AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

Operating Aspects of

21st August 1936, Page 56
21st August 1936
Page 56
Page 57
Page 56, 21st August 1936 — Operating Aspects of
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Passenger Transport

EAST KENT" IN BIG THANET DEAL

IT is reported that a tentative agree ment has been completed between the Isle of Thanet Electric Supply Co., Ltd., and the East Kent Road Car Co., Ltd., under which the latter concern will take over the former's bus undertaking. A figure of £175,000 is mentioned as the purchase consideration.

The Isle of Thanet concern operates seven bus services in the Margate area, and, in addition to 59 double-deck tarns, has 54 motorbuses, comprising 34 Daimlers and 20 Thornycrotts ; 44 of the machines are single-deckers. The authorized capital of the company for all piirposes is £.500,000, of which £432,000 has been issued.

Last Friday, a meeting of the debenture stock holders of the Isle of Thanet company was called to approve a draft contract between the concern and the local authorities of Margate, Ramsgate and Broadstairs and St. Peters for the abandonment of the tramways on or before March 31 next.

The East Kent Road Car Co., Ltd., which is.a member of the Tilling and B.A.T. group, runs some 450 vehicles.

3,000 MILES ON BOTTLED GAS.

WALLASEY Corporation is continuVV ing the experiment of using compressed coal gas for operating a doubledeck motorbus on the route between Liscard and Charing Cross, Birkenhead. Up. to the present, it has travelled over 9,000 miles and has consumed 160,000 cubic ft. of gas, the cost 8.42 of which, it is stated, is considerably below that for petrol sufficient for an equivalent mileage. A report is being prepared for submission to the town council outlining the advantages of coal-gas fuel.

LATEST MUNICIPAL BUS RESULTS.

E following are the latest results of municipal transport operation during the present year:— West Bromwich. The transport committee report profits for the past year of £10,472 on the tramways, against £11,567 in the previous year, and of £6,8133 on the buses, contrasted with £4.803.

Douglas (I.o.M.). The transport connnittep announces a balance of £1,944 for the year on the operation of the tramways and motorbuse.s.

EIGHT.HOUR DUTIES IN TEN HOURS.

MEGOTIATIONS are still proceeding 11 between the Transport and General Workers Union and the Central S.M.T. Co., Ltd., for new schedules to cover all the routes in Lanarkshire. An endeavour is being made to produce schedules which will enable drivers to complete their eight-hour shifts within a spread-over of ten hours.

BELFAST TRANSPORT POLICY TO BE REVIEWED.

I N the near future, representatives of Belfast Corporation and the Ministry of Home Affairs (Northern Ireland) are to discuss . municipal transport policy. The Ministry states that as it appears that during the next few years many sections of tram track will require to be renewed, the corporation should ta,ke an early opportunity of reviewing the position of the tramways undertaking as a whole.

SHOULD STATION BE FREE FOR ALL?

VST HARTLEPOOL Toi.vn Council as asked. United Automobile' Services, Ltd., Darlington, to expedite the building of its new bus station in Clarence Road, West Hartlepool, and has stipulated that if work on the station be not started by November the council will proceed with a scheme

of its own.

In the meantime, there has been a conflict between the " United " and the council regarding the rules of the proposed new station. The council intends that the station shall be used by all operators.

Two clauses to which the council has taken exception give the " United " the right to cancel the standage licence of any operator who fails or neglects to carry out the terms of the licence, and another. gives the company the right to cancel a licence by three months' notice.

The town clerk of West Hartlepool has informed the " United " that it is the intention of the council that the roads should not be used for a bus terminus, but if licences were cancelled, as suggested by the company, the operators would resort to the roads as their terminus.

The company has replied that the terms are reasonable and must remain, and the town council has, therefore; decided that, if the proposals be agreed to, notice determining a licence must be given only with good cause.

GLASGOW'S FINE POSITION.

GLASGOW CORPORATION claims that its transport department is considered to have the world's strongest financial position in municipal trading. The depreciation and renewals fund now amounts to £4,389,323, whereas the total loan debt is £3,808,385.

COMPLEX LEICESTER APPEALS DECIDED

THE Minister of Transport has announced his decision on -three appeals dealing with serVices in the Leicester district. Mr. T. H. Errington appealed against a grant to Leicester Corporation for a service between Leicester and Evington and the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., appealed against a.refusal to authorize the company to continue Mr. Errington's service between Northamp-. ton Square. Leicester, and Evington.

The company also appealed against a condition specifying Leicester city boundary as the last permissible picking-up point on the inward journey on the Leicester and Illston-on-the-Hill route.

The Minister notes that, in connection with Mr. Errington's appeal, an undertaking has been given by the cor poration that, subject to one reservation, it will not seek to displace Mr. Errington so long as he continues to run his service to Evington and "will not oblige him to terminate that service unless, and until, he is satisfied by the terms offered by the corporation."

