Passenger Transport News
Page 29
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LOCAL OPERATORS COMPETE FOR TOURS TRAFFIC
COMPLICATIONS are arising in the \--,operation of extended tours in Scotland because hotels refuse to accept single-day bookings. For this reason, the Wallace Arnold concern has arranged that on a Scottish tour, three days shall be spent in Inverness, and application was made to the Scottish Licensing Authority, last week, for permission to run a day tour from Inverness to Strathpeffer and Dingwall.
The Highland Transport Co., Ltd., and Macrae and Dick, Ltd., opposed the application on the ground that the interests of local operators would be damaged. They argued that the local bus services were run at a loss and that operators relied on summer tours to recoup themselves.
Mr. S. W. Nelson, chairman of the Licensing Authority, allowed the tour to be operated this year, but suggested that in future years, arrangements might be made for local operators to run a tour from Inverness on the second day. He pointed out that it was generally recognized that if a vehicle were to stay for more than a day or two at a point en route, any local tour arranged during that period should be operated by the coach that had brought the passengers to the spot.
TROLLEYBUSES COVERED BY 1832 ACT
A TROLLEYBUS or a tram is a stage tAcarriage within the meaning of the Stage Carriages Act of 1832, according to the Bradford Stipendiary Magistrate, Dr. F. J. 0. Coddington, who, in preparing a judgment which he delivered on April 6, consulted about 20 law book%
For the defence, it was argued that the section on which the prosecution relied was applicable only to horsedrawn carriages.
Giving judgment, the Stipendiary Magistrate said the case had raised the most baffling issue that he had had to consider for .a great many years, and he had had to put in a great deal of research work before coming to the conclusion that Section 48 of the Act did apply to a trolleybus or tramcar. He felt that there was a great deal to be said for the other side, and he would do all he could to encourage an appeal.
A tramcar driver was fined if for injuring the property of the owners of a stage carriage.
BUS SHORTAGES IN BRAZIL AND INDIA
To meet an acute shortage of buses in Sao Paulo, Brazil, it was recently announced that an order for 600 vehicles had been placed with an American builder. It now seems improbable that the dollar exchange
will be available to carry this project through, so it would appear to be an opportunity for British makers to secure the business, as Brazil is not short of sterling.
"The Commercial Motor" is informed that the Government of Sind is considering a proposal to purchase _ up to 300 buses for use in the Province, although there is no official confirmation at the moment.
TRANSPORT FOR 12,000 WANTED
LAN.ARKSH1RE County Council is to send a deputation of six members to a joint meeting of local authorities, Members of Parliament and other interested parties to discuss the transport of workers to and from the Newhouse industrial estate.
According to an announcement by the town clerk of Airdrie, the Ministry of Transport and the Railway Executive both consider that road transport would best meet requirements. It is estimated that approximately 12,000 people will be employed on the estate when the factories are in full operation. HALF-HEARTED RESPONSE IN STAGGERED HOURS CAMPAIGN
D ESULTS so far achieved in stagger,. Xing working hours in Central London show that the original target set— that of transferring 120,000 workers out of the 5 p.m.-6 p.m. period, and securing a uniform dispersal of workers in every 15 minutes between 4.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.—has not been reached. Nevertheless, the results are reasonably good, as, during the first year of working of the committees set up in the 14 traffic zones into which the Central London area was divided, 94,000 pero.ons had staggered their hours.
Of these, 50,000, including 22,000 civil servants, had been transferred out of the 5-6 p.m. period, whilst 44,000 had altered their hours within this period. These figures represent approximately 50 per cent, of the target aimed at; a further 56,000 persons are being considered in the scheme.
These facts were revealed last week by the Minister of Transport, Mr. Alfred Barnes, at a Press conference. Tlie Minister said that during 1947 there was an increase of 100,000 insured workers in the Central London area, and that, were it not for the results so far achieved, travel conditions would be far worse than they are. He made an earnest appeal to those managements and staffs which had not joined in the campaign, as it was only by their co-operation that the travel problem at peak hours could be solved BUSMEN'S WAGES: UNREST CONTINUES
nISSATISFACTION appears still to
exist in some quarters on the 7s. 6d. increase in wages recommended for municipal bus drivers and conductors. Salford's 1,200 busmen have passed a resolution calling for a national delegate conference of the Transport and General Workers' Union to reconsider the position.
A resolution accepting the award was passed at a meeting of 500 of Manchester's 5,000 bus employees. It also asked for consideration of an area conference to examine the wage position in the light of the White Paper on incomes.
Stockton-on-Tees drivers and conductors have expressed dissatisfaction with the award. It has been decided to ask union officials to reopen negotiations and when the outcome of this request is known future action will be decided.
Newcastle's employees have cancelled their plan to stage a 24-hour strike.
Coventry Corporation's operatives have agreed to accept the 7s. 6d award, but, as a gesture of good will, have offered to suffer a reduction in a local bonus, with the result that the net increase would be 4s. 5d. per week.
SOMERSET SCHOOL BUSES
A SCHOOL transport scheme covering the whole of Somerset is being drawn up by Somerset Education Committee. Mr. W. J. Deacon, chief education officer, requires details from all operators. in the area who have vehicles at their disposal for this purpose. Tenders from operators will he invited during September. Letters should bc sent to County Hall, Taunton.