Cinderella Hopeful
Page 72
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
WE'RE the Cinderellas of the Commission," a British Road Services man remarked ruefully the other day. But Cinderella Went to the ball," [said.
He suddenly cheered up. With a glint in his eye, he chuckled, You wait until rationing ends—we'll show 'em." But I don't think he was referring either to the Commission or to the railways. He had free-enterprise hauliers in mind. A course for commercial representatives is being run by B.R.S., partly, I believe, to bring them up to date with recent changes and developments, but mainly, I suspect, to equip them for all-out competition with independent hauliers when fuel supplies become normal.. B.R.S. are certainly taking a great interest in the use of bulk carriers and hauliers who do not keep abreast of technical developments in vehicles and handling methods will find themselves at a great disadvantage.
No Coaches—No Holidays
COACI-t operators may expect to hear within a week the results of pressure placed on the Minister of Transport by the British Travel and Holidays Association and Members of Parliament for the holiday resorts, to increase the fuel allowance during the holiday season. Mr. Harold Watkinson, the Minister, is, I learn, giving special consideration to the fuel allocations for coaches.
The M.P.s last week met Mr. Watkinson at the House of Commons and urged that the 50-per-cent. cut in fuel supplies had been made at a time when consumption was lowest. Had it been imposed in the summer, the allowance would have been much greater. • Many cancellations of reservations at .holiday resorts were being made, they said, because the public feared that they would not be able to travel by coach.
Easy Money
A CCORDING to Cllr. B. Mather, of Leeds; the transport rk department has discovered a better way of making money than by running buses. The finance and parliamentary committee apparently made the department an interest-free loan of £500,000. As a result, the transport department from time to time has cash in hand, which it promptly invests. This year investments are expected to yield interest of £13,000. Cllr. Mather suggests that the department should borrow another £2m. free of interest and invest it in securities. The income would then be so great tharit would probably be
unnecessary to raise fares. In future, increases in cost could be met by borrowing a little more and repeating the process
1 have never been able to understand how the multi ' plication of a minus quantity by a minus quantity yields 11 plus. I once thought that if 1 had an overdraft of £1,000 and multiplied it by minus five, the result would be £5,000 in credit, but my bank manager assured me that this was not so. ClIr. Mather seems to have a better idea.
The Goodfellow Touch
CONGRATULATIONS to Sheffield United Tours, Ltd., on the excellence of S. U.T . News—Mr. Ben Goodfellow's latest "gimmick" to spread the gospel of coach travel. I have just read the second issue of this fourpage newspaper, and it is Outstanding for a publication of its type in that it is intrinsically interesting.
Features include a long account of the journey made by S.U.T. coaches to bring to this country Hungarian refugees from Austria, a " profile " of Ron Burgin, the company's engineer, and a tantalizing review of S.U.T.'s tours in 1957. And where's the woman who could resist this advice on buying hosiery and lace? "At Steffy's in Lucerne you have only to mention Sheffield and the shop is yours."
The Goodfellow touch is evident even alongside the dateline of the News. Occupying the space where the price is normally printed is the word: " Priceless."
Unwelcome Traffic
MOST bus operators want extra traffic, but the new business which the closure of the Liverpool Overhead Railway has brought to Liverpool Transport Department is Car from a blessing. Adequate services are, says Mr. W. M. Hall, the general manager, being provided substantially on overtime.
Many of the buses make only one journey in each peak period, and if a vehicle carries 60 passengers one way and earns 30s., it 'just about pays the driver's wages.
Body Blows
HIDDEN overheads are among the pitfalls for inexperienced bodybuilders .and may help to account -for the high rate of fatalities among them. I am told that the cost of storing a batch of chassis while bodies are built, insuring them, protecting them against corrosion, and removing and cataloguing batteries, spare wheels and other attractive items, may amount to as much as £30 a vehicle. That may well be the difference between profit and loss.