BIRD'S EYE VIEW
Page 55
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By The Hawk
Market Research! Eleven p.m. in Darkest Hert
fordshire on Tuesday of last week; 55 ft. of very solid Scammell Constructor and tank transporter on works test suddenly loses all its lights; police permission sought, and obtained, to park the outfit in Bak:lock market square. Nothing very difficult or odd about all that, you might think. Nor did the drivers—until they turned up to reclaim their charge the noxt morning, to find Baldock's Wednesday market in full swing and their far-from-small property completely submerged. Not only was the vehicle surrounded, but fully-paid-up pitch-holders were quite undaunted by the overnight change in topography and had laid rightful claim by setting up no fewer than three stalls on the artic itself. A board proclaiming "King Edwards, 21b. for 7d." was propped on the Constructor, there were scales on the fuel tank and the trailer was overflowing with vegetables.
I leave you to picture the scene—and the comments—as stalls were dismantled and a path cleared for the vehicle to inch out of the square and back onto the road.
Emotional Responses ? Are you bad tempered? Are you well mannered? Do you have good judgment? And how are your emotional responses? Not just idle curiosity on my part—these factors may well effect future legislation regarding behaviour on British roads. For, in case you have not heard, work is going on at the Road Research Laboratory on psychological aspects of road user behaviour and ways in which this might be inffutnced. Subjects on which initial studies are being made include: drivers' attitudes, behaviour and judgment; emotional responses when driving; and driving training.
The Changing Scene A bus shelter with a difference—that is the claim that citizens of Eskdalesidc-cum-Ugglebarnby can make for the new shelter that their local council started to build at the end of last year. The difference is that the rear of the shelter contains a large picture—area 12 square feet. But this picture, called "The Changing Scene ", is different—it was not painted! It was, in fact, conceived —by the designer of the shelter, Mr. Graham Leach. surveyor to Whitby Rural District Council. It is made of armour-plated glass and is set in a picture frame surround. It had occurred to Mr. Leach that the view of the Esk Valley behind the shelter was so attractive that it ought not to be blocked out. So he made arrangements for his "natural " picture to be installed. To be much admired by countless prospective passengers, no doubt.
How many 27-year-old commercials still in service today are capable of operating 1,500 miles a week. Not many, I think. I pose this question as a result of a picture which was recently sent to me of a vehicle which claims this distinction. It is an Atkinson eight-wheeler operated by Hague Transport Ltd., of Lathom, Ormskirk, Lanes, now working on a regular trunk run between Liverpool and Glasgow.
This vehicle has covered more than a million miles. Hague Transport bought it from B.R.S. in 1952—it underwent extensive reconditioning in 1957, at which time it had travelled a mere 400,000 miles. This, of course, means that in the seven years since reconditioning this veteran has clocked some 600,000 miles. 27 Not Out
The Roads Ahead ? How many miles of new
motorway would you imagine will come into use this year? Before you hazard a guess, let me give you a few clues. First, the Government promised that 1,000 miles of motorway would actually be in use by the early 1970's—and to make good this promise construction should be taking place at the rate of 80 miles a year. Secondly, more than 90 miles of motorway were opened last year.
The likely figure for 1964 . . . about 28 miles! The enlightening statistics which I have quoted were supplied on Monday by the British Road Federation on the publication of its eighth chart in the series "Where are the Motorways?" Further information which may interest you is that six months ago approximately 142 miles of motorway were under construction; the corresponding figure now is about 108. There will have to be a sharp rise over the closing years of the decade if the target is to be met.