Transport Problem of Co-ops. Growing

18th March 1955, Page 85

18th March 1955

Page 85

Page 85, 18th March 1955 — Transport Problem of Co-ops. Growing

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TRANSPORT was a growing J. problem to retail co-operative societies because the number of commercial vehicles had risen by nearly 150 per cent. during the past 10 years, and it was difficult to apply the normal standards when assessing the efficiency of a transport department.

This was stated by Mr. H. J. Twigg, general manager of Plymouth Cooperative Society, at the annual meeting of the Scottish Co-operative Transport Association at Glasgow, last week.

He stressed the importance of separate accounting for the various activities of a society's transport department, so that a close estimate could be obtained of the trading results of different sections.

Responsibility for buying, staffing and operating of vehicles should rest

with departmental managers, and not the transport manager. The transport manager should, however, be consulted on matters such as the type of vehicle to be purchased and technical equipment.

The cost of vehicle maintenance should not exceed Id. per £1 of sales, said Mr. Twigg. The rate for his own society, which covered a large rural area, was lid. per £ of sales.

Mr. A. Prentice, chairman, spoke of the economies that could be effected if societies standardized and unified their transport departments.

DIRECT COACH LINK REFUSED

THE Yorkshire Licensing Authority has refused to grant a licence to E. H. Simms, Lid., Sheffield, for an express service from Sheffield to London Airport, with picking-up points at Chesterfield, Derby and Leicester. The application, the hearing of which was reported last week, was opposed by the Yorkshire Pool Services and British Rail ways.

TWO NEW MEADOWS ENGINES

TWO new oil engines are to be intro

duced by Henry Meadows, Ltd., on March 31. One is the horizontal 411DC330 for lightweight underfloorengined vehicles. The other—the horizontal 6HDT970-is suitable for railway work.