THE LATEST NEWS OF IMPORTANT EVENTS
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MUNICIPAL COMMITTEE TO RE-SELL BUSES TO FIRM?
N our issue dated November 24 we stated that the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners had refused to transfer to the Burnley, Colne and Nelson Joint Committee the licences for two services operated by Messrs. E. Laycock and Sons, of Cowling. One of these routes was from Barnoldswick to Skiplon. •
There is now a suggestion that the committee should sell to Messrs. Laycock (whose business it has purchased) a certain number of buses to enable them to continue the service. The committee will take over Messrs. Laycock's undertaking in January.
LAST OF YARMOUTH TRAMS.
A S forecast in The Commercial Motor
on December 8, Yarmouth Corporation's tramways were abandoned on December 15. Buses have now replaced the trams, which commenced operation in 1902.
DOVER TROLLEYBUS PLAN.
By a majority of two votes a meeting
of local-government electors of Dover decided, on Monday night, in favour of the promotion of a Bill by the corpora lion, seeking power to replace the trams by trolleybuses.
The tramways were established 36 years ago, and it was stated that, to bring them up to date, the cost would be prohibitive. On the other hand, a fleet of trolleybuses could be purchased for £56,900, whilst street works would cost £29,300. This is the less expensive plan.
£50,000 TROLLEYBUS SCHEME.
IR RADFORD Corporation's tramways 'works sub-committee has approved of the replacement of trams by buses on three routes at an estimated cost of over £50,000. • If the city council authorizes the proposal, 22 trolleybuses will be required. The alternative of renewing the tram track on the three routes would, it is estimated, cost £188,000.
BIG CO-ORDINATION SCHEME FOR LONG-DISTANCE SERVICES.
REFERENCE was made at a sitting
of the West Midland Traffic Commissioners, last Monday, to an importa.iit co-ordination scheme between Black and White Motorways, Ltd., Red and White Services, Ltd., Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., and Greyhound Motors, Ltd. The proposal is intended to avoid overlapping, and it is suggested that Cheltenham ,should be made a central " exchange " point, all the services concerned passing through this town.
The scheme was scheduled for consideration by the Metropolitan Commissioner on Wednesday.
CHESTER TO RETAIN TRANSPORT.
CHESTER Chamber of Trade has called the city council's attention to the financial condition of the transport department, and to the fact that it has been necessary to subsidize the undertaking from the rates.
The municipal finance committee has, however, decided that the question of disposing of the system shall not be opened until March, 1935. The Chamber of Trade is to be informed that the transport committee considers it to be in the best interests of the city that the undertaking should be worked by the corporation. RAILWAY NEGOTIATIONS WITH • CORPORATIONS ALLEGED.
ASTATEMENT appeared in a daily
newspaper, a few days ago, to the effect that informal proposals had been made to municipal authorities by the railway companies for the acquisition of their transport undertakings in cases where they competed with the services of bus companies in which the railways have financial interests.
We have been informed by a railway official that there appears to be no foundation to the suggestion, and that, being merely shareholders in bus companies, they. could not carry out such negotiations. . On the municipal side, we are informed that there is no new development, for railway-associated bus companies have for some time made inter-running agreements with municipal authorities, notably at Sheffield.
PROTECTION FOR A " PRIVATE " OPERATOR.
T HE Northern Scotland Traffic Com
missioners have decided that Dunfermline and District Traction Co., Ltd., is entitled to a measure of protection against competitive transport. No season ticket is to be issued by other operators, by means of which a passenger can be both taken up and set down on a route traversed by the Traction Co..
HIGHER WAGES IN LONDON.
IN the New Year, bus drivers and conductors employed by London Transport will be paid higher rates of wages, the former receiving £4 7s. 6d. a week and the latter £4 1s. 6d. a week. These' sums represent increases of 1s. and 2s. respectively over the existing wages. This decision affects about 20,000 men, who will each receive also a bonus of Li 2s. Od. Holidays will be 12 working days.
EASTERN AREA MODIFIED.
A5 from January 1, the Eastern Area
comprise the • administrative' counties of Cambridge, Isle of Ely, Huntingdon, Norfolk, East and West Suffolk, the administrative county v)f Bedford (except the portion south-west of, and including, the road from Dun . stable to Fenny Stratford, also exceptrig the portion• included in the Metro
politan Area), the •administrative county of Essex (except the section in the Metropolitan Area), the administrative county of the Soke of Peterborough (except the portion north-west of, and including, the road from Stamford to Kettering, via Duddington), parts of the administrative county of Holland, and the county boroughs of Great Yarmouth, Ipswich, Norwich and Southend-on-Sea.
JOINT LICENCE-TRANSFER BID.
