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New Bus Garage Replaces Three

25th April 1958, Page 37
25th April 1958
Page 37
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Page 37, 25th April 1958 — New Bus Garage Replaces Three
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

REPLACING three garages which previously housed and serviced buses of Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., and W. C. Standerwick, Ltd., a • new 120-yehiele garage has been opened at Burnley,

Lancs. . • It covers an area of about 6,500 sq. yd., and is approached by a temporary road from the existing bus station• at the Cattle :Market. It will eventually. be served . an inner ring road, which,' under Burnley's towns-planning scheme, will pass •in. front of the premises. • The building has two hays, of 112 ft. 'span, one 175 ft. deep and the other 245 ft. deep. There is room for a future bay of the same span and 175 ft depth. Vehicles enter the garage through -a fuelling bay with four 5,000-gal. overhead tanks; two buses can be supplied simultaneously by gravity through Brodie-Kent flow meters and automatic shut-off nozzles.

Next to the fuelling • bay there is a Dawson automatic washer, which can be by-passed. The garage provides seven inspection pits and a body-repair section, totally enclosed from the normal garaging space. On spare ground adjoining the depot there is a ramp with 5-ft, clearance for chassis cleaning by Steam Jenny,

The worishoP area, built on the same level as the inspection-Pit floOrs, includes Mechanics' shop; electricians' room, parts cleaning bay and general stores. Heating is by Salters Volex hot-ait System, fed from oil-fired furnaces heating metalalloy tubes.

The building incorporates an office block, accommodating the district traffic superintendent and his staff, conductors' paying-in office, area and depot engineers', and toilet and danteen 'facilities.

DELAY IN BENEFTT OF NEW ROADS " IF the present road programme were today doubled or trebled, it would still be 1961 or -1962 before the effect was noticeable in the form of new highways. It is the time before construction starts that Ought to cause alarm," states "Now 'Is The Time," a leaflet published by the British Road Federation.

Traffic and congestion were growing more quickly than the relief which road modernization under the present programme was bringing, especially in cities. The leaflet emphasizes that greater urgency should be given to preparatory work involved in providing new highways for the country.

OBITUARY

WE regret to record the deaths of MR. HENRY Escorr and Mn. ROLAND GEORGE FEBRY.

Mr. Escott, who was 77, was managing director of Escott and Co. (Brixton), Ltd., Comrner dealers, which he founded with his brother over 40 years ago.

Mr. Febry was a member of the Chipping Sodbury haulage firm, Messrs. R. and W. Febry, and was killed while. driving one of their lorries._ He was 21.

Lep Commended on Presentation of Case

WHEN Lep Transport, Ltd., Goole, VY applied to Mr. I. H. E. Randolph, Yorkshire Deputy Licensing Authority, at, Sheffield last: week, to rtin a 30-cwt. van under B licence, he commented on the amount :of :care that the company had exercised. to present schedules in support of an unoppOsed application.

The vehicle was required for collection and delivery work from Sheffield, so that trunk vehicles could, be freed. Mr.. H. Johnson, Sheffield manager of .Lep, said that. he could not find sub-contractors willing to carry 'small lots at 24 hours' notice to catch ships at Goole or Hull.

Some urgent air freight was extremely valuable. Often small parcels valued at over £1,000 were received, and the company were once given a parcel of platinum worth £10,000. Such goods had to be carriedin a Van.

The application Was granted.

TMORE 'R.11.A. ELECTIONS HE following elections in the Northern Area of the Road Haulage Association have been announced:—

• The following elections were made last week in the Devon and Cornwall Area of the R.H.A.

Devon and Cornwall Area: Ara. chairman, Mr, J. R. F. Bradford; vice-chairmen, Mr. D. 0. Good, Mr, W. E. Blarchtord and Mr. C. S.' L. Burloigh:

Plymouth Sub-area: Chairman, Mr. F. H. Pedrick; vice-chairman, Mr. W. Burgoyne.

