Ratepayers Out for Blood

21st September 1956, Page 241

21st September 1956

Page 241

Page 241, 21st September 1956 — Ratepayers Out for Blood

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THE decision of the Portsmouth Transport Committee to recommend to the City Council in the near future, the abolition of the trolleybuses has met with the unanimous opposition of the Portsmouth, Southsea, Portsmouth Central, and the Cosham and District Ratepayers' Associations, which bodies have formed a joint committee in order to consider the full implications of this step. Acting independently, the Portsmouth Trades Council have declared their similar determination.

We regard the step as an act. of folly in any case but more particularly at the present time, having regard to the fact that oil supplies may be subject to severe -restriction and fluctuation in price, and when the prospect of electricity from power stations using nuclear reactors is assured.

The trolleybus section of the Portsmouth undertaking has always shown a profit since the war until this year, when a small loss was incurred. This loss was due, we believe, to severe reductions in service, to the superimposing of more motorbuses over city trolleybus routes, and to the deliberate operation of motorbuses (often bearing trolleybus route numbers) on trolleybus services. Thus, with simulated surprise, the management announced a 50 per cm, fall in the profit earned for the year 1954-5 on trolleybuses, followed by an artless statement for 1955-6 that more people are travelling on the motorbuses—a _not surprising fact when, in some oases, they have no alternative.

There is widespread dissatisfaction too, that as a result of the introduction of more and more motorbuses over city trolleybus routes, the services to outlying districts (some of only hourly frequency) are being operated without either protective fares or the system of "limited stops" employed elsewhere. They carry, local passengers to the detriment 'of the takings of the purely town services, whilst those desiring to go to the extremities of the longer routes are unable. to board the buses, • We have called for a complete review of the present joint agreement with the Southdown concern and for the • full utilization of the trolleybus services, together with their much-needed extension to the new housing estate at Paulsgrove.

It is of interest that, only recently, the present chairman of the Corporation Transport Committee, while urging the Ministry of Transport to sanction the new link road, along Which this route would run, stated that the provision of trolleybuses to Paulsgrove would mean a saving of 240,000 miles a year, amounting to £7,500 or the equivalent of a Id. rate..

The figures advanced by the Corporation Transport Department and City Treasurer, seeking to justify the scrapping of the trolleybuses, impress us not at all. ',Space will not allow for comment on these, beyond the fact that, in reference to a claim that it costs 3d. a mile more to run trolleybuses than motorbuses, we were puzzled to find that new bodies purchased for motorbuses were bought under capital loan, whilst those for.trolley

, buses were apparently charged against repairs and Maintenance. No mention was made of £13.000 rates being • paid by the trolleybus section—a figure higher than that for the previous year, although fewer miles were run— and some of the overhead equipment, upon which this sum was being paid, was out of use. Portsmouth trolleybuses paid 1.037d, per mile in rates, *whilst the average for trolleybuses throughout the . country was 0.6d. No wortder that we, the ratepayer, and owners of the system who have to foot the bill when there is a loss, are united in our Opposition to this scrapping policy, and are determined to see that changes are effected. G. KINGSfORD, Portsmouth. Chairman, Ratepayers Joint • Committee.

Rock and Roll Between Double-drive Axles

IT would be of interest to us and, we consider, to a ' number of -fleet operators, if the procedure for the distribution of tyres on twin double-drive rear axles could be clarified.

You probably know that, if new and worn tyres are distributed in certain ways, axle "fighting" occurs. For instance, if a vehicle is fitted with new tyres on the leading driving axle and with worn ones on the secOnd driving axle, the outcome is disastrous, unless the particular vehicle has a compensating differential between these axles. What, in fact, happens is that the wheels on the leading axle are trying to make fewer revolutions per mile than those on the second axle, consequently the axles are pitted against one another, with the result that the operator soon has a heavy repair account to pay.

There does, however, seem to be a considerable divergence of opinion as to how the tyres should be placed to overcome this problem and, in the view of some, the only safe way is to have both axles equipped with tyres' that all have the same degree of wear.

P. E. Bittafts, . London, E.C.3. " B. I. Transport Co., Ltd.

No Fatted Calf for.the' Prodigal youR articles and comments of the past few weeks concerning the state of the road haulage industry today as the result of rate cutting, have been read by me with great interest

I would also like to compliment Janus on his political commentary entitled "Little Victims," published in your issue dated September 7. I agree with everything that he has written: How true are his words when he says, concerning stable and rational rates, ". .. the likelihood , remains that after all very little will be done about it:: I believe that if your articles cannot help those already in the industry they will at least warn others who contemplate entering the industry or investing capital in it.

Renationalization will be Unnecessary. In my view private enterprise will fade out voluntarily or by insolvency and leave state-controlled haulage with a complete monopoly.

One has to be an operator fully to realize that the haulage industry cannot possibly survive at the rates now prevailing in many areas. In less than two years I have seen a big drop in the tonnage carried and clearing house rates between Manchester and Birmingham reduced from 28s. to 22s. per ton, less 10 per cent. I would say that 90 per cent, of the country hauliers are working at lower rates today than those prevailing in 1952, and this despite the large increase in operating costs.

Liverpool. FOOLISH RE-ENTRANT.