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Seven-day Week at Birmingham

18th September 1953
Page 44
Page 44, 18th September 1953 — Seven-day Week at Birmingham
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

SONIE 2,000 of the 4,742 staff of Birmingham Transport Department are working a seven-day week to maintam services, according to an official. The department has -300 fewer employees than at this time last year, and is urgently in need of another 400 drivers and 400 conductors. In the past few weeks, the _department has lost employees at the rate of 40 to 60 a week. Turnover has been high since the war, and last year 2,872 employees were lost. The• rate of replacement has fallen, and the result is that there are 250 fewer employees today than there were in January.

A new appeal for staff is to be launched shortly.

STAFF SHORTAGE REDUCES SERVICES IN GLASGOW

GLASGOW'S staff problem is so. -_acute on Saturdays that Mr. E. R. L. -Fitzpayne, . general manager, has been forced to recommend a further reduction in bus and tram . frequencies in order to maintain services. A special sub-committee has been -set up to deal with the problem. About 200 vehicles have had to be withdrawn from service because of sickness, absenteeism, and the staff's

reluctance to work overtime. Since 1949, staff has been consistently reduced each year. In that year, the department employed 510 more drivers and 477 more conductors than today. They had lost 396 conductors and 164 drivers in 12 months.

Mr. Fitzpayrie blames the five-day week and income tax for their difficulties. Many employees, particularly women,found they had earned sufficient by Friday night. All advantages gained from economies effected in overtime had been completely eliminated in the last year due.to the staff position.

"CUT. OUT LOSING SERVICES"

UNECONOMIC bus services should be cut out according to Col. F. Gordon Tucker, South-Eastern Licensing Authority. "Rising costs have made bus operators consider the extent to which they can be expected to maintain services which are 90 per cent, loss," he said. "To provide buses for a small number of passengers is almost a farce." Col. Tucker made these remarks when he gave permission to Maidstone and District Motor Services, Ltd., to reduce some evening services in the Weald of Kent.

Elm. TO STRENGTHEN ROAD T would cost Elm. to make the Fort

William—Mallaig road suitable for heavy traffic, according to Mr. W. Paterson, county surveyor of Inverness-shire. At present the road is restricted to vehicles of 6 tons or less. The county roads committee are sugresting that vehicles under 8 tons should 1310 be permitted to use the road, whilst tOchaber District Council want the permitted weight raised to include vehicles up to 10 tons. -A suggestion of Maj. C. I. Fraser, chairman of the committee, that vehicles up to 10 tons carrying roadMaking and agricultural material should be allowed to use the road was not 'approved.

• PRIORITY FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT?

pRIORITY for public transport has I been put forward as a solution to traffic congestion in large cities by Mr, R. M. Binns, a member of the Montreal Transportation Commission's research bureau. 'He said that there was no more efficient means for delivering large numbers of people to strategic points in business centres. "Every large city is frantically trying to cope with traffic congestion because central downtown areas are threatened by slow strangulation and decay," he said. Attempts to organize staggered hours scheme since the war had been a failure, but there was no question that transport companies would be able to move passengers more rapidly and comfortably if staggered hours of work were generally adopted.

FLo.T.A. ARRANGEMENTS ORIIICONIING meetings of the Institute of Traffic Administration are as follows:— S.:member 24, Glasgow centre. lecture on distribution by A. Mactialr. Kenilworth Hotel, Oueen Street. Giasgow, 7 p.m.

September M. Preston centre. lecture un haulage by A. Miller, Victoria Hotel, Preston, 7.31) P.m.

October 6, Portsmouth centre, films on transport. Chamber of Commerce, POrtSrnenth. 7,15 p.m.

October 14, MerseYside centre, lecture on transport by E. Webster, Stork Hotel, Liverpool. 7.311 p.m.

October 16, North Stalls centre. discussion " What Industry Requires from Transport''; speakers, Ellis Smith, S. H. !wren; chairman, Lord Marivale. North Stafford Hotel, Stoke-onTrent, 7.30 p.m.

Excise Authoritie Must Prosecute

HIASTISMERE magistrates Friday dismissed sununo against a Diss concern and all emplc for using a vehicle drawing a trailer which a higher rateof duty was cha able. They did so because the ceedings had not been brought order of the Commissioners of Cust and Excise. The defence claimed that under Customs and Excise Act, 1952, alleged offences • constituted crim proceedings. . The Act required prosecutions should be by order the Commissioners, who could app an official to act on their informal Under the Act, of 1949, the all offences were civil debts. for which county council could seek reco through the Summary courts. In present instance the Commissioners made no order. Mr, R. A. E. Voisey, clerk to magistrates, said that the decisiot upheld; was likely to be a bornbshe

LMECH.E. FIXTURES

L'ORTHCOMING meetings of I Institution of Mechanical Engir include the following:—


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