T.R.T.A. Campaign to Speed Unloading

TRADE associations are to be invited I by the London and Home Counties Division of the Traders' Road Transport Association to take part in a "Speed the van from the kerb" campaign.. The object will be to, help traders by ensuring quick unloading.

Mn. S. J. Lamborn, outgoing chairman of the' Division, said at the annual meeting last week that details of the campaign had to be Worked out,

He was confident that the result of the ,official traffic census would clearly indicate 'that those who operated their own vehicles used them efficiently and economically. Referring to remarks made by Sir Brian Robertson, chairman of the British Transport Commission (The Commercial Motor last week), Mr. Lamborn 'said:—

"He' has almost suggesfed that Clicensees are running their vehicles on an uneconomic basis. The only thing I can say to Sir 'Brian is: 'Let him go into the industry and learn the_ true state of affairs.' C-licence vehicles are used more efficiently and economically than some misguided people would have us believe."

• Numbers of'vehicles were constructed so that they could not carry return loads. These -included tankers and other bulkload carriers, together with vehicles equipped for the conveyance of goods such as clothes, milk and groceries. .

Mr. S. C.Bond, national president of the T.R.TA., told the meeting that the Association were prepared to join issue With any political party or anyone else who might try to restrict C-licensees.

T.R.T.A. ELECT OFFICERS MHE following elections have been made in three divisions of the Traders' Road Transpiart .Association:—

Third Application for B Licence Succeeds

WHEN Mr. K. R. Longfield, The Corn VT Market, Pontefract, applied to carry various goods on a vehicle of I ton unladen weight, he told the Yorkshire Deputy Licensing Authority at Leeds, last week, that it was his third attempt to obtain a B licence. In October, 1956, he was granted a licence limited to two customers, which it was not worth his while to take up, and a second application last November had been refused.

After he had called three customer witnesses, Mr. T. B. Atkinson, for British Railways, submitted that there was evidence of only a local need and asked Mr. J. H. A. Randolph, the Deputy Licensing Authority, to endorse the licence to exclude household removals. Pickfords had objected to the two earlier applications, but had overlooked this one. Their interests should be safeguarded.

For the applicant, it was stated that Pickfords were not entitled to protection and that their objections to a vehicle of 1-ton capacity were difficult to understand. The only private objector, a local furniture remover, had been too busy to attend to give evidence.

Mr. Randolph granted a 15-mile radius and excluded household removals.

357 DAYS' WORK LOST BETWEEN May, 1957, and March, 1958, 357 vehicle-days were lost and 19 applications were made for substitution under Regulation 15, because of accidents and breakdowns, Mr. J. R. Dunn, managing director of Hull and Glasgow Road Carriers, Ltd., told the Yorkshire Deputy Licensing Authority, Mr. J. H. A: Randolph, at Bridlington, on Tuesday. The company were allowed to add a vehicle of 3 tons to their A licence.

Mr. R. E. Paterson, for the applicants, said they had 11 vehicles licensed in the Yorkshire Area and one in Scotland, all engaged on trunk work between Hull and Glasgow. The object was to obtain a spare vehicle for replacements, and an undertaking would be given that it would be used only for emergencies in connection with the trunk work.

111,050 GARAGE DAMAGES A GREED damages of £11,050 have r-k been awarded at Londonderry Quarter Sessions to the Ulster Transport Authority in their claim for their Dungiven garage which was burnt down by I.R.A. terrorists in March last year. The Authority originally claimed £36,000.

"THINK MORE ON DESIGN"

TRANSPORT managers should give more thought to vehicle design and efficiency " rather than leave this entirely in the hands of the manufacturers," said Mr. T. J. D. Morris, chairman of the Institute of Traffic Administration, at the East Midlands centre in Nottingham last week. He thought that more responsibility should be vested in transport managers.

