Strikes Paralyse Transport in Many Districts A "Wwave of unrest has
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spread over certain sections of the road passenger transport industry. To the -surprise of the companies and the public, drivers and conductors employed by Maidstone and District Motor Services, Ltd., and the Chatham Traction Co. took strike action
on April 14. The stoppage covered Maidstone, Chatham, Gillingham, Gravesend, Hastings, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Sittingbourne and other areas.
The men refused to accept the Transport and General Workers Union's recommendation to return to work, so that negotiations could he opened with the companies. The Maidstone concern stated that the workers had infringed their service agreement and bad violated an agreement between the company and the union.
The claims of the employees are as follow :—An increase of 2d, per• hour in wages for all grades. Increased running time on all services. Overtime payment at the rate of time and a quarter for all hours worked over eight hours, each day standing on its own ; time-and-a-quarter on Sundays, and time-and-a-half for all work over eight hours on Sundays. Holidays to be spread over the whole year. Casual men to be placed on the permanent staff after 12 months' service. Wages grading to be abolished. No victimiza B20 lion in consequence of demonstration.
Some 2,000 men were -concerned in the demonstration, which continued this week. Despite the union's warning, the men, at a conference with the union representatives, last Friday, declared • their determination to continue the strike until their demands were conceded.
Last Monday, many drivers and conductors at the Grays and Chelmsford garages of, the Eastern National Omnibus Co., Ltd., stopped work in sympathy with the Kent workers. On Tuesday, the strike spread to Luton, Hitchin and Aylesbury.
A crisis is developing in London as a result of the deadlock reached between London Transport and the T.G.W.I.J. on the question of a 7f-hour
day. As already reported in The Commercial Motor, the Board pleads its inability to meet the request, and both sides are now considering the situation that has developed.
The union's notice terminating the present agreement on service conditions will expire at the end of the month.' The next step is awaited with keen interest.
Drivers and conductors at the Dudley garage of the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., are demanding improved conditions, They asked for new schedules to be posted in the garage not later than S p.m. yesterday. If that request has not been met, or if the sehedules be considered unsatisfactory, a meeting to be held at midnight to-night (Friday) may call an immediate strike.
A lightning strike also occurred in the Swansea area on Monday morning, when some 100 employees of the Bassett-Enterprise organization ceased work as a protest against a new ticket system. Negotiations on the matter at once commenced.
The latest news of the Scottish dispute is. that a meeting was to be held in Edinburgh, yesterday, between the negotiating committee of delegates, the union officials and representatives of the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd., and associated companies. To-day, a delegate conference will consider the outcome of yesterday's deliberations.
A move to prevent work on Coronation Day by Wellingborough employees of the United Counties Omnibus Co., Ltd., failed last Sunday, when the men agreed to accept the company's offer of a bonus of 10s. per man.
RIBBLE'S FINE SAFETY RECORD
STRIKING tributes were paid to the care exercised by the drivers of Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., at the dinner preceding the company's Coronation Ball, at Blackpool, last week.
Major H. E. Hickmott, managing director, presided over a company of about 200 people, which included officials of the Ribble and associated companies, chief officials of the main passenger-transport companies in the north-west, private operators, mayors, mayoresses and chief constables from many boroughs in the Ribble area, railway representatives and others concerned with road operation, By April 17, the Ribbleservices would have carried 700,000,000 passengers since opening up in June, 1919, said Major Hickmott. Of all that number, only three had been fatally injured through accidents to vehicles, Such a record was a testimony to the care of the drivers, and one of them was to receive a " Safety First gold medal in recognition of 10 years' absolute freedom from mishap. Silver medals for five years' freedom from accidents were to be received by 45 drivers, and, in addition, nearly 700 other awards were to be distributed.
There was need for a complete revision in the old standard of road design, contended Sir George Etherton, 0.B.E., D.L., who said that records showed that, whilst 120-vehicles a day used the Blackpool-Preston road in 1904, in 1935 there were 16,000, of which 1,400 were passenger-transport motors.; Where existing roads were incapable Of drastic improvement, the only efficient solution was to segregate motor traffic on new highways.
Reference to the benefits brought by the Ribble services in welding the country with the town were made by the High Sheriff of Lancashire, Mr. W. J. Garnett, C.C., J.P.
"RED AND WHITE" INTERESTS EXTENDED.
I T is understood that Red and White Servicesi Ltd., Chepstow, has now taken over the services of Blue Bird Omnibus Co.. Ltd., Skewen and Neath. The services will retain their previous name and will have headquarters at Skewen.
Mr. Valder Jones, one of the proprietors of the Blue Bird concern, has been appointed managing director of the undertaking under its new ownership.
