Operating Aspects of
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Passenger Transport
RECENT HAPPENINGS IN THE TRAFFIC AREAS
Conservatives Rally Against London Passenger Transport Bill.
SINCE the adjournment of the House of Commons for the Christmas vacation, a memorial from a number of Conservative members of Parliament has been forwarded to Mr. Baldwin, as leader of the Conservative Party, expressing strong objection to the London Passenger Transport Bill and opposition to the idea of proceeding farther with it. Amongst the organisers of this move are well-known names, including Colonel Ashley, Sir Vansittart Bowater, Sir Walter Greaves-Lord and Sir Kenyon .Vaughan-Morgan, and the memorial is signed by about 139 Conservative members.
Eight or nine objections to the Bill are lucidly explained, the main one being that it is a socialist measure and destroys healthy competition, as well as placing objectionable powers of a bureaucratic nature into the hands of the Minister of Transport.
A Western-area Operators' Association.
AT Bristol a few days ago a meeting of public service vehicle operators was held to discuss the formation of an association for the Western Area, and to arrange for it to be affiliated to the Motor Hirers and Coach Services Association, Ltd., of London. Mr. A. L. Guilmant, of Thackray's Way Coaches, Reading, a member of the management committee of the M.II.C.S.A., spoke on the difficulties of the Road Traffic Act.
Improved LT-type London Bus.
ALTERATIONS to the staircase and route indicators are the principal features of a new LT-type six-wheeled double-saloon bus which the London General Omnibus Co., Ltd., is introducing, and of which 250 have been ordered.
The chassis is the well-known N.E.C. Renown and the body has been built at the Chiswick works of the bus company. The new vehicle seats 60 persons, which is four more than the familiar LT vehicle will accommodate. More space has been obtained in the lower saloon by making the stairway, which is on the Off side, a little steeper and by curving its lower end around to face the entrance. This slightly reduces the platform area, which now measures 3 ft. 8 ins, from front to back and 4 ft. 9 ins, wide, or 4 ft. 1 in. to the edge of the lowest stair.
There are 34 seats on the upper deck, the steer side of the rear bulkhead being occupied by a double seat, in front of which are two single forward-facing seats with a gangway between them. The area of the upper saloon is increased slightly by extending the canopy a little farther over the driver's cab.
840 The lower saloon accommodates 26 passengers, of whom eight occupy the longitudinal wheel-arch seats, four on each side. At the front a large illuminated route number is incorporated in the 'roof; the destination is shown in a panel at the cant-rail level and, above it, is a large square panel indicating the route. Similar panels are placed on the near side (above the entrance) and at the rear, but not on the off side.
A feature of the lower saloon is that there are no stanchions; as a result of this the upper-saloon floor has had to be arched slightly more than in the previous models, so as to give it the necessary strength. The seat backs have full-width grab rails.
A useful innovation is the fitting of a round convex mirror in the off-side corner of the rear bulkhead, at an angle which permits those on the platform to see whether anyone is coming down the stairs and those about to descend to see whether there is anybody approaching the stairs from the foot.
Wakefield Corporation to Support an Appeal.
A DECISION has been arrived at by
the watch committee of Wakefield Corporation to support an appeal by Henningway Brothers, Ltd., against the refusal of the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners to licence its existing services to Themes Lane and Outwood. The services have been in operation for some years and the decision to support the appeal was arrived at on the grounds that the services are necessary in the public interest.
The Booking Agents' Deputation.
A S might be expected, the principal
item on the agenda put forward by the Booking Agents Association of Great Britain, Ltd., for discussion last Thursday, when it sent a deputation to the Minister of Transport, to be received by the Earl of Plymouth, was the troublesome matter of booking agents' commission. It will be remembered that strong opposition was raised by the association to an indication by the Northern Traffic Commissioners that they intended to limit agents' commission to 5 per cent., or, in the case of main agents, 71 per cent.
The agents are against any form of control of commission, but there has been a growing feeling amongst operators that some kind of protection is necessary against the position, in which some agents find themselves, of being able to give preferential support to operators who pay them higher rates of commission. It is believed that the Ministry has a fair understanding of the position and it therefore appears probable that the matter may be left to the discretion of the Traffic Commissioners. Ribble Objection to Municipal Protection.