The Minister has decided, in view of this undertaking, to make no Order in respect of the first two appeals.

On the third appeal, however, the Minister has come to the conclusion that the condition affording protection to Leicester Corporation should apply only within the former boundary of the city. He has accordingly made an Order on the Commissioners requiring them to amend the conditions so as to provide that, on journeys into Leicester, the last point at which pa,ssengers may be picked up shall be Mayflower Road.

175 GLASGOW BUSES AS OILERS.

GLASGOW Transport Committee de:1-.ided, on August 12, to recommend that 175 corporation buses be converted from petrol to oil. Mr. James N. Wilson, transport manager, reported that 75 per cent, of the double-deck buses made during the past year had oil engine, which he regarded as more efficient and economical.. The cost of, the conversion he estimated at between £850 and £400 per bus, and there would be a saving of £4 10s. weekly on each vehicle, which would wipe out. the cost of conversion in 18 months.

It was decided to recommend that the Leyland buses should be fitted with Leyland oil engines and that the Assci= ciated Equipment Co. Ltd„ -be asked to effect the change-over in its vehicles,

SIX ATTENDANTS, INSTEAD OF TWO.

THE Minister of Transport has new given effect to the proposal, reported several weeks ago in The Commercial Motor, to enable. sue necessary attendants to be carried on a public set'vice vehicle when only children, not,, exceeding 15 years of age, are carried, any three children being reckoned as "two passengers.

This amendment to the Public Service Vehicles (Equipment and Use) Provisional Regulations is contained in the Public Service Vehicles (Equipment and Use) (Amendment) Provisional Regulations, 1936, dated July 31.

ANOTHER " MIDLAND RED" DEAL.

IT is understood that, subject to the iconsent of the East Midland Traffic Commissioners, the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., is taking over the business of the Green Bus Co., of Leicester, which owns 25 single-deck vehicles.

OMNIBUS SOCIETY EXTENDS TO NORTH WEST.

UNDER the chairmanship of Mr. J. C. H. Smithies, a north-western branch of the Omnibus Society has been formed. This development has been made possible by the steady expansion in the number of members in Lancashire, Cheshire, Derbyshire and the West Riding. The honorary secretary is Mr. J. G. Baker, 11, Marina

Avenue, Gt. Sankey, Warrington. .

DOG CASE THROWN UP AT P.S.V. DRIVER

REMARICABLE evidence was given at Wrexharn police court,. on. Mon, -day, when, at -the instance of the North-Western Traffic Commissioners, .Mr. Caclwaladr Jones, of .Wrexham, was

• summoned for making a false statement to obtain a public service vehicle licence.

On the application . form which he had to complete, Mr. 'Jones was asked whether he had ever been convicted of any offence. He replied, "no." The Commissioners, however, found out that the defendant was fined 40s. in 1921 for dangerous driving and 10s. for keeping a dog Without a licence. On behalf, "of the CommisSioners it was stated that the questions': were put

merely as a test of integrity. .

Defendant directed attention to the magistrates' wording -of. the summons. He was. accused of-making afalse'staternentfor the purpose. of 'obtaining a public service vehicle licence, ...Whereas his .application .was only fora licenCe to .drive a .vehitle: He had forgotten the Conviction of IS years. ago; Mid-did slot think the one 'regarding the dog licence was worth -mentioning

. The summonswas dismissed on pay ment of costs.. • ' In our Opinion, this futile case should never have been brought. The Traffic Commissioners would better employ their time in speeding up the hearing of licence applications. IS "TOUTING" LEGAL?

C°AC11operators are organizing to retain the privilege of "touting'." Remarkable determination was shown, both in argument and organized defence, at Ryde police court last week, 1where Mr. R. M. CIontman raised an important point of law in defending his clients against a summons which alleged that Mr. Harvey Paul, 'coach proprietor, of Ryde, aided and abetted his servants to tout for passengers. Edmund Ward and Co, was summoned for aiding and abetting.

The plea put forward by Mr. Cloutman on behalf of '; touting" impressed the magistrates to such effect that they adjourned the case until October 5. The contention is, in effect, that any restriction on " touting " attached by the Traffic Commissioners to licences is bad in law. It was contended that a High Court decision pertaining to the Cinematograph Act, in which a judgment concerning licensing conditions was made, was parallel to conditions obtaining in the present case. The preamble to the Road Traffic Act, however, could be summarized simply as dealing with road-traffic regulation.

Therefore, it was argued, if " touting " does not take place from the vehicle or the road itself, but in some other place, the Road Traffic Act has 110 condition to meet the case.

A. submission also made by Mr. Cloutman was that these proceedings were not competent, in so far as they had not been instituted under specific authorization of the 'chief constable.


comments powered by Disqus