TRAINING THE PERSO: OF LONDON'S BUSES.
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Why the Bus Passenger Rides in Safety. 350 The Use of Educational Films. Examples Engraining a Sense a nth. Driving Tests and Technical Training. :ion Questions for Drivers and Conductors. ity for Politeness.
HOW MANY of the millions of passengers who travel on London's omnibuses stop to think of the reasons why they can be transported through even the thickest parts of the City's traffic in safety and comfort and at a speed which, only a few years ago, would have appeared almost, if not quite, impossible. A certain proportion of this freedom from danger is naturally due to the vehicles themselves, which are the highly efficient result of specialized research and embody the experience gained with vehicles from all parts of the Continent, as well as those of British design ; but, however good a vehicle may be, it must be admitted that upon the driver, and to a lesser extent the conductor, depends the ultimate safety of the human freight.
At one time foreigners, after visiting our capital, mentioned as one of the objects of their greatest admiration the London policeman, but he now has to share his honours with the London bus driver, and the conductor whose almost unfailing courtesy is extended to foreigner and Britisher alike.
Intensive 'Training.
The clockwork precision attained by the bus personnel is a matter of intensive training over a period of approximately a month in the case of the driver, and of a. fortnight in the case of the conductor. This training is by no means uninteresting, and details of it will also he of use to those controlling the running of omnibuses in other towits and even outside this country. That the schooling of the men is no mean task is proved by the fact that as many as 1,000 drivers have been put through their instruction and tests during three months. At one time the training was carried out at the different garages, but now it is all concentrated at a special depot in Milman. Street, S.W.
Every driver has to undergo and pass a practical examination by the Public Carriage Branch, New Scotland Yard. One of the chief tests is to reverse in a large sweep under the arch of Scotland Yard, finishing up with both front and rear wheels 18 ins. from the kerb. The driver is then taken out on the road for 15 minutes, accompanied by an inspector. During this time he has to drive through the busiest parts of London, and if he fails, he cannot apply again 1 until 14 days have elapsed.
To familiarize drivers with the test of reversing round the arch, the yard of the training depot is equipped with suitable kerbs and a superstructure which represents the arch; the real arch is of such a height that, if too close a sweep be taken, the top of the ■13.us is damaged, but in the training model the projecting portions are suitably hinged so that if the vehicle does hit them they merely swing out of the way.
The London General Omnibus Co., Ltd., prefer to obtain a type of man such as the intelligent time-serving soldier. Applicants who profess to possess much driving knowledge are frequently a source oftdifficulty; as previous knowledge has often to be unlearnt, particularly if it includes the driving of private cars and a tendency to speeds which are considered excessive in bus work. Those in charge of the training pride themselves on being able to turn out a driver in a month equal to, or even better than, one with quite a lot of previous knowledge.
Selecting Applicants.
Applicants are first interviewed by the foreman responsible for the driving instructors, and after he has passed them for height, personal cleanliness, etc., they are personally interviewed by the chief of the training depot, who forms his own conclusions, and with him rests the final selection of the candidates. After filling up the application form (upon which, by the way, they must declare any summonses which they have received in connection with driving) they are medically examined by the company's doctor., The driving course takes an average of one month, irrespective of the man's previous experience. If he has not driven before he is taught the rudiments in the yard at the training depot, and when considered proficient enough he is taken to the Embankment and quiet streets to practise. As he progresses he continues driving in more crowded thoroughfares until finally he takes charge of the vehicle in crowded neighbourhoods round the Bank, Mansion House, etc. In the meantime, during certain hours, he goes through mechanical classes which are so interesting that we will describe them in more detail further on in the article.
Police Tests..
At the end of the these classes he has to pass a written examination in technical work -and then proceeds to Scotland Yard for his driving tests. If he fails he returns to the depot for further instruction and makes another attempt in a fortnight. Even the drivers who pass are not at once distributed to the garages. Each returns to the depot and is given further tests and instruction by the company. These include night driving in the West End amongst the theatre crowds, passing and stopping by projecting canopies to learn how to avoid pulling these away, the prevention and correction of skidding (for which tests the yard is flooded with water and greased), and how to stop rapidly in an emergency. To familiarize him with this last important matter, dummies are thrown down in front of the bus from windows or any other convenient points, the driver, of course, being quite unprepared for them.
