Exports to Iron Curtain Countries
Page 55
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IT is now permissible to export all types of vehicle, other than those built to military specifications, to countries in the Sino-Soviet bloc. These countries are: Albania, Bulgaria, China, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, North _Korea, North Vietnam; Poland, Rumania, Soviet Union, Eastern Germany and Tibet. The export of tyres
is also allowed. ,
No great increase iii trade. is expected. An official of the British Motor Corporation has commented: " The countries concerned have not got the currency to do more than continue the limited trade with the British motor industry already in operation, and we cannot do business on barter-trade propositions."
CEYLON TRANSPORT BOARD FACE MORE PROBLEMS
ANOTHER plea for Government help has been made by the Ceylon Transport Board, following a sharp increase in their wages bill. When buses were nationalized last January, wages totalled £132,000 a month, but there have been two increases. The Prime Minister has now directed that within three months higher wages must be paid to all other employees, bringing the total Monthly .wage expenditure to £225,000.
The Board have urged that their earlier demand for a £.31m. loan should be given urgent consideration so that the higher wages can be met, together with the cost of replacing worn-out rolling stock.
The Board are also in trouble in Colombo, where the municipal authority have demanded that their vehicles should not ply in the city. The council claim that trolleybuses are losing money because of this competition.
TAXI OWNERS PROTEST
TAXI owners in Shrewsbury have been warned by the town clerk that in future licences will not be granted for new cabs unless they are the standard Metropolitan-type vehicle. There are 16 taxi proprietors in the town at the moment, five of whom operate this type of vehicle, whilst the rest run normal private cars.
Operators have protested against the proposal, pointing out that they do a great amount of private hire work where Metropolitan-type vehicles would not be suitable.
BUS CHANGES PLANNED
SEVERAI, routes in Bexhill covered by Maidstone and District Motor Services, Ltd., are to be altered when trolleybuses leave the district early next year. The company have applied to the South Eastern Traffic Commissioners for permission to reorganize their services
Glasgow Cuts Time for Tram Replacement
GLASGOW'S 600 trams are to be replaced by oil-engined buses within the next five years, Cllr. James Bennett,• convenor of the transport committee, announced last week. • He said that by 1961 all the old type trams would have been withdrawn,leaving 250 of the Coronation type to be taken off the road by 1963.
The original plan was for the fleet to be replaced over a period of 15 years, but air. ,Bennett thought the best idea was to get on with the job immediately. The replacements would cost £2-1-m. in the first three years. No additions would be made to the 200-vehicle trolleybus fleet.
Figures for the last financial year showed that the undertaking had an accumulated deficit of £261,406. During the year, trams lost £577,003, but both trolleybuses and motorbuses made profits, as did the underground system.
READY FOR FREE TRADE
ACENTRAL advisory service has been set up by Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds, Ltd., to help the 57 British companies in the group to take full advantage of European free trade.
The service will be known as the G.K.N. Group Export Service Organization (Geso), and will operate from Shell Mex House, Strand, London, W.C.2. It will be under the direction of Mr. H. W. A. Waring, managing director of Brymbo Steel Works, Ltd.
COVENTRY ROAD PLAN
ONE of Coventry's most important thoroughfares, Queen Victoria Road, is to be diverted at its northern end to lead straight into Corporation Street. The cost of the project will be £160,000, of which half is being paid by the Ministry of Transport.
Dodge Converted for Bulk Deliveries
D ECENTLY supplied to Joseph Warr, Jnr., Ltd., Brierley Hill, Staffs, by Geo. H. Kendrick, -Ltd., West Bromwich, a Dodge forward-control 'tipper with a Boys trailing axle is giving improved economy in bulk coal distribution from Midland collieries. This is the first vehicle based on a . converted. chassis to' he employed by the haulage company and augments the number of Dodge vehicles in the fleet to i total of 10.
In standard form the Dodge has a wheelbase of 13 ft. 7* in. and a rated capacity of 7 tons. Extending the wheelbase to 15 ft. 8i . in. has increased the length of the chassis to 17. ft: 10 in. and the vehicle now has a rated capacity. of 10 tons.
It is equipped with a fixed-sided timber body having a steel-lined floor, which is mounted on 4-in. by 2-in. channel-section members and elevated by an Edbro 4 LNS twin front-of-body gear. The unladen weight of the vehicle is less than 6 tons.
This model is powered by the Leyland 0.351 oil engine and the torque is relayed by a five-speed gearbox to an Eaton 18500 two-speed axle.
"ANY ACTION" TO GET HIGHER
DELEGATES at the annual conference of the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions, at Paign ton last week, unanimously passed a resolution pledging full support for any action which may be considered necessary to enforce their claim for a 6-per-cent. increase in wages. They decided also to negotiate for three weeks' paid holiday and for higher holiday pay based on average earnings.
A resolution calling for further nationalization was passed.
BUS COMPANIES MERGE
BUS services operated by A. J. Long, Glemsford, Suffolk, have been amalgamated with those of Corona Coaches, Ltd„ Sudbury, Mr. E. F. Long has joined the board of Corona Coaches, but intends to continue the haulage side of the Long business.
Corona have also applied to take over the London express licence of S. Blackwell and Sons. Earls Colne, Essex.