign "under new management". As announced in COMMERCIAL MOTOR on April 1, Mr. A. V. Rigby, Morecambe and Heysham general manager, is shortly to take up a similar position in Chesterfield. Mr. J. T. Langley, g.m. at Lancaster, is all set to depart for Preston.
Consolation
THE convivial atmosphere at Overstone Solarium, traditional venue for the RHA Northampton sub-area's all-male beanfeast, was not affected by the General Election result. Although many of those present had qualms about Labour transport policy, relief from the threat of Geddes was equally noticeable. Former "Saints" forward, Arthur Daniels, who presided, must be the best known "parcels" carrier in Northants, as he was a branch traffic superintendent of BRS Parcels Ltd. for many years and, more recently, has run the thriving Townsends Carriers Ltd. Many of Arthur's traffic staff were formerly his colleagues with BRS. Business rivalry, although keen, is not unfriendly: Townsends recently helped BRS at Wellingborough to clear a parcels log-jam. Arthur Daniels' broad shoulders and cool head have cleared many such in his time.
Glittering Gathering
THERE should be an impressive collection of top-table talents 1 at the RHA Western area annual dinner at Bristol tonight, if the guest list is any guide. The national chairman, Ronnie Butt, and the secretary-general, George Newman, will be sitting with the Western LA, J. R. C. Samuel-Gibbon, Bristol's chief constable, the chairman of the South West Economic Planning Council and other notables.
Women's P.s.v. Club?
"NOBODY seems interested in women drivers", attractive Mrs. Joan Dunford told a colleague at the National Coach Rally. "If someone could get us together, I would like a women's
p.s.v. drivers' club", she said.
Mrs. Dunford, who was driving one of her husband's fleet in the rally, was the only lady competitor—three are required by the organizers, Wigan and District Excursion and Tour Operators' Association, before a special ladies award is made. So now Mrs. Dunford is hoping her daughter-in-law will join the family business and pass her p.s.v. test in time for next year's rally. That will Make two entrants—" and I know a lady in Manchester who will also enter to make up the three", said Mrs. Dunford. For nine years she has been driving some 500 miles a week on school and works trips. In 1963, Mrs. Dunford set out to be "the longest distance woman driver in the country" when she drove from Wakefield to John o' Groats and on to Land's End and back. No challenges for her title have been received.
Before visitors to the 1966 New York Motor Show enter the gilded halls they are treated to a vintage eye-stopper from Over Here. Parked outside is this Ford Model B 30 cwt. van which started life delivering bread through the streets of Shrewsbury in 1930. It is part of a US promotion campaign by the proprietor of "Old Motor", magazine. and is seen here being given a mechanical check by James Tye of BSC before leaving the UK.