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Coach Trip to India in August

1—k A COACH trip from Leamington to Delhi is proposed to be run in August by Mr. F. K. Chamberlain, proprietor of the West End Garage, Regent Street. Leamington.

A 41-seater is being converted to carry about 30 passengers, and is being equipped with refrigerators, water tanks. cooling fans, electric shavers and other special appliances. The trip is being run as a private party, organized by Mr. K. M. Lal, 14 High Street, Leamington Spa, who has plotted the route and has arranged a 4,000-mi1e tour while in India. The outward journey will be through Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Syria, Iran and Pakistan. The return trip will be via Italy. Germany and France.

The project had the full backing of the Government of India Tourist Office, Mr. Chamberlain told The Commercial Motor on Tuesday. He and one of his drivers, Mr. J. Cambray, will drive the Commer TS3 coach with Duple body.

TRADERS SEEK SIMPLER RULES ON RECORDS

I—I. A RESOLUTION urging the Minister of Transport to simplify regulations concerning the keeping of drivers' records in respect of vehicles weighing up to 30 cwt. unladen was carried at the annual conference of the National Chamber of Trade, at Bournemouth, on Tuesday.

Mr. D. S. MacLachlan, proposing the motion, said that the Chamber had tried several times to have the necessity of keeping records removed, but the Minister was unwilling to introduce the necessary legislation.

Mr. T. Veitch, seconding, stated that by seeking simplification of the regulations, rather than their abolition, the leaders of the Chamber might be given a fresh line of approach.

"Miners Prefer Zephyrs —Not Coaches"

WHEN Messrs. R. Wetton and Son. Brinnington, near Chesterfield, applied to the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners last week to run extra excursions, largely for the benefit of people living on a new National Coal Board estate at Brinnington, Mr. T. B. Atkinson, for the railways, said that the demand for them had been exaggerated. Yorkshire miners now preferred Zephyrs and Consuls to public transport.

The railways objected to the applicants seeking to run to Bridlington, Skegness and Southport, and to alter the timing of their Blackpool service at Christmas.

Mr. J. Evans, for Wetton, said that his clients were the only coach operators inBrinnington. The estate had developed within two miles of their garage. The nearest other road operator was at Chesterfield, three miles away. He could not understand the railways' objection, as their stations were between a mile and 2.3 miles away, and no special facilities for Brinnington were afforded.

Maj. F. S. Eastwood, chairman, said that a decision would be reserved, but any grant would be limited to a year.

NEW CONTAINER SHIP FOR IRISH TRAFFIC THE new motor vessel "Container Enterprise made her maiden voya.ge on Monday from Heysham to Belfast with railway containers, following proving trials as reported in The Commercial Motor last week.

It is the first of two ships, exclusively for container traffic, ordered by London Midland Region of British Railways for the Northern Ireland service. It has a capacity for at least 65 containers. Sliding hatches permit direct loading into the holds.

The number of railway containers transported between Heysham and Belfast has increased from 17,243 in 1953 to 25.225 in 1957.

Eight-wheeler Appeal Lost : Tribunal's Regrets

THE Transport Tribunal in London,

last week, dismissed an appeal by Arthur Sanderson (Great Broughton), Ltd., South End, Great Broughton, Middlesbrough, against the Northern Licensing Authority's refusal to allow them to replace a 3i-ton vehicle by one of 7 tons unladen on an A licence. They wished to use it mainly on a trunk service between the north-east coast and South Wales.

Mr. T. H. Campbell Wardlaw, for the appellants, said there would be no change in the nature of the work, but only in the weight of the vehicle. it would enable them to carry a greater tonnage more satisfactorily. An eight-wheeler was much better for trunk work than a lighter vehicle.

Mr. J. L. R. Croft, for the British Transport Commission, the respondents, said there was no evidence that any of the appellants'. customers had complained that their work could not be done unless the application were granted.

The Tribunal dismissed the appeal with hesitation and some regret." There was not sufficient evidence of need for the extra carrying capacity.

