M.P.T.A. Conference
Page 83
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Planning for Standing?
" ONE of the most interesting papers that we have had" was how one member of the Municipal Passenger Transport Association described a paper that was read at this year's conference at Southsea by Mr. W. J. Evans, general manager of Reading Corporation Transport. It was entitled "Some notes on the operation of single-deck buses" (a brief summary of which was given in The Commercial Motor last week).
A pioneer of one-man single-deck operation for many years, Mr. Evans was able to pass on to the Association his experiences in this field. Lively interest was shown in the subject, no less than 16 speakers participating in the discussion that followed, which lasted well into the second business session of the Conference.
Mr. W. M. Little, Edinburgh Corporation's general manager, complimented Mr. Evans for bringing before the Conference such a topical subject only days after the new box dimension regulations had come into effect. He did not, however, think that 36-ft.-long buses could be operated in the way that present-day larger yehicles are. There was a limit to the number of people that could be handled by a moving conductor, and a limit, too, to the amount of moving about that passengers would accept.
The 1930 Act had put a stop to the carrying of large loads on single-deckers. It was only since then that there had been an emphasis on a seat for everybody. Given the right conditions and allowing passengers to make their own way—not jostling them about—they would accept much more standing.
But this view was not shared by Alderman E. Ball, chairman of Wigan transport committee who, in a fiery speech later on in the proceedings, said that it was-absolutely wrong to plan ahead for standing passengers. " It sounds as if we are offering shoddy goods to get cheapness," he added. It was a retrograde step, when the 20-, 32-, 48and 78-seater stages had been passed, to place the emphasis on fewer seats and more standing capacity for cheapness. They had to have the best class of vehicle with the best class of seating and staff.
Capacity Increase
Mr. Little said that he was convinced that there would be a considerable increase in the capacity of double-deck vehicles. " The 100-passenger doubledecker should be available to us almost at 9nce," he said. This was not an impossible conception even now, within the existing weight restrictions and, in peak hours, more than five or eight standing would be accepted. Such a design would have to be based on a seated conductor (during peak hours), who could lift his ticket machine out of his desk and walk about the bus during the non-peaks.
The Ministry had "turned over a page by increasing vehicle dimensions, stated Mr. Little. There would now have to be some alteration to the 'regulations
on standing passengers on doubledeckers. There might then follow some lifting of the weight restrictions, particularly with regard to axle loading, where there was already a discrepancy between goods and passenger vehicles. "As operators, we do not desire heavier vehicles. The difference in axle loadings might make design easier, he concluded.
Mr. John Rostron, general manager of Grimsby and Cleethorpes, told the conference that he did not think that larger single-deckers were the answer. The present double-deckers were doing their job well at the present time. They had very little height limitation, and so on. He could see a lot of trouble in the 36-ft.long bus in congested towns, particularly on bad corners made worse with parked cars.
His undertaking had experimented with one-man single-deck bus operation on routes that had failing traffic, and they had maintained frequencies by using them. From the passengers' point of view, one single-deck bus every 15 minutes was preferable to a doubledecker every half hour, and this type of vehicle was becoming more acceptable to the public,
Alderman J. H. Whitaker, chairman of Todmorden Transport Committee, congratulated Mr. Evans on his paper which, he considered, made out a powerful and indisputable case for one-man single-deck buses.
The only condition we must insist on is that the passenger pays for his ride." he urged. He was against any attempt to subsidize local operation from national or local funds.
Todmorden had certain unremunerafive routes and the committee had discussed very seriously curtailing some of
them and abandoning others-7d. out of every 10d. received was being spent on wages. One-man buses would not solve the problem, but would help greater frequency on these routes.
Past president Mr. E. R. L. Fitzpavne (general manager of Glasgow) on the other hand, pointed out that people who criticized longer buses were doing a disservice to the Association. He stressed that "We are becoming more and more European" and emphasized that many who had been on the Continent had seen the successful operation of single-decker 36-ft.-long one-man buses, "What we want is a universal vehicle which would do anything—intensive town services, medium length services and country runs."
Paper on Industrial Relations
The discussion which followed Mr. A. Burrows' paper on Industrial Relations tended, not unnaturally, to have a pollheal flavour. (Mr. Burrows is the new general manager of Barrow-in-Furness Corporation Transport Department.)
Councillor C. R. Morris, chairman of Manchester transport committee, drew particular attention to the statement that in any study of human relations it was important to .keep in mind that in most people there was a general underlying unhappiness towards their job and that, given a choice, very few would carry on with the job they were having to do, "Where, does this unhappiness begin?" he asked. "The platform staff; were the managers unhappy, or the supervisors? " He could not agree with Mr. Burrows on this.
An industry was only as good as its employees. He wanted to see the fostering of more personal contact between the management and the employees. Ile hoped that the Association would do some research in regard to training managers in industrial relations.
Councillor W. L. Williams, of St. Helens, said that the answer fay in a common-sense approach. He did not think that leadership as such could solve industrial problems. "We are at the bottom of the ladder in this industry. We should feel ashamed of the wages we pay. Good management is one way of paying wages and we should raise the standard," he emphasized.
Mr. Fitzpayne attacked Mr. Burrows for not comparing the Continental methods of industrial relations with the British methods. "Mr. Burrows should have been able to tell us where these undertakings in Europe are better than ours and where we are lacking. I suggest one thing lacking in our industry is discipline with smartness, courtesy and efficiency."