During the course of their training both drivers and conductors are paid a subsistence allowance at the rate of 4s. per day for a period of 28 days in the case of the driver, and for 14 days in that of the conductor.
The class-rooms for the technical training are specially equipped. One room is devoted to actual bus chassis components, part-sectioned so that the operation of the various details can closely be observed. The models include three different types of engines, a rear axle, two gearboxes, a set of worm gearing, differential gear, two types of clutelies, and a rear wheel with brakes; the latter show the result of jerky operation, etc.
Another rooni is devoted to a complete K-type chassis which, in the parlance of the depot, is known as the "cooked chassis." The instructor deranges this chassis in various ways ; at one time the leads may be crossed, or a carbon brush removed from the magneto, the brakes may he slacked off, the clutch stop adjusted up too closely, a valve held up by a nut, the air inlet into the carburetter blocked by a piece of rag, the water pump drive disconnected, or the end of the silencer stopped up so that the engine starts and quickly comes to a stop:
Dozens of other little tricks of this nature are played on the novice, who must set his wits to work elucidating the why and wherefore of the troubles which show. themselves by erratic running of the engine, etc., and must be traced to their source.
Technical Classes.
There are six technical classes in all, of which the last is rather more of an examination than a class. These classes are :—IC: In this the novice is given the names of parts so that he will be able to report any trouble which may occur on the road. 2C: Details for the oil and water circulatory systems and minor details. 1B: Engine timing, adjustment of valves and replacement of ITroken ones. 2B: Carburetter trouble and questioning on previous classes in order to refresh the memory ; clutch and transmission are also dealt with. IA: This includes the gearbox, differential and brakes, and verbal questions on all parts. 2A: The written examination. Each man is given a list of these•classes, together with the times at which he must attend, so that there is no excuse for failure to report.
Apart from this instruction there is a cinema seating 400 persons, and here are given. educational films of the right and wrong way of doing certain jobs, also a "Safety First" film. The cinema is quite a modern building with a sloping floor and, when not used for this work, serves as a concert or meeting room for the various societies which cater for the recreational programme of the whole of the company's staff.
We noted, while walking through the school corridors, that . they are plentifully bedecked with " Safety First " pesters and other injunctions iegarding safety and courtesy.
Again referring to the schools, it is interesting to note that the drivers are also taught the use of the fire extinguisher, warned-s to turn, the petrol off if the carburetter is on fire, and told to race the engine in order to empty the float chamber if the fire is not severe. Only men on private hire work are permitted to touch the magneto, and these are taught at the garage how to time this comparatively delicate instrument, as they always carry a spare one when on this work.
At the school, during the classes, they are taught various ways of 'overcoming roadside difficulties such as broken valve springs, which can be refitted with a washer between the broken halves, and so on. The following examples of the questions set to drivers in the technical examinations may prove of interest. The complete set is far too long for us to print in toto :— Name four causes of carburetter flooding. What steps would you take to safeguard the engine from damage in the event of a big-end bearing giving out ?
What would you do in the event of the breakage of one of the gearbox chains? Name four things essential for about 100 miles continuous running.. What is the best brake to use in the event of having to descend a very steep hill? Who is responsible if a bus leaves the garage short of petrol?
What are the frequent causes of skids?
-Why must you not switch on the lights while the bus is in motion ?
How are hand and foot brakes adjusted? Having passed thepolice test and gone through the remaining instruction at the training depot, each driver is sent to the garage to which he has been allocated. Usually he first accompanies a regular driver on the route on which he will eventually run a bus, and then proceeds to taketurn by turn with the driver, until he is entirely familiar with this particular route and may be termed fully fledged.
