Operating Aspects of
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PASSENGER TRANSPORT
BRAVERY MEDAL FOR BUSMEN
LONDON Transport is instituting a "Bravery Medal" for busmen and other transport workers who carry on with their jobs under air-raid conditions and display outstanding gallantry. The medal will be of silver and it is likely that awards will be made
• retrospectively.
In a recent message to the London „Transport staff, Lord Ashfield spoke 'of the energy, resource, and devotion to duty of the Board's employees, which have enabled millions of passengers to be carried safely every day.
INFLATED POPULATIONS CREATE BU.I. PROBLEMS
TRAFFIC problems which are facing transport undertakings in many places where the populations have been swollen by evacuation were referred to at a recent meeting of Torquay Town Council. Since June, Torquay's population has increased by more than 10,000 and services of the Devon General Omnibus Co.. Ltd., which are suitable for the— town under normal conditions, have now become inadequate. In order to help the company in its difficulties in dealing with an inflated population the town council has resolved to support an application
for an increased petrol ration. , • HIGHER REVENUE OF JOINT BUS UNDERTAKING
DURING the.half-year ended September, the net revenue of the joint bus undertaking of York Corporation and the West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd., was £29,150, compared with 222,304 in the corresponding six months of last year. Total receipts were £78,077, contrasted with £68,229, whilst expenses totalled £48,927, compared with £45,925.
SCHEMES FOR IMPROVING PASSENGER TRANSPORT"'
A SUGGESTION was made in Pat ti by Mr. Carey that, in view of the hardships suffered by civilians through the inadequacy of transport, the Minister of Transport should consult the War Office with the object of releasing from military sewice all men who desired to return to their former employment in bus and coach services.
• Lieut.-Colonel Moore-Brabazon said he had no evidence that a general release as suggested would be in the national interest, but he was prepared to adopt the plan when the maintenance of essential road passenger services was concerned.
Miss Ward asked the Minister to consider mobilizing charabancs, from all parts of the country, and making them available for individual stationmasters to use for travellers when railway transport broke down.
The Minister replied that the pro.. visiod of services when railway services were interrupted was arranged by London Transport in co-operation with the railways. In the provinces similar arrangements were made by the Regional Transport Commissioners in conjunction with operators of public service vehicles. It would hardly be practicable and would certainly be wasteful to provide a pool of vehicles on which stationmasters could draw. , BURY TAKES LONG VIEW
BURY Town Council has approved a recommendation of its transport committee that five buses be ordered from Crossley Motors, Ltd., and a similar number from Leyland Motors, Ltd., to be delivered next year, as well as 10 from the latter concern for delivery in 1942.
EASTBOURNE BUSES HIT BY THE WAR
EASTBOURNE Motorbus Committee 1.4 reports that the approximate net loss on the bus undertaking from April 1-September 30 was 25,218, as against an approximate net profit of £4,869 in the same period of last year.
CO-OP. SOCIETY'S COACHING SLUMP TAKINGS of the motor-coach depart meat of the Plymouth Co-operative Society during the quarter ended September amounted to £7,067, a decrease of £6,108, or 46.3 per cent., as compared with the same period of 1939.
STAGGER SCHOOL HOURS • SUGGESTION
E Municipal Passenger Transport rAssociation has passed a resolution requesting the Minister of Transport to urge' upon education authorities the increased need, in the present circumstances, for the staggering of -school hours to avoid congestion on passengertransport vehicles at peak-load hours.
LANCASHIRE BUS CO-ORDINATION
NITANCHESTER Transport Committee /Villas entered into an agreement with the North Western Road Car Co., Ltd., in connection with co-ordinated services relating to (a) arrangements as to allocation of revenue and (b) working expenses for double-deck buses operating in the Manchester area.
"UNITED COUNTIES" NET PROFIT RAISED
MET profit of United Counties .1 'Omnibus Co., Ltd., during the year ended September 30 last, amounted to 232,757, compared with 231,471 in the preceding year. Traffic receipts and other income, less operating, management and general expenses (including depreciation) were £143,728. A dividend of 8 per cent, free of tax, which will absorb £31,.200, is to be paid, leaving 27,175 to he carried forward, compared with 25,618 brought into the accounts.
BUS WORK TOO HARD FOR WOMEN
THE fact that one in seven of the conductresses recruited by Leeds Passenger Transport Department has had to resign _because she finds the physical strain of the work too great was mentioned by Mr. W. Vane Morland, general manager and chief engineer of the department, in explaining why Leeds municipal undertaking cannot spare conductors for service in London.
The undertaking, said Mr. Morland, had barely sufficient conductors and conductresses to run existing services in Leeds. Many hundreds of the peacetime conductors had gone into the Forces or taken up other work, and although the department had about 600 conductresses on duty it would welcome many more. An obstacle to the recruitment of conductresses was the definite shqrtage of suitable female labour in Leeds.
WOMEN CONDUCTORS WANTED FOR COUNTRY BUSES
WOMEN conductors are wanted at London Transport's country garages. Applicants must be between 21 and 35 years of age, be physically fit and must have good references. They must write well and be quick at figures and must be prepared to work early or late turns of duty. The rate of pay is £3 Os, 4d., rising to 23 1 Is., including war wage. A uniform and a free bus pass are provided and a holiday of two weeks with pay is given after 12 months' service. Applicants should apply at any country bus garage of the Board.
SCOTTISH ASSOCIATION AND " ALERT " RUNNING
QUEST1ONS of running, bus and tram services after sirens have sounded' were due for discussion • this week, in Edinburgh, by the Scottish Municipal Transport Association. Bailie S. M. Cove, convener of Dundee Transport Committee and chairman of the Association,. who arranged to call the meeting, explained that the general position was confusing. Edinburgh municipal employees continued the services during a warning, Glasgow men declined, and certain assurances had been offered in Aberdeen. Private services continued to run.
WHAT PRESTON'S BUSES EARNED
GROSS profit of £24,011 was made on the bus services of Preston Corporation in the year ended March 31 last. Total revenue was 2131,760 and working expenses amounted to 2107,749. Interest on loan, sinkingfund charges, repayment to reserve fund, etc., totalled £18,970, so that the net surplus came out at £5,041. With last year's balance brought forward, there is a total of 29,722 available and, after 25,000 has been appropriated for the reserve fund. £1,500 earmarked for the general rate fund and £244 for contributions to capital outlay. the balance to carry forward is 22,978. These facts amplify a paragraph in last week's issue.