A REPORT has been made by the
town clerk of Burnley Corporation that Ribble Motor services, Ltd., has appealed against the imposition by the North-Western Commissioners of a condition for the protection of the corporation trams and buses as affecting the company's bus services to Worsthorne, Holme and Haggate.
Conference on Statistical Returns.
LAST Monday the adjourned confer ence at the Ministry of Transport, for the purpose of discussing statistical returns required of public-service vehicle operators, was resumed. It had been hoped that the Ministry officials would agree to a considerable simplification of the returns demanded, but this now seems improbable. Some grouping of details of expenditure for contract, express and stage carriages is likely to be permitted, but full details of receipts will probably be required.
Incidentally, it is interesting to note that the Motor Hirers and Coach Services Association, Ltd., is pressing for an amendment of the Road Traffic Act, so far as Section 75 is concerned. This section requires accounts and records to be kept and financial and statistical returns to he made to the Minister in such a manner as the Minister may from time to time require. There is a penalty of a fine not exceeding £20 for failure to comply with Section 75, and, if the offence be continued, a fine of up to £5 may be imposed for every day during which the offence continues.
Statistics of Licence Appeals.
ENLIGHTENING figures of the
number of appeals lodged with the Minister of Transport against the decisions of Traffic Commissioners will be found in our feature, "Road Transport Activities in Parliament," on page 685.
Meetings of the Fares Committee.
SINCE the formation on December , 8th, at the request of the Metropoli tan and South-Eastern Traffic Commissioners, of a committee representative of the main operating interests to confer on the question of road-service fares, two meetings have been held. The constitution of this committee was outlined on page 667 of our issue for last week.
It is now understood that the committee intends to confine its attention to the general principles of fares and that, probably within the next three or four weeks, it may be in a position to present a report to the Commissioners. It is possible that the Commissioners will then ask the committee to endeavour to arrive at an agreed schedule of fares for the most important stage and express services, as well as excursions.
Municipal Records of Irregularities.
TYNEMOUTH Corporation has re ceived a letter from the Northern Traffic Commissioners referring to Section 72 of the Road Traffic Act, and drawing attention to the desirability of keeping records, for use at Commissioners' sittings, of any irregularity in the operation of bus services in the borough.
Accrington and Ribble Co-operation.
THE town clerk of Accrington Cor poration has reported the obtaining of powers to enable the corporation, in association with Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., to operate bus services to Burnley, Blackburn via Itishton, and Blackburn via Church.
Association to Guarantee Municipal Service.
AN interesting development has occurred at Newport, Monmouthshire. The Maindee Traders Association has asked Newport Corporation to establish a bus service to its district and has offered to advertise the service and do all possible to make it popular. The tramways committee has, agreed to start a trial service if the association will guarantee to the corporation receipts at the minimum rate of 9d. per Rationalizing Carlisle's Services.
DETAILS of conditions to be at tached to road-service licences and backings affecting the Carlisle area are published by the Northern Commissioners in Gazette 19. These cover the express services operated by the Scottish Motor Traction, Ribble; Midland, South of Scotland, McShane, Lowland and other concerns, as well as stage services run by the Ribble, U.A.S., Caledonian, Lochinvar and other operating companies.
Successful East Midland Appeal.
IT is announced that the Minister of Transport has decided to make an Order on the East Midland Commissioners in the matter of the appeal by Mr. A. A. Davison, proprietor of Violet Motor Services, Gainsborough. The Commissioners are to grant a road service licence, subject to such conditions as to time-tables, fares, etc., as may be necessary to secure a reasonable measure of co-ordination with other services, Maximum Fares in Newport.
NEWPORT Corporation has commu nicated with the Ministry of Transport regarding schedules of maximum fares proposed to be charged on the corporation bus services, and the Ministry has approved a maximum fare of lid. per mile or portion of a mile, at the same time reserving the power of revision in the event of any objection being subsequently made and sustained. It is pointed out that the approval does not override the limitation upon the actual fares, which the South Wales Commissioners have imposed.
Joint Action by North-Western Municipalities.
REPRESENTATIVES of Burnley, Nelson and Coble Corporations and Ribble Motor Services, Ltd. have conferred on the possibility of establishing a joint service of limited-stop buses between the three towns. For the time being consideration has been deferred, pending further information being obtained from the Ribble concern regarding an alternative scheme or schemes. On the other hand, there has even been some talk of setting up a joint transport authority for the municipalities.