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Bus Travel Facilities Keep Pace With Coventry's Growth
Page 75
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The Past Five Years Have Seen Journeys Per Head Increase by Ninety One in Coventry, Whilst 900 People are Employed in the Service of the Transport Department /T is scarcely an exaggeration to say that, during the past few years, the growth of Coventry has become almost a household word. To no one is this more evident than to the native of Coventry himself, who within an amazingly short space of time has seen the familiar face of his city changed almost beyond recognition. Gone are the unhurried days when the narrow, curving streets proved no hindrance to the moderate traffic needs of a comparatively stable population.
In 1938 there is to be seen actually rising from the ruins of old Coventry (for the demolition contractors have done their work effectively) the nucleus of a modern city, with fine new streets, carrying a constant flow of swiftly moving, well-regulated traffic. One of the advantages that has accrued from the construction and opening of these wide new thoroughfares is that they have materially assisted in the regulation of traffic generally, and therefore are obviously to the benefit of public passenger transport. .
Smooth-running Bus Service
As in other citiei and towns, private cars and commercial types form a large part of this stream of modern vehicles, whilst particularly noticeable to an observer are the corporation's buses, which slip by in smooth and capable succession, catering for the traffic requirements of this busy industrial population.
The news of Coventry's prosperity has spread to other parts of the country, with the result that a considerable number of people has been coming into the town from elsewhere, particularly since the opening of the new ' shadow " factories for the construction of aeroengine parts under the national scheme. Statistics published recently show that, on the average, over the past two years between 60 and 70 families have been arriving per month. This influx of people has been responsible for a corresponding alteration in the character of housing. To north, south, east and west of the town, new and extensive housing estates have sprung up, which in turn have necessitated an increasing service of buses along new and existing routes.
In order to keep pace with this modernization, the tramways have now been discontinued in the southern half of the city. A striking point is that whilst the tramway route mileage has been reduced to 10.22, the miles run per annum are still greater than they were Jive years ago. During this period, too, the bus fleet has grown from 62 to 126, and the miles run have increased by 323 per cent. per annum.
The expansion of the fleet has been facilitated to a large extent by the municipality's policy of standardization. A typical pointer as to the advantages gained in this direction, in addition to the more obvious, is that to-day five-sixths of the fleet have the same tyre equipment. Another interesting factor is that 72 per cent, of the fleet is powered by oil engines.
From an operating point of view, the policy has been adopted of allocating 10 per cent, of the fleet as spares, except at week-ends, but the demands have regularly made it difficult to maintain this margin consistently, even from Monday to Friday. During the week-end, as a matter of policy, practically the whole of the fleet is scheduled for service.
Such rapid expansion has, of course, entailed a constant high pressure on the staff of the transport department in order to it keep pace with it. Neverthe
less, •s gratifying less, fying to find that, year by year, the improvements that are being made are finding favour with the travelling public, whose custom is constantly growing. This is illustrated by the fact that during the past five years the journeys per head of the population have increased by 91.
A Big Employment Figure.
Obviously this has entailed considerable increases in the number of employees, and in fact to-day the transport undertaking is the largest employing department of the Corporation, with over 900 persons engaged in its service. In quiet times, operators probably are training traffic workers for only a portion of the year, generally to provide for annual holidays, but during the past few years in Coventry it has been quite customary to have men in the school for conductors, and learners Out on the road with buses, preparing to pass the necessary driving tests. Within the last 12 months, the number dealt with in this way has been 63 drivers and 122 conductors.
Earlier mention was made of the doubling of the number of the buses in the fleet and, as can be imagined, this has incurred extensions to the garage.• In this connection it is interesting to note that, in order to get the work completed expeditiously and at a minimum cost to avoid having to raise
loans, the entire construction of these extensions is of steel, that is, a steel framework covered with a protectedmetal sheeting, and whilst this certainly has not quite the striking appearance of bricks and masonry, that appears to be practically the only criticism that can be levelled against it.
Looking around, there is probably no part of the undertaking that has escaped the effects of this growth, and again it is interesting to refer to the fact that one solution in regard to the offices is the introduction of an increasing number of ticket-issuing machines, thus gradually eliminating the huge stocks of tickets, boxes, punches, etc., and the considerable office organization entailed by the ticket system.
Progress is also being made in linking up surrounding villages with the centre of the city, so giving people living outside the boundary the advantage of shopping and other urban facilities. A number of country routes has, consequently, been opened up within the past three years, and it is anticipated that in this direction, too, the end is not yet in sight.
The Country Services.
A small fleet of up-to-date single
deckers has been purchased, more especially for these country services, with seats for 38 passengers, and exterior paintwork of cream and maroon, which in the case of one or two buses has been allowed to assume a discreet, but attractive, streamlined effect.
A constant endeavour is being made to maintain particularly close contact with the requirements of the public, and due to the continual-extensions of the suburbs, services are regularly reviewed and augmented to give the best possible convenience in such areas.
In addition, quite a number of special services is run to the airport and. the larger works, many of which, following the modern tendency, are situated on the outskirts of the city, thus making the problem of transport one of paramount importance.
Finally, in order to keep the public regularly advised as to the modifications and improvements being made from time to time, the transport department publishes an official timetable containing comprehensive and clearly set out information covering the whole of its services, with an issue of 15,000 copies per quarter, distributed gratis.
The growth of Coventry still proceeds, and watchfully attendant upon it, comes the corresponding development of the town's vital transport connections.