Private Parties : Operators Put Up New Definition
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QECTION 61 (2) of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, and Section 25 (1) of the Road Traffic Act, 1934, should be repealed and replaced by a new definition of contract carriages, according to the Road Passenger and Transport Association. This suggestion was contained in the Association's reply to the Minister of Transport's recent memorandum on private-party work.
The new section should according to the Association, include these provisions:—
"A vehicle shall not require a road service licence if the journey for which it is being used is for the conveyance of a private party, even though the persons comprising the party have made separate payments for being so conveyed. Provided that the separate payments are made only by persons all of whom work on the same premises or persons all of whom work for the same firm or members of a society which shall not have been formed solely or mainly for the purpose of arranging or making this journey or a series of journeys and that all the following conditions are satisfied."
After subparagraphs a to g of Section 25 (1) of the 1934 Act, which would be retained, the following should be added:— " For the purposes of this enactment the expression 'society ' includes a club, institution, organization or other association of persons by whatever name called, and each local affiliated branch or section of a society shall be regarded as a separate and distinct society."
To order to enforce this the Minister should include in the existing regulations relating to the keeping of records of private parties, provisions to ensure that: "(1) In the case of private parties consisting of persons all of whom work on the same premises. the address of the said premises and the status of the organizer in relation thereto.
"(ii) In the case of private parties consisting of persons all of whom work for the same firm the name of that firm and the position of the organizer in relation to that firm.
"(iii) In the case of private parties consisting of the members of a society. the name of that society and the position of the organizer in that society."
PAY OFFER REJECTED
UNIONS representing 40.000 workers in the vehicle building industry have declined an offer of a id. an hour increase made by the employers. They have also rejected the employers' offer. if the claim for a substantial increase in pay went to arbitration, to accept the result.
These decisions were made at a joint meeting of the National Joint Wages Board and representatives of the unions at the Ministry of Labour. in London. last week. See The Commercial Motor, April 9.
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NEW MEMORANDUM ON THESIGER REPORT AA S well as the memorandum on proposals regarding contract carriages, referred to in The Commercial Motor, on April 2, a further memorandum indicating the Minister of Transport's preliminary views on other recommendations of the Thesiger Committee, will be circulated shortly.
Mr. H. Molson, Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, gave this information to Lt.-Colonel Bromley-Davenport last week. The date of the introduction to the recommendations, as finally adopted, must depend on whether they required administrative action, regulation or legislation, Mr. Molson added.
MORE BODY SPACE IN SEDDON • 25-CWT.
A LTERATIONS to the Seddon pro
totype 25-cwt. van, which was announced at the Scottish Motor Show in 1953, have added to its payload capacity. The wheelbase has been increased to 9 ft. 6 in. to permit a body of 300-cu.-ft. capacity to be fitted on the normal-control chassis.
The Seddon employs the Perkins P-3 engine, set to give 34 b.h.p. at 2,200 r.p.m., and has a four-speed constantmesh gearbox. A two-piece propeller shaft is employed now that the wheelbase is increased. The rear axle is a semi-floating drive unit with hypoid gears.
The standard van body, 9 ft. 3i in. long, 5 ft. 7 in. wide and 5 ft. 6t in. high, provides 280 cu. ft. capacity and there is an additional 24 cu. ft. of space available when the passenger seat is not fitted.
This model is available also with steel pick-up, flat platform and utility bodies, or as a 13-15-seat bus, ALL LEVY YIELD NEEDED I T was likely that the 0,475,000 yielded by the levy in the first quarter of the year would all be required, said Mr. H. Molson, Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, in the House of Commons last week.
Mr. Ernest Davies said that it was unfair that about Lim. vehicles were being taxed to meet a loss on the sale of 3,000. Mr. Molson said: " We are entirely satisfied with the way in which the levy is going at the present time."
Earlier he had said that Government departments were expected to contribute £100,000 to the levy this year.
Dodge 7-ton Tipper
A N II-ft. 9-in.-wheelbase chassis for a 6-cu.-yd. tipping body has been added to the Dodge 7-ton range of
vehicles. It is equipped for a gross weight of 11 tons 3 cwt. and is available with a standard body and Edbro tipping gear.
In common with the Dodge heavyduty range, the short wheelbase chassis has the Perkins 5.56-litre oil engine, which develops 108 b.h.p. at 2,700 r.p.m., mounted as a unit with the fivespeed direct-drive-top gearbox and 13-in.-diameter clutch. There are two power-take-off openings to the gearbox.
A divided propeller shaft, supported by a centre bearing, is used in the transmission to the hypoid-drive axle. A two-speed axle is optional. Apart from a downsweep at the front to accommodate the cab mountings, the frame is level on the top flange, but varied in depth according to the stress load. En addition, reinforcement is provided by L-section flitch plates between the front and rear spring brackets.
The front bumper is attached directly to. the chassis frame. The standard tyre equipment is 9.00-20-in. I2-ply.
STAGGERED HOURS: OFFICIAL STATEMENT
THE Government are considering what steps should be taken to stagger hours of work around peak periods. This information was given by Mr. H. Matson, Joint Parliamentar Secretary to the Ministry of Transport. when the House of Commons last week discussed London traffic conditions. An early statement is likely.