TYNESIDE REPORT DISAPPOINTING "
DISAPPOINTMENT in the report of the Royal Commission on Local Government in the Tyneside Area was expressed by Mr. R. J. Howley, C.B.E. chairman of the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., at the company's general meeting in London last week.
He described the Commission's examination of -passenger-transport facilities in the area as "somewhat cursory." The Commission had, he added, recommended an inquiry by the Minister of Transport into the establishment of a passenger transport board. The Northern General concern provides most of the road services in the area covered by the Commission's report.
There was, Mr. Howley maintained, probably less wastage in this area than in many other parts of the country. and any duplication which existed was rapidly being eliminated by the Traffic Commissioners.
The Commission made a point of the necessity of connecting up the bus stations in Newcastle. This matter would be discussed, said Mr. Howley, with representatives of Newcastle City Council and the chairman of the Northern Traffic Commissioners.
MORE SUNBEAM TROLLEYBUSES FOR SOUTH AFRICA.
INTRODUCED last September, the 1Sunbeam-B.T.H. double-deck trolleybuses operating in Johannesburg have proved so satisfactory that the corporation has decided to extend the service, and has placed an order for a further eight chassis of similar type. As previously, the 60-seater metal bodies will be . built by Metropolitan-CamrnellWevmann Motor Bodies, Ltd.
MERSEY TUNNEL APPEALS FAIL
APPEALS by Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., and Crosville Motor Services, Ltd., against the North-Western Traffic Commissioners' refusal to grant licences for a joint service between Southport and Chester, via the Mersey Tunnel, have failed.
In announcing his decision, the Minister of Transport comments that the Mersey Tunnel has now been open for nearly four years and that a special co-ordination committee, appointed by the local authorities concerned to inquire into the co-ordination of Merseyside services, has been sitting for some time.
He notes the emphasis attached by the Commissioners to the fact that any far-reaching scheme of transport coordination must take time to prepare The weight to be attached by the Commissioners to this fact in the future must depend upon the prospect of a definite conclusion to the committee's deliberations within a reasonable time.
For the present, however, the Minister accepts the view that, on the merits of the case and in all the circumstances, the grant of a licence has not been justified.
NEW W.W.O.C. DEAL REPORTED. MEGOTIATIONS, reports our South .UN Wales correspondent, are in progress between the Western Welsh Omnibus Co., Ltd., and the proprietors of Vale Services, Ltd., Bridgend (Glam.), for the acquisition by the W.W.O.C. of the latter company's bus services.
Vale Services, Ltd., operates between Bridgend and Llantwit Major, St. Bride's, Southerndown, and Ogmore-on-Sea. The company is the sole remaining competitor to the W.W.O.C. on these Vale of Glamorgan routes. The deal is stated to have been practically concluded.
BUSES MADE FROM SCRAP.
IT was revealed at Neath Police Court I that much material sold by large bus companies as scrap is used for making buses to convey colliers to and from work, and in inaccessible places, in the Rhondda Valley.
BIRMINGHAM-CLACTON SERVICE FOR CAMBRIDGE CO.
SUBJECT to the transfer of licences, The Commercial Motor is informed, Premier Travel, Ltd., 15, Market Bill, Cambridge, has arranged to take over the Birmingham Cambridge -Clacton service previously operated by Messrs. Webber Bros. (Empire's Best Coaches). Premier Travel, Ltd., proposes to operate the service with new wirelessequipped coaches, and is not taking over vehicles from Messrs. Webber Bros.
This service will add considerably to the Premier concern's long-distance interests in the Cambridge district and will provide a new entry into the Midlands. Messrs. Webber Bros.' LondonClacton service is in no way affected by the transfer.
SMALL OWNERS "BLUDGEONED " ?
" VIE small operator is being
bludgeoned from the place he occupied long before road motor traffic came in," said a solicitor before the Northern Scotland Traffic Commissioners, in Aberdeen, on Monday, when the hearing was resumed of the application of David 11/lacErayne, Ltd., for 12 excursions and tours from Fort William.
Objection was taken to four of the tours by Messrs. A. and J. MacPherson. Fort William, on the ground that they covered the same territory.
Tb3 view that the figures quoted in support of the application were unreal and inaccurate was put forward by Mr. J. R. Hamilton, for the objectors. The figures, he said, covered the whole of 11IacBrayne's land service, .and not the particular tours from Gordon Square. The larger percentage of that company's business, he added, was carried on from the Highland Hotel, and yet the concern Wanted to , start from Gordon Square as well. " This," he said, "is the case of a powerful concern, subsidized by Governinent money, which wishes to have the whole traffic to itself."
Mr. J. Mitchell, for the applicant, said that MacBrayne's wished only to retain what it already had. The company had a right to start from Gordon Square, and did not receive a subsidy so far as its road services were concerned.
Decision was reserved.