Night Collections Cheaper
Page 73
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REFUSE collection at night on a IA piece-work system showed a saving of 51d. per ton in collection costs and 2s. lid, per ton in transport costs when compared with daytime working on a time rate.
This fact was revealed by a study of Olasgow Corporation's returns for the financial year 1954-55, and was referred to in a paper, " Public Cleansing—Night and Day," by Mr. T. B. Finnic, M. Inst. P.C., the deputy director of cleansing. The paper is to be read this morning.
There was clearly a case for the more thorough and intensive street-cleansing operations in main thoroughfares and busy traffic routes to be undertaken at night. Apart from the difficulty in carrying out these operations efficiently by day, the dislocation of normal traffic could be considerable.
Fruitless Effort Another problem in mechanical street cleansing was brought about by oneway streets. It was -understood that unsuccessful representations had been made to the Ministry -of Transport to secure some relaxation for street sweepers.
Failing sympathetic consideration of an alternative application for relaxation of the regulations at night only, it appeared that manufacturers of sweepercollectors would have to consider providing an adjustable brush shaft to sweep on the right and left. Where grit spreaders were employed, it was advisable, on the score of both efficiency and economy, for this • work to be done at night, If the work was carried out by day it would be necessary to treat each side of the road separately and there was a danger to pedestrians and vehicle paintwork from flying grit. At night the spreader could travel down the centre of the road and treat both sides simultaneously.
The emptying of street gullies on main traffic routes and in non-residential areas at night was to be commended because of difficulty of gaining proper access to them by day. In residential areas, however, this work ought to be carried out during the daytime to avoid disturbance.
No mechanical equipment had yet been devised which was capable of attaining the high standards of street washing obtained by the use of hosereel barrows. It was recognized. however, that mechanical appliances enabled greater areas to be treated.
One-way traffic working retarded also refuse collection and necessitated the re-routeing of vehicles, with a resultant increase in dead mileage. Furthermore, the prohibition of waiting near pedestrian crossings delayed operations by increasing carrying distances.
There were many large-capacity refuse collectors which appeared to be admirably suited to bulky material put out for collection. At the same time, it did not necessarily follow that largecapacity vehicles were most suitable for this work, in view of the extended period of collection which might be necessary to obtain economic or capacity loads. The use of additional smaller vehicles might be advanced as a solution of the problem of securing satisfactory payloads and speeding up collection.
Plan for Future
Taking the long-term view, the h desired improvement for t future could best be met by the pi ners of new blocks of shops, offices and warehouses making provision for the installation of large refuse containers to which vehicles would have direct access.
When operating day and night services, the opportunity was afforded to work vehicles on a double shift. A smaller number of vehicles could then be operated, with a consequent financial gain.
Although vehicles working on a double shift might have to be renewed twice as often as single-shift vehicles, this could be regarded as an advantage in keeping abreast of modern developments, The advantages of electric refuse collectors, particularly for nightwork, were worthy of consideration. Mechanical breakdowns were small, the vehicles were not adversely affected through being operated by different drivers and they were silent.