Mr. Ernest Davies suggested that new electric railways be constructed and more money spent on the roads Private cars might, he thought. have to be banned from entering London.
TRADERS' RIGHT " ERODED " " ROSION " of the right of traders
LA to have access to their own premises for the delivery of goods was referred to by Mr. R. E. G. Brown. secretary of the London and Home Counties Division of the Traders' Road Transport Association, when he addressed the Kent Area last week.
He referred to the Oxford Corporation Bill, under which Oxford would have powers to ban traffic from stopping at certain hours, to unilateral parking schemes in London. and to the prohibition of parking within 45 ft. of the approach to a zebra crossing.
No Cheap Fares for Old People
DROPOSALS by Newcastle-upon
Tyne City Council to introduce concessionary fares for old-age pensioners at an annual cost of about £15,000 have been rejected by the Northern Licensing Authority, Mr. J. A. T. Hanlon.
Mr. Hanlon said the council were to put aside £1,000 a year towards the cost, but he was not concerned whether they had authority to pay for the concession in full. His concern was with the effect on the travelling public. Evidence had been given that a deficit was expected by the transport department this year.
Replying to a suggestion that concessionary fares be reintroduced by Glasgow Transport Department for old people and others in off-peak periods, Cllr. R. McAllister, convenor of the transport committee, told Glasgow Corporation last week that deficits accumulated between 1948 and 1952 had still to be met out of any surplus shown by the department.
" MODEST " FARES INCREASE • GRANTED
G_RANTING an application by Southdown Motor Services, Ltd., for a general increase of ad, on 3ad. and zlad, tingle fares and Id. on 4d. to 11d. irdinary returns and workmen's day -eturns, the South Eastern Licensing kuthority, Mr. H. J. Thom, said on Tuesday that the application was modest .nd the suggested increases were not inreasonable.
For the company, Mr. S. D. Hering on said costs had risen since 1939 by 0.94d. per car-mile, representing 1,523.000, without taking into account epreciation. Of that, £500,000 had een borne by the travelling public. he remainder had been saved by realer use of vehicles and by constantly 'creasing the efficiency of the services. The 7s, a week wage increase would list the company £80,000 a year, where, the application would yield only i2,000. Mr. Lloyd Eley, opposing the application on behalf of the Labour Party, said the company's net profits from 1947 to 1952 amounted to about fl am.. which was appropriated to reserve after payment of tax.
Mr. A. F. R. Carling, the company's general manager, said that more than 200 over-age buses must be replaced during the next two or three years, and that, at present prices, would cost nearly £900,000.
"Thank heavens the company has £11 m. put aside towards meeting such costs as the replacement of vehicles, otherwise we should be asking for a vastly greater sum out of the pockets of the public," said Mr. Herington.
Mr. Thom said the company had had the prudence to plough their surplus revenue back into the business for the benefit of the travelling public.
DRIVERS GIVEN ULTIMATA
"A COMPLETE misunderstanding" was how the issue of ultimata to drivers of Welford Gravels, Ltd., Goldington Bury, Bedford, was explained this week.
The drivers received a form from their employers on which they were given the choice of either quitting the trade union or resigning their employment. A statement made later by the union and confirmed by the company said that the forms had been withdrawn.
Slight Drop in February Exports DURING February, 10,732 commercial vehicles valued at £6,116,899 were exported, a drop on the figures for January, both in volume and value. The average weekly output during February was 5,082 units, the total production for the month being 20,328, of which 10,424 were for export and 9.904 for the home market.
Goods vehicles, road haulage tractors and special types numbered 19,476, of which 10,980 were under 15 cwt, carrying capacity, 6,936 from 15 cwt. to 6 tons and 1,560 over 6 tons. In the same period 770 passenger vehicles were produced, 658 being single-deck and 107 double-deck motorbuses and five trolleybuses. Eighty-two battery-electric vehicles were also built during the month..
The figures given for exports do not include dumpers and industrial trucks but, as shown in the table, their value is included. Exports for the month were boosted by 175 used commercial vehicles (184,073), 7,622 tractors (£3,189,532) and parts and accessories to the value of £6.433.389.
PROPOSALS A " BOOMERANG "
PROPOSALS to increase fares on the corporation's buses were referred back at a meeting of Swindon Council when they were described as a 'boomerang " which would result in fewer passengers and reduced receipts. The proposals were designed to produce an additional £15,600 a year.
Council members objected to increasing fares to the extent not only of meeting the estimated deficit of £11,000 but also to secure a surplus of £4,600.
The general manager of the Potteries Motor Traction Co., Ltd., Mr. C. W. Wroth, has said that an application for higher fares is " very probable" consequent on the Budget news that there would be no relief in fuel tax.
M.P.T.A. CONFERENCE
T HERE will be an extra day's I business at this year's conference of the Municipal Passenger Transport Association, which will be held at Southend-on-Sea from September 7-10. Business meetings will take place during the mornings of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.