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Romford Changes Horses for Motors
Page 94
Page 95
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Four New Dennis Moving-floor Vehicles Among Fleet of Refuse Collectors. Shuttle Service on Trial as Alternative to Closeddistrict " System of Collection
ROMFORD'S public-cleansing systemtem is in the process of transition from horses to motors. The urban district is rapidly growing and mechanization has recently become necessary to keep pace with development.
Some facts concerning the topographical and other features of the district, supplied by Mr. F. G. Beaumont, NI.Inst.M. and C.E., engineer and surveyor to the council, will assist in affording an idea of the problems which face the public-cleansing officials.
Romford is situated some 13 miles to the east of the City of London. Residential in character, it is fairly compact, with one or two isolated villages within its 9,342 acres. Contrary to a popular belief, it is not entirely flat, for there is a difference of over 300 ft. in altitudes in the area.
In 1926, the population was estimated at 22,000, but since that date it has been growing at the average rate of 3,200 persons a year, with the result that, to-day, the total estimated popu lation stands at nearly 60,000. The corresponding annual increase in the number of houses is 800, so that the urban district now includes 14,000 premises.
Residential development is taking place primarily in two distinct classes. Large numbers of houses of the £500 grade (from which the carries may be fairly long) have been erected, whilst in the Gidea Park area an estate of detached and semi-detached dwellings of the £1,0004;1,500 stamp is being developed.
The latter type of residence is more favourable to the expeditious removal of refuse, on account of the shorter car ries. Kerbside collection is *not favoured by Romford Urban District Council, all bins being collected "On site " and returned .after disinfection.
Disposal is by means of the controlled-tipping system. Several open spaces and playing fields have been reclaimed by this means and, at present, Mawney Park, on Eastern Avenue, is in process of reclamation. Tipping on the site (to which the average haul is about two miles) is now nearly completed and, -in time, an attractive open space will be developed.
Following a policy of progressive improvement in municipal service, the council has just replaced six horsed vans and two open lorries by equipment of the most modern type. The refusecollection fleet now c,canprises a Fordson 7-cubic-yd. side-loading lorry, an S.D. Freighter 10-cubic-yd. rear-loading van with rubber moving floor, and four smart new Dennis 10-cub-yd. rearloading moving-floor vehicles.
Searching tests • were carried out before the Dennis machines were purchased and among the features that appealed to the council was the comfortable capacious cab, in which five men, in addition to the driver, may be accommodated. The floor-winding mechanism is located at the front and a device is incorporated to prevent the stretching of the rubber flooring. Another useful feature is the provision of lockers for the men:s clothes and food.
The council expects the cleansing costs to be reduced by the introduction of modern mechanical means, but figures are not yet available.
In this connection, it should be• pointed out that the average density of crude refuse in Romford is fairly low.
A summer test returned the figure of 161 lb. per cubic ft., a result which might reflect unfavourably upon the cost of collection per ton, although not upon the cost per 1,000 population.
Interesting experiments in the refusecollection system are now being carried out. Crews of four and five men respectively are being tried to discover which is the more suitable for the district's particular requirements.
In the past, what may be termed the closed-district system of collection has been in operation. Vehicles have been allocated to particular districts and, when fully laden, have been driven to the tip, then returning to their collection round and continuing work.
A shuttle system of collection is now being tested. Under this method, vehicles are still allocated to particular districts, but a shuttle vehicle is retained for use in any of the zones. '
When a collector is full, it is taken over by the driver of the empty shuttle vehicles and is driven to the tip.
The loaders then set to work with the relief machine and a continuous system of collection is afforded. Among the advantages of the new method of operation are the continuous employment of the men on actual collection work and the avoidance of overburdening labour at the tip, only one vehicle at a time disposing of its load.
'Against the benefits has to be offset the fact that one collector is, from the point of view of vehicle hours, always empty and, therefore, non-revenue earning. Experience will show whether the value of the elimination of delays more than counterbalances the expense of operating a relief vehicle.
The five vans are used in the central area and the Fordson machine in the outlying districts. A weekly system of collection is in force, complete records being kept of the day upon which a certain street was cleared and of the bins not emptied. Trade refuse is not normally collected by the council, this work being delegated to a private contractor. Gully emptying and sewer flushing are cared for by a Dennis 750-gallon appliance, which deals with the 3,500 gullies, as well as sewers, in rotation.
Mechanization has not yet been applied to street cleansing, for which a system of double-bin pneumatic-tyred orderlies is employed. The best method of coverage is utilized and the frequency of cleansing is regulated according to the type of thoroughfare.
Eighteen miles of streets are cleansed daily and the bulk of the roads about twice a week. No street receives attention less than once a week.