Answers to Queries.
Page 16
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Licence or No Licence ?
[2290] (Stranraer).You will have to secure no licence to run a motor vehicle which is used solely for commercial purposes. You must have it registered, of course, in the usual way, on purchase, and pay down. You will be entitled to a. rebate of 50 per cent. on the 3d. per gallon fuel tax for all spirit used for its propulsion. You may not carry passengers.
Hs Driver's Wages.
[2291] (Tyneside).—We cannot recall the page to • which you refer, but it is in some cases a good thing to pay a driver a standing wage which is some os. per week below that which you are prepared to see him earn when he is busy, and to give him a bonus in respect of freedom from accidents and careful attention to fuel consumption and other details of running. We are asking the secretary of the C.M.U.A. to send you full particulars of that body.
A Local Motorbus Scheme.
(2292] (Provinces).---The takings should average 9A. per mile run, with a minimum of £22 per week for the two vehicles, before there can be any satisfactory margin of profit. It is impossible to say any thing about the value of the shares, in the absence of proper information about the experience of the company, and some information concerning the routes and the management. Depreciation is best arranged on a mileage basis, and probably at the rate of not less than ld, per mile run, in order to be on the safe side, which provision it should be possible to cover out of the above-mentioned takings. We advise you not to take any shares, if the receipts are appreciably below an average of £22 weekly.
Towing a Steam Fire-engine.
[2293] (County).---With further reference to the matter of towing a fire-engine [Answer No. 2271], we went a little too far in saying that under the Heavy Motor Car Order a vehicle with passengers upon it may not be drawn. As a matter of fact, this restriction is, in the terms of the Order, limited in its application to the following case : —
" A heavy motorcar which is used either as a stage carriage or otherwise for the conveyance of passengers for gain or hire, shall not draw a trailer."
When we gave the earlier information, it appeared to us that every time your fire-engine turned out it might be held to be in use for the conveyance of your
reinen for the purpose of gain or hire. Possibly, however, we were stretching that point a little too far ; hence, this further note.
Buying a Char-a-Bancs.
[2294] (Southampton).—There is undoubtedly a good living to be earned by the driver-owner of an up-to-date char-à-banes, as suggested by you. The Daimler models, about which you ask, are well adapted for this class of work, and are being used at a number of touring centres. The roads are generally reasonably good, but this is by no means so in all instances. It will be safe to use worm drive for this class of machine. We regret that we are unable to make a suggestion to you with regard to a likely town in the south of England where you could start operations. We are afraid that we must leave this for your personal investigation, as we should not care to take the responsibility. Although we have general knowledge of the conditions in most districts, we are not in possession of sufficient local detailed information to help you to make such a choice as this. Noir may have difficulty with regard to getting your licence ; this entirely depends on the attitude of the local licensing authorities, who are not bound to issue lieences to ply for hire, but may do so if they choose.
016 If you cannot secure a licence, you can. still carry passengers by adopting the method of booking seats beforehand.
A Four-tonner Wanted.
[2295] (Chemicals). -We have had pleasure in sending to you direct a set of the War Office papers re the subsidy scheme. We may say that the scheme does not appeal to us, from the commercial point of view, because buyers have to pay a higher first cost, in return for which they only get a very meagre subsidy, paid in arrears.
Vehicle Electric-lighting Without Batteries.
[2296] (Bus Proprietors).—The new electric-lighting set used by the National Steam Car Co., Ltd., is described as of their own system. The steam to drive the dynamo is supplied through a special reducing valve. The lighting dynamo is driven independently of the car engine. Practically speaking, a battery is not necessary, excepting as a stand-by in case steam gives out. The National buses are certainly lighted most excellently.
Passengers and Mails in Scotland.
[2297] (Canny).—You may obtain suitable information from our sheet of costs. This has been posted direct. You will probably do well to use solid-rubber tires, and you may take it that the costs for a 12seater will approximate to those for a one-ton vehicle. We think that the Post Office ought to pay you not less than 5d. per mile rim, with permission to carry passengers or parcels. You certainly cannot do better than communicate with the Albion Motor Car Co., Ltd., of Scotstoun, Glasgow. They will give you every assistance, and they have had a, considerable amount of experience in this branch of work. They might have a second-hand chassis to sell, and their vehicles are very suitable for the purposes in view.