Operating Aspects of
Page 96
Page 97
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
PASSENGER TRANSPORT
POLICE CRITICIZED AT LEAMINGTON
DEFENDING in a case at Leamington, on Monday last, a solicitor alleged that police officers watched a bus being overloaded and subsequently stopped the vehicle on the road.
Police evidence was to the effect that the vehicle carried 51 passengers, although its seating capacity was 49. The police officers said that they were not in a position to stop the bus until it was well on its way.
For the defence it wasalleged that the officers had ample opportunity of preventing the commission of the overloading offence. Instead, it was declared, they waited until the bus moved off, then ran to their patrol car, followed, and stopped the vehicle.
The Acting Chief Constable of Leamington said that he was quite satisfied with the action of his officers, and the chairman of the magistrates remarked that he and his colleagues considered the criticisms of the police quite unjustified. A fine of £1 was imposed on the 'operator for permitting the overloading, and the conductor of the bus was fined 10s.
LARGEST SINGLE -ORDER EVER PLACED BY A CORPORATION.
AS reported in our issue for -last week, the order for Manchester's buses has been split up between three important concerns—Crossley Motors, Ltd., Leyland Motors, Ltd., and the Daimler Co., Ltd.
We learn from the Crossley Co. that this new contract for buses represents the 26th repeat order received from the corporation and the 40 trolleybus chassis, with 54-seater metal bodies, also to be supplied, represents the third repeat order. In addition, the Crossley concern is to supply 66 double-deck metal bodies, the grand total of the contract being worth approximately £310,000. We under
stand that this represents the largest contract of its kind eyer placed at one time by a municipality.
We learn, further, that the contract given to the Daimler Co., Ltd., is valued at over £200,000. The Daimler vehicles will, of course, incorporate the Fluid Flywheel in the transmission.
STAGGERED HOURS IN BRISTOL?
STAGGERED hours is believed to be L./the only solution to Bristol's peak period transport rush. Experts have been attempting to solve the big difficulty presented by the next stage in the change-over from trams to
buses, The route affected is from the city to Filton and its importance cac be realized by the fact that nearly 20,000 workpeople are employed at Filton-16,000 of them at the works of the Bristol Aeroplane Co., Ltd.
It is understood that representatives of the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co., Ltd., and employers in the district, will meet in conference in the near future in order to discuss some solution to the ever-growing traffic problem and, if possible, to introduce some system of staggered hours.
AUSTRALIA REPLACING ITS STEAM TRAMS.
WE reproduce on this page a picture showing a steam-driven tram, with trailer, in operation in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. It is of particular interest because, in our issue dated December 16, last year, we referred to the purchase, by Brisbane City Council, of a number of Albion oil-engined buses to replace its steam buses.
It would appear, however, that the vehicles in question were actually acquired by Rockhampton City Council out of a special loan, granted by the Queensland Government, as, at the time our paragraph appeared, no order had been placed with Albion Motors, Ltd., by Brisbane City Council.
MORPETH MARKET AS BUS STATION
ANagreement for the trial use of the corporation's new.market as a bus station has been confirmed by Morpeth Town Council. The agreement was reached at a meeting between Sir John Maxwell, Chairman of the Northern Traffic Commissioners, Mr. H. Studdy, Chief Constable of Northumberland, and representatives of United Automobile Services, Ltd.
It is subject to the right of the company to provide a bus station suitable for the public requirements during the trial period, and in the event of the town council being satisfied at the end of the trial term, the company will be given six months in which to exercise an optional lease for 21 years.
At present, buses are loaded and unloaded in the main street of the town.
BUSY LOWESTOFT BODY.
BUILDER. '
WJE learn from the Eastern Coach W Works, Ltd., Eastern Way. Lowestoft, that it has received the following contracts for bodies:-12 single-deck, 4 double-deck and 4 semicoach (United Counties Omnibus Co„ Ltd.); 28 double4leck (North Western Road Car Co., Ltd.); 26 single-deck (The British Electrical Federation, Ltd., for the Western Welsh Omnibus Co., Ltd.); 8 single-deck and 11 double-deck (The British Electrical Federation, Ltd., for the East Yorkshire Motor Services, Ltd.), NEW TIME SCHEDULES CAUSE TROUBLE IN DARLINGTON.
A DECISION to take "drastic ri action " unless new time-tables, introduced by United Automobile Services, Ltd., Darlington, were withdrawn. was passed at a meeting of 400 busmen at Newcastle on Sunday last. The men are employed by the United concern in all parts of Northumberland and parts of Durham and Cumberland.
A resolution was passed calling for the withdrawal of the new schedules and suggesting that, in future, the company should allow the employees 14 days to inspect new schedules before they were introduced.
A resolution, moved by Councillor J. Petch, of Blyth, which was passed, read: — • " That intensification of busmen s schedules, of the nature to be introduced, calls for an investigation by the Government to consider national control of the road passenger industry, to consider national standards of wages and conditions, to consider the setting up of tribunals with fair representation of all operatives, traveller and employee, and to consider adequate supervision of cleanliness, maintenance and time-tables." Councillor Fetch said that, if the new schedules were not withdrawn, stronger action would be taken.
An official of the company, commenting on the terms, said that increases which had been granted to the staff, under the agreement, include
increases in wages and concessions amounting to £20,000 per annum. The structure of 95 per cent, of the shifts had not been altered. Whenever suggestions or complaints were made, experts had done their best to make any possible adjustments and they were still prepared to do that.
GLASGOW SEEKS NEW POWERS.
A RESOLUTION by Councillor Victor D. Warren, with respect to the assembly of chassis and electrical equipment and the building of bodies for both trolleybuses and buses, by the corporation, has been passed by Glasgow Transport Committee. The effect of this will be that such provisions will. be included by the Parliamentary Bills Committee in the next Provisional Order promoted by the corporation.
NO BUSES-LITTLE RATE RELIEF IN BACUP
AT Bacup, last week, Councillor F. Haworth, in dealing with rate increases, said the council's most tragic mistake was to sacrifice its right to run buses. During the past six years buses had relieved Rawtenstall rates by £37,000. The relief to Bacup rates, in the same period, had been less than E6, 000.
RAMSBOTTOIV1 RELIEVES RATES. (-NNE of the first authorities to con
vert its transport services from trams to buses, Ramsbottom District Council has never regretted its action. From a source of financial anxiety, the transport services were, last municipal year, able to• devote £450 towards the relief of rates.