THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SIDECAR TAXI.
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A Type of Hire Vehicle which has Rapidly Sprung into Favour. The Latest Ideas in Design. Costs and Charges.
THERE IS LI1 ILE doubt that, in 1 Birmingham at least, the position of the taxicab, hitherto regarded as practically unassailable, has been severely challenged by its smaller and younger brother, the sidecar taxi. Birmingham may be said to be the home of the sidecar taxi, for, in addition to the fact that, in this city, there are at least twice as many plying for public hire as in any other centre, the pioneers and chief supporters of the predominant type of sidecar taxi—the " County " the County Cycle and Motor Co., ,Ltd., Of 300 and 301, Broad Street, Birmingham.
At first, considerable trouble was ex perienced in convincing the hackney carriage authorities of the practicability and safety of these vehicles, but, when once the ice had been broken in one town, many others looked more kindly upon the innovation, and now there are very few towns or cities of any importance where sidecar taxis aro not licensed or where the authorities are not prepared to license if they are approached.
We have before -us a list giving the names of 32 such towns, and this alone proves the popularity and usefulness of these vehicles, and gives some idea of the
• rapidity with -which they have been taken up since their inception in 1920.
Birmingham has 33 licensed at the present time, Brighton 16, Harrogate 8, and many other townshave five or six plying for hire.
In the metropolitan area they have not yet been licensed, but there are a considerable number on private hire work, for which they are well suited, and, of course, a large amount of this work is also undertaken in other places. The Manchester Watch Committee is considering the question, and there is every likelihood that they will eventually be allowed to ply for hire in Cottonopolis.
Further opposition was encountered from the National Federation of Hackney Carriage Proprietors, but this -union has, at last, changed its views on the subject, and now recognizes the sidecar taxi as a useful proposition. It may, therefore, be understood that the ground has been cleared for any further developments that may take place in this direction, and that the only obstacle likely to arise to prevent these vehicles being a familiar object in every town in England is the attitude of the Local licensing 4authorities, which, today, as will be gathered from our remarks, is not unfavourable.
The fares in most towns compare favourably with those of taxicabs. Citing those authorized in Birmingham as an example, the charge for the first mile in a sidecar taxi is Is., and 8d. for each succeeding mile, registered in increments of 21 for every quarter-mile, as against the taxicab fares of is. 6d. for the first mile and 3d. for every one-sixth of a mile after. Waiting charges are 4s. and bs, per hour respectively, measured in increments of 2 minutes. It will thus be seen that travelling by sidecar is considerably cheaper than by taxicab.
Many improvements have been made to both the motorcycle and the cab of the "County " B.S.A. models. 'The brake-work has been strengthened, and a special system of interconnection between the rear and sidecar wheels has been evolved. The single foot brake controls the two through a compensating device, and the operating wires are passed through brass tubing instead of the usual flexible cable, an improvement which gives additional security, and lessees any risk of breakage or jamming. A ratchet is fitted to the pedal to enable the outfit tn be held stationary on any gradient. The pedal itself has been lengthened to give increased leverage, and allowance has been made foe adjustment made necessary by wear.
As regards the sidecar chassis, little alteration has been found to be feces. sary, beyond the incorporation of a support on the inside of the wheel frame for the wheel cone sleeve, to prevent any possibility of axle breakage, however remote. The chief improvements have taken place in the body itself and give increased comfort to the passenger. Stronger uprights are used in its construction, and these give a stiffer and altogether more rigid body, entirely preventing door rattle.
Without ilwreasing the overall width of the outfit, the body has been widened by 2 ins., thus giving more seating space, and preventing the two passengers being crushed. The height at the rear of the body has been increased by 3 ins. —a fact appreciated by tall people--but, owing, to the regulations demanding that the driver shall be able to see to his left over the top of the cab, the height of the front window and the door is nnaltered, and the fixed portion of the roof is carried up at a sleeper angle. Attention has been paid to the upholstery, and the rear part of the roof consists of a collapsable hood, in accordance with the, regulations.
A glance at a few of the running costs of theee.vehicles, based on a yearly' mileage of 10,000, is interesting, and conveys an impression of the cheapness 'with which they may be run. For the mileage stated above, the combined costs for petrol,-oil and tyres—the three main and unavoidable items--are only 10. per mile,. while Id. per mile is the figure given for renovations and replacements;
In this connection, it is obvious that, if the year's mileage exceeds 10,900, this figure of id. would be materially decreased. The Dunlop Magnum tyre is good for 3,000 to 4,000 miles on the rear wheel, after which, under ordinary conditions,. it is by no means useless, but will give good. service on the front or sidecar wheel.
Although they were the pioneers, the County Cycle and Motor Co., Ltd., are not the only makers of the sidecar taxis, and, notwithstanding the fact that, at present, the number of B.S.A. machines in use easily outnumber those of other makes, there are several manufacturers who produce a vehicle of this type, and many different makes are now appearing on the stands.
Bayliss, Thomas and Co., Ltd., King's Road, Tyseley, Birmingham, are supplying a special model of their 8 h.p. British Excelsior machine, equipped with a Blackburne engine for this purpose, while the Campion Cycle CO-, Ltd., Robin Hood Street, Nottingham, are also making a sidecar teed, of which several have been sent to Oxford and to Cambridge. All the machines mentioned follow standard lines so far as the motorcycle part of the outfit is concerned, but it will be remembered that at the last Olympia Motorcycle Show, an 0.E.C.Blackburne sidecar taxi outfit, made by the Osborn.Engineering Co., Ltd., Lees Lane, Gosport, Hants, was shown with a car-type steering wheel in place of the more usual handlebar.