LAST week we announced that Enter
prise and Silver Dawn Motors, Ltd., Scunthorpe, had applied to the East Midland Traffic Commissioners for the transfer of stage-service licences cf Humber Road Car Services, Ltd. The latest gazette of these Commissioners shows that Messrs. Jarvill and VessEy, Alkborough, Scunthorpe, have also applied for the transfer of certain other of the Humber concern's stage-service licences. The Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus. Co., Ltd., is seeking a stage-service licence of Mr. A. G. Varney and another similar licence granted to Mr. L. Tibbetts and M. A. Gs :Varney.
'LOWESTOFT. TO APPEAL.
THE transport cOmmittee of Lowes
• toft Corporation has decided to appeal against the refusal of the F_astern Traffic Commissioners to grant a licence for a bus service on the route from the Central Station to Yarmouth Road. PUBLIC-HOUSE PARTIES AND CONTRACT CARRIAGES.
THE vexed question of public-house parties in connection with contract, carriage work was raised at Nantwich Petty Sessions, last week. The NorthWestern Traffic Commissioners prosecuted Mr. Culls, licensee of the Bridge Inn, Audlem, and Crosville Motor Services, Ltd., on the charge that they had been concerned with the operation of an express carriage without a licence.
The prosecution contended that the party from the Bridge Inn, which travelled to Southport, could not be regarded as a private party, as it. was composed of members of the general public. It was also submitted that the party did not travel to a special occasion at Southport, although the defence stated that there was an unusual event on that day, in the form of a special concert. The prosecution, however, ascertained that no members of the party actually attended the concert.
For Crosville Motor Services, Ltd,, it was stated that the trip had been run on the date of the concert, with a view to legalizing it. It was contended that the party was essentially of a private nature, being composed of persons who had been regular habitues of the inn for several years.
The magistrates fined Mr. Cullis and the Crosville concern £5.
A CRITICISM ANSWERED.
.RHONDDA Urban District Council has received from the Rhondda Tramways Co., Ltd., a reply to the recent criticism directed at the company for not substituting trolleybuses (instead of motor buses) for trams. The criticism was made by the South Wales Coal Development Council on the ground that the Rhondda, of all places, should use a transport systeth which was beneficial to the coal trade.
The company points out that when it generated electricity by its own steam plant it used 9,645 tons of fuel
annually. This fuel was, however, sediment, and by the abandonment of -the trams not one colliery was put-out of employment The company took its. bulk power from an electricity supply concern, but that undertaking was running so much under load that it required not to use any additional .coal to supply the Rhondda .:concern with power. Furthermore, the new petrol b-upes could • readily be adapted to use oil
-from coal. • SHOULD CORPORATIONS KEEP TO THEIR BOUNDARIES?
ALTHOUGH South Wales local 'authorities have, in the past, been keen in obtaining permission to run bus services beyond their own boundaries, several of the financial reports which have been presented lately would appear to show that these services are the least profitable.
Following reports showing a loss on the joint municipal Cardiff-Merthyr service, and certain losses on long routes from Mynyddislwyn and Bedwellty to Cardiff, it is now reported that Caerphilly Urban District Council is finding its " outside " services, run in conjunction with other councils, the West Mon. Omnibus Board and Cardiff City Council, to be unprofitable.
Councillor A. Hopkins, of Caerphilly Council, speaking to a ratepayers' meeting, said that the estimated losses on the Caerphilly bus servicei in the current financial year, from January -1 to November 11, were £1,336, which would be met from the undertaking's £3,000 reserve fund. He thought the ratepayers should ask the council to terminate its running agreements with Cardiff Corporation and the West Mon. Joint Omnibus Board, as the " out'side " services were run at losses, the Markham route being particularly unprofitable.
BUS SPEEDS TOO HIGH?
IT is understood that the Wflliton (Somerset) Bench is approaching the Western Traffic Commissioners with the suggestion that scheduled speeds for buses in the district are too high. Williton lies on the main road between Bridgwater and Minehead, which itself is by no means a fast one, whilst many of the local services are operated through narrow and twisty lanes. The magistrates have expressed the opinion that the buses in the neighbourhood are being driven too fast. CENTRAL-PLATFORM BUSES FOR PARIS.
THE Paris municipal bus concern, known as the T.C.R.P., recently placed an order for 50 buses of a novel type, and the first batch of these will probably make its appearance towards the end of next month. Incorporating the Renault six-cylinder chassis at present in use, the new vehicles will accommodate a greater number of standing passengers than does the existing type.
Like all Paris buses, the latest model will have a first-class compartment forward, but between this and the second-class portion a central platform is to be arranged, accommodating 14 standing passengers and provided with eight folding seats. The buses are to be operated on services which carry the most intense traffic.
Needless to say, the old rear platform is retained intact. It holds nine vertical bodies, including the conductor.