Make B.R.S. a Research Organization
Page 33
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Says A Special Correspondent Nationalized Transport Could be Removed from Political Controversy and Made to Perform a Useful Function in Testing New Vehicles and Methods Under Operating Conditions T0 consider a future for British Road Services free from political controversy would appear to be whimsical in the extreme; to do so now might serve a useful purpose later. Assuming that denationalization initially takes effect in easy stages, the time will be reached when the hard core of the B.R.S. alone remains, to be disbanded in one operation, to be confirmed as a desirable, or inevitable, part of the Nation's fransport, or to be reorganized in some way. To reduce the size of the core and shape it so that it would offend no one and become a national asset would be a great achievement. '
There is a role for B.R.S. that would be approved by all sections of the transport industry, including manufacturers and operators, whatever their politics. As a research organization carrying goods on selected routes to test and report on the performance of British vehicles operating a commercial service, B.R.S. could make a valuable contribution to the country's economy.
A limited number of services could be continued over routes of different lengths and types, and the vehicles would be engaged on traffic of sufficient variety to provide data on all kinds of operation. The staff would be composed of men with long transport experience and technicians with expert knowledge of design and development work, and the drivers would be trained observers.
Students of road transport subjects could be granted special facilities for study and analysis, with regular lectures by experts. If the organization were run by qualified men, motivated by enthusiasm for research, it might soon become a magnet for the best brains in the industry. B.R.S. could change its name to British Road Services Research Organization and set about making itself indispensable. .
Commercial Research One of the principles of this vitalized B.R.S. would be that the bulk of the vehicles in the fleet should carry goods economically on a normal commercial basis, and that detailed cost accounts should be kept. Those costs related specifically to "research," as distinct from "operation," could be accounted separately, so that an accurate estimate could be made of the cost factors about which the average manufacturer-and operator were mainly concerned. Investigation of administrative methods would be of importance equal to other types of research.
It would be the object of B.R.S.R.O. to show a profit on the " operational " account (a Tart of the staff's salaries and wages might be debited to " research ") and it would be necessary to do so to gain the confidence of industry. Despite experiment and a routine varied accordingly, the B.R.S.R.O. should be able to offer the trader the best service obtainable. Private operators could be depended upon to lend assistance ungrudgingly in emergencies.
The reorganization of the B.R.S. on these lines, with limited commercial scope but unlimited initiative to aid industry, could well be instrumental in reducing -manufacturers' development costs, whilst providing a means for collecting data in a short period of time which would otherwise be impossible.
Prototype vehicles could be tested under operating conditions most nearly approaching those for which they were designed. Whilst it would not be possible to run a vehicle on the types of road and under climatic conditions found in many overseas countries, the B.R.S.R.O. could appoint a panel of experts to advise on export-vehicle technicalities. These men might be given the opportunity of visiting other countries to study varying operational conditions.
A report issued by the organization would, by agreement, be confidential to the individual manufacturer, but co-operative research would be the predominant activity. Tests of lubricants, tyres, bearing materials, brake facings, auxiliary components, lighting systems and so on. would be continuously conducted according to a planned but elastic programme. The recommendations of manufacturers would be given full recognition, but these would be qualified by the stated views of operators!
Above Politics The obvious objection in principle to the establishment of the B.R.S.R.O. is that it would function bureaucratically, that the time taken to adapt practice to suggestion would outdate purpose and that the system would lack the stimulus of individualism. If a claim can be made for the people Of any group that they are above politics and biased judgment, it can be credited to the scientist, the back-room boy and the technologist.
There is a good chance that an enlightened group of individualists could prove the usefulness of the, B.R.S.R.O. within a comparatively short period. If it were initially successful, it would be kept alive to serve industry as a permanent organization. It would be open to the full glare of criticism, as the B.R.S. is now, but its objectives could be kept free from the taint of commercial monopoly, private or governmental. If it failed, it would die a natural death without great cost to the taxpayer.
One aspect of the possible functions of the B.R:S.R.O. should be emphasized. The drivers would be specially trained as observers, and only men with appropriate qualifications would be employed. They would, however, be representative of the average driver in experience and background, and their recommendations on safety measures, speed limits and road developments would be of the greatest value.
B.R.S.R.O. might well be taken under the wing of the Department of Scientifie and Industrial Research. The Road Research Laboratory of that department is doing valuable work in testing vehicles as well as pktomoting the development of roads, and is extremely co-operative. In any event, B.R.S. must be removed from the umbrella of the British Transport Commission, which is not an organization to encourage the full exploitation of road transport.