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Opinions and Queries

22nd August 1952, Page 48
22nd August 1952
Page 48
Page 49
Page 48, 22nd August 1952 — Opinions and Queries
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

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Theory and Practicein Haulage THE last sentence " gives the show away " in the article " Monopoly and Competition," by Ralph Cropper, published on Iuly 4. He has accepted another's conclusion, then ,Worked backwards to build up a case to justify it. He has used unrepresentative samples, and whilst much of his article is .good theory, he appears to

be some distance from practice. '

For instance, the "extreme case" he quotes should not be used. Such are but odd corpuscles in the blood stream of the nation's goods traffic; even so, his assertion that "the individual proprietor is better able to respond with promptness than is the section Manager of a large undertaking ".ii unsound. The former, a comparatively small operator with "the inducement, to augment his profits" does not keep many vehicles and crews "on the peg" for such jobs. Surely, the large-scale operator has the advantage in numbers, sizes and types of vehicle? Within British Road Services a depot requiring assistance can apply to group; group to district; and district to division.

During the war the M.O.W.T. organization was thus able to mobilize three-figure fleets for special jobs, e.g., for the quick clearance of imports ex shipping convoys.

The writer has not met with any difficulties "concerning starting times" when employing B.R.S. The number of

C licensees keeping vehicles " in reserve" for such jobs must be minute, in relation to the "blood stream" and therefore 6` these extremes" are of little consequence in the study of the Prime Minister's conclusion.

It is agreed that the public carrier cannot be quite so alive to the need for paring manufacturers' costs, but he readily understands if explanation be given and even group and area managers of the B.R.S., most of whom have long operating and commercial experience, will listen sympathetically. There are ways and means of mollifying traders, who naturally do not like the feeling that they may be subsidizing other traders employing a large-scale transport undertaking.

Admittedly the C licensee can operate at lower cost than the public haulier, where concentration, quantity, and regularity of traffic give a high utilization factor, but this is not competition with public haulage; it is, as Ralph Cropper admits, merely "picking the cream."

What of the remaining skimmed milk, the oddments and the awkwa.rds, which latter only the railways are bound to carry at present? And what of the "milk," the vast proportion of which its producers are not in a position to skim?

The foregoing and Ralph Cropper's article might be said to deal mainly with full loads and separate vehicle jobs, which are comparatively easy to deal with, and in relation thereto consideration must be given to return loading. The "individual proprietor" can, of course, work up a limited connection, or can make use of clear ing houses, but the large-scale operator is in a better. position on account of his many depots or "working arrangements." B.R.S. can, by teleprinter or post, give destination areas advice of vehicles dispatched. Alternatively, drivers can be instructed where to report, after discharge, and in either case its own order books, in all parts of the country, facilitate the utilization of " foreign" vehicles, which should receive preference. Moreover, a gazetteer indicates the various services, including fuel, repairs, and canteen, obtainable at depots 514 en route and in destination areas. The individual or even associated proprietor would be more likely to prefer his own vehicles, thus tending to reduce the back-loading factor in both directions.

It has been interesting to watch the knitting of the network of scheduled—mainly overnight—services now operated by B.R.S. The introduction of a regular service begets traffic, and traders become enabled to promise and depend upon delivery dates. If this network be destroyed, frequency is bound to suffer and traders will have to revert to contacting several hauliers to ascertain who is going where and when.

Referring in particular to "smalls," six hauliers ran parallel services between London and this city. This caused queueing by several delivery vehicles with carriage-paid traffic at a trader's premises. At present the trader's smalls traffic is delivered from one depot. The same wastage occurred at dispatch times. It used to be' necessary for the collection vehicles of several hauliers to cover the same ground, queue for regular calls and watch for window cards for irregulars. At present, one large vehicle calls regularly, taking traffic for most destinations, and the trader is saved valuable segregating space, sorting labour and clerical work.

Reverting to*cost paring, it would have been better if Ralph Cropper had referred to exports rather than to tiles, for it is becoming increasingly necessary to watch export costs. The B.R.S. is now able to sort shipments at port depots, thus delivering larger lots or full loads of small shipments to each vessel.

The writer is not 5n employee of B.R.S., but feels that a little credit should be given where it is due. He thinks, too, that Ralph Cropper was viewing through the lower lens of only one bifocal of the Churchillian spectacles and that if he had looked through the other eyepiece he would have seen the good the Prime Minister did by his proposal of the levy, viz., the attempt to jolt both trader and haulier into the realization that the efficient functioning of the railways remains a national necessity, "strategical importance" being but a "red herring."

L. DONSON HOLMES, A.M.INST.T.

Nottingham.

The Problem of Bus Loading

BEING employed in the supervisory grade of a large bus company, it is necessary for me to travel daily to and from the garage on one of the company's buses, the distance being seven miles. On some occasions however, the first convenient bus is full and I have to wait for the next one, which means almost an hour, have taken this matter up with the company and have been advised that as I am not paid by the hour and am on call for the full 24 hours, I cannot be counted as a 'passenger and can therefore travel on the vehicle even if it already has its full load. I agree that rank and file members do not start work until they report for duty, and that this is not so in my case. I am wondering, however, what would happen should thebus be stopped bythe police for carrying an over-load.

The buses I use are ordinary service vehicles and the employees, including myself, all travel free, those paid hourly having privilege certificates whilst I have a staff pass. When off duty, drivers, conductors, fitters, etc., travel at a quarter the normal fare, whilst the supervisory grades still travel free. The privilege certificates are for use only while proceeding to or from work.

Truro. PUZZLED.

[Our legal adviser answers your problem as follows:— " Whether the regulation as to overloading (No. 15 of the Public Service Vehicles Equipment and Use Regulations). has been broken depends on the meaning to be given to the word passenger.' The question is a novel one and I am unable to find any direct authority on it. 1.1 'passenger' means only fare-paying passenger' then no offence will have been committed. The Regulations make no attempt whatever to define the word, and although possibly it might be argued that the regulation' as to overloading, being essentially a safety measure, must intend the word to include everyone except the actual crew of the vehicle, [think that the opposite may be the better opinion. It has been held several times that the word ' passenger in reference to a passenger ship includes anyone carried, other than the master and crew, also the owner, his family and servants. Whilst the-poSition—if not free from doubt, I think that this information is fortified by reason of the fact that most of the ' dos ' and don'ts' of the Regulations are quite obviously applicable to fare-paying passengers."—ED.]

Hire-Purchase Restrictions

SOME time ago one of your correspondents raised the subject of the present' restriction on hire purchase together with the restricted period as applied to motor coaches.

I would be glad if he, or any others concerned, would get in toucit with me, as a case is being prepared for submission to the President of the Board of Trade.

I would add that I have no connection with any hirepurchase company, and would he interested in only bona fide cases.

Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. W. BURDEN.

Tags

Organisations: M.O.W.T.
People: Ralph Cropper
Locations: Surrey, Nottingham, London

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