letters
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We welcome letters for publication on transport topics. Address them to Commercial Motor, Dorset House, Stamford Street, London SE1 9LU
Any advance on 1.9sec passengers?
Having just received the March 3 edition of Commercial Motor, I was most interested in your article dealing with one-man operation at Hull. Indeed, Mr Walter Haigh is to be congratulated on his one-man bus system which is most impressive as I discovered on a brief visit to Hull earlier this year.
You conclude the article by inviting any other urban operators to let you know whether they can beat Hull's boarding times.
I think we can and the following wheelstop, passenger boarding times were taken at random on May 31 at various bus stops All these vehicles are double-deckers fitted with fareboxes on multi-fare city routes on which the exact fare system now applies. In the case of the Fleetline, the Autofare combined farebox and ticket system is in use the same as at Hull and this system is soon to be extended to many more of our doubledeckers including those with vertical engines. E. L REES, Traffic Manager, China Motor Bus Co Ltd, Hong Kong
Pre-VAT quotes
Your editorial report in CM of June 9 in the VAT seminar did not make fully clear the point that I made about the situation facing transport operators who may quote prices prior to the introduction of VAT for work which could commence after its introduction.
The true position is that where prices for work and contracts are negotiated before the introduction of VAT, the price will be held to exclude VAT: if, however, a quotation is made without express mention of VAT before April 1 1973 but is accepted after April 11973, it is probable that it will be held that the contract price is inclusive of VAT. It is, therefore, important for companies to include in quotations made before April 1 1973 some statement as to whether or not the price will include VAT after April 1.
E. H. COWNIE, Economic Adviser, The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Ltd.
Paying for training
After reading ICM June 9) Mr Peter Barton's version of his opinion regarding the RTITB, I can only assume that he is voicing "Barton's" view.
I was at the Coach Operators' Conference in Brighton and I can most emphatically say that Mr Ken Flight's remarks about the RTITB, echoed the opinion of the delegates present.
Maybe "Barton's" and concerns of a like size can afford the absence of employees, but operators of smaller concerns have, to be efficient to survive. This we have all managed to do without the necessity to pay for a commodity we do not require. and I feel that in the conflicting opinions expressed, then those that require the RTITB should pay for it, while those that do not, should not.
R.A. EMENTON, Man. S. M. Ementon, Cran field, Redford.