RAIL-LESS CARS FOR BRISTOL.
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The high. cost of laying permanent ways for tramcars is, as we have for some tircke been pointingl out, causing tramway authorities to look for other means of providing the public service required, and increasing attention is' being given to the subject of providing rail-less vehicles.
A committee of the Bristol Corporation recommends applieation to Parliament for powers enabling the Corporation to run rail-less cars on the new road between Avonmouth and Hatwell. A year ago the Corporation secured tramway powers; but lately the committee 'has been considering the advisability of introducing upon the new read
electric bus traction irstead of tramcars, and after careful consideration has decided to recommend the council to introduce rail-less traction along the entire length of the new road in place of the proposed tram road.
The city engineer, who was asked to report on the advantages of rail-le:1s traction over tramways, states (a) The rail-less bus has greater mobility : it is not kept to a rigid line. but can run on any part of the road; it is quieted in operation than the tramcar, and a breakdown does not cause an obstruction.
(b) Recent improvements which are now being demonstrated indicate that its working costs can the duced and, the carrying capacity made equal-to a tramcar. (c) As compared to motorbus operations, it may be taken as possible to run rail-less vehicles at from 5d. to 6d. per mile less for total costs.
(A) The whole of the overhead equipment Can be utilized for tramway operation if it should hereafter become necessary to change the 7ystam.
It will be necessary to lay concrete bus tracks. 16 ft.. wide on each aide of the new road, and the cost of this work' is estimated by the city engineer at £38,000, while the estimated cost of converting the space. originallyileft for the tram road into eafriage way is R55-,000; but these amounts must be set against the, sum , of 2176,000. which appears in the original estimate as the cost of constructing the tram road track, while the alternation will givt.-aniadditionar 24 ft. width-of carriage .way in the new road for the general ttra...ffic. This last is as important point, as it. is realized on all sides that the provision of wider roads wherever possible is essential. These figures ,hava reference only to work upon the site of the new road, and estimates are being prepared by the engineer to show the cost of extending rail-less traction to the docks, a scheme laic!) WV. be submitted to the council in due course.