Training the Conductor.
Quite a number of people believe that the work of a conductor begins and ends with the collecting of fares and the stopping and starting of the vehicle; but this is by no means the case. To a certain extent he is the captain of the ship, and the driver must obey his will as regards stopping and starting, although the driver is entirely responsible if it is a question of exceeding the speed limit. The conductor must also know a certain amount about the law, quite a lot about the :geography of London,
apart from that of the districts through which the bus passes, and be capable of checking his accounts at the end of the day, which; although it may appear easy to the mathematician, is quite a difficult task to the man who has probably never thought much about figures from the time he left school.
Every applicant for the position of conductor is interviewed and tested for the requisite height, his birth certificate is examined to see if he is within the age limit, and a note made of his physique, for a bus conductor must not be too big, otherwise he will take up more than his fair share of room.He must bet of exemplary character, and inquiries into his past life are made by the police authorities before he can be accepted as a conductor.
During the first explanatory leeture it is pointed out to him that he belongs to the same class as the policeman and railway guard and should aspire to win the confidence of the public. One of the stock remarks of the instructor who deals with this side of the training is: " You will meet pugnacious characters, but even a pig likes his back scratched another is " If you are right you can afford to keep your temper, and if you are wrong you cannot afford to lose it." Incidentally, this latter is a quotation from Tire Commercial Motor.
Every potential conductor is also warned that each ticket issued is really the conductor's card, as every conductor has to sign for his tickets each morning, and, as they arc all numbered differently, he can be identified from them.
It is endeavoured to instil courtesy by persuasion into those training, and if there are any signs of this not proving successful, then the candidate is induced to realize it by showing that lack of courtesy may easily be attended by a report from offended passengers, of which reports careful note is always taken. This lecture is followedby one on garage routine, signing on in the morning and the importance of not losing time, and a warning to pay attention to any traffic diversions, which irregularities are shown on the garage notice board,
A special class is given to show candidates how to check their tickets. Fifteen minutes is allowed in the morning for this purpose and the same amount. of time in the evening for the checking over and payl ing in of the cash.
The conductor, before taking out the bus in the morning, has to attend to three tasks. These are: entering the bus number and wheel numbers on the waybill, adjustment of the aprons on the upper seats, and checking the destination boards. While at the training depot he is also taught terminal duties— to see the people off first and then to see the bus safely to its stand, after which he goes to the inspector to be signed in and to have his tickets checked, and returns to 'change the destination boards and to fill his ticket rack.
There are over a dozen different types of tickets quite apart from the tickets issued on various routes and to d.ifferent points. He is taught where to use these, also that when taking money he should not put it into his mouth in order to see if it is counterfeit. He can always tell a counterfeit coin by placing against it a smaller silver coin from his pouch and noting any differences in the colour. It will be noted That the conductor is taught to use a smaller coin than the one given ; this is to prevent the passenger from accusing the conductor from changing over coins.
Emphasis is laid upon the importance of the bell signals. These are, one ring to stop, two rings to start, two double rings to get out of the way of a fire engine or to allow passage for another vehicle, and a rapid succession of rings for" pull up at once" in the case of an emergency. It should be noted that no mention is made of three rings, which is usually taken to mean "bus full." This is not permitted.
• Detailed instructions are given as to the procedure in case of accidents and how to deal with obstreperous passengers either in or wishing to board the vehicles. He, also sees the training films. After completing an examination the conductor is sent to the clothing department, which is also at the depot. Here he obtains his uniform and is fitted up with everything necessary, including ticket rack, cash bag, straps, punch slide, lock and key for ticketl boxes, and cleaner for ticket punch. A few extracts from the questions asked conductors may be of interest :— In carrying out your duties as a conductor what should be your chief concern regarding the passengers?
Why should you make it a practice to read the garage notices each time you go in and come out? Why do the company forbid the three-bell signal'? Have you the right to refuse a 21 note for the small fare of one penny?
A lady discovers when about to pay her fare that she has lost her purse. :What would you do?