TRIBUNAL HEAR CASE IN APPELLANT'S ABSENCE

HAVE the Transport Tribunal power to hear an appeal when the appellant does not attend the court and is not represented? They had to consider this question in London, last week, and the president, Mr. Hubert Hull, said that, if necessary, they would create the jurisdiction to enable them to do so.

They dismissed an appeal by MI. C. U. Costelia, 27 Kingsley Avenue, Biddicic Hall Estate, South Shields, against the Northern Licensing Authority's refusal of a B licence.

He said that he could not afford to be present or to be represented, but in letters to the Tribunal he described the objectors—Hann and Newby, Ltd., 7 Charlotte" Terrace, South Shields, and J. W. Hodge (Transport), Ltd., 14-15 Commercial Road, South Shields, as "very large firths who are objecting against a little man trying to make good."

Mr. Hull said the application was refused on the grounds that Mr. Costella had not produced evidence of need and had been operating illegally. The Tribunal agreed with the Licensing Authority.

'TRANSPORT SHOW IN STOCKHOLM

SWEDEN is to stage a transport show at St. Eriksmassan, Stockholm, from May 2-11. On May. 8 there will be a special conference on road transport, whilst on the previous daY leading men on the railways will have their say.

Road transport interests in Sweden hope that there will be some visitors from Britain. Mr. Sten Mellgren, editor of Last Bilen, Vasagatan 5, Stockholm, would welcome members of the Institute of Road Transport Engineers who wish to attend the show.

N.G.T. Lose 6 Per Cent. of Passengers

LAST July's bus strike was followed by L., a 6 per cent, drop in the number of passengers carried by the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., Mr. W. T. James, chairman, told the shareholders last Friday. He foresaw in personal transport the greatest long-term threat to the prosperity of the bus industry.

Thirty-eight per cent. of the services, or 27 per cent, of the total mileage operated, were run 'below average cost. A heartening aspect was that increased tour business helped to subsidize the stage services.

During the year, Northern General added 65 new vehicles, at a cost of £286,000, to their fleet of 1,000. They comprised 23 double-deckers, 28 singledeck buses and 14 coaches.

HAULIER COULD NOT HAVE BOTH BUN AND PENNY

WHEN Mr. G. R. Barker, Green Honse, Knottingley, applied to Mr. J. H. A. Randolph, Yorkshire Deputy Licensing Authority, last week, to replace a special-A-licence vehicle of 6itons by two vehicles of 41 tons each, he was told that he could not have his bun and his penny, too. There was sufficient evidence for only one of the two vehicles. Mr. Barker withdrew his application.

In evidence, the applicant said that he worked for two glass-bottle manufacturers and a farmer. The vehicle was now 20 years old and had cost him £1.200 in repairs. His customers frequently gave him a 7--ton load for the vehicle, which could carry 12 tons.

Mr. T. B. Atkinson, objecting for British Road Services and British Railways, said that B.R.S. were extremely concerned because they received £70,000worth of traffic in 12 months from the two manufacturers without complaint. They were not prepared to allow the applicant to gain a further four tons carrying capacity without witnesses from the manufacturers concerned.

"Too Many Enjoy Free Benefits "-T.R.T.A. Chief

'TOO many C-licensees are enjoying the I benefit of the work of the Traders' Road Transport Association without paying for it, says Mr. F. E. Hilton, chairman of the Yorkshire/Hull and East Riding Division, in his annual report. He appeals to all ancillary users to. join the Association.

Mr. E. J, Chamberlain, chairman of the Yorkshire (West Riding) Division, says in his annual report that liaison with other organizations is extremely useful. because a trade association, although in close contact with its own particular problems, can lose touch with the general transport picture.

Without minimizing the importance of co-operation, he emphasizemhe need for the T.R.T.A. to be prepared to act alone, if necessary. The division had taken action on such matters as inadequate methods of clearing snow, road improvements and charges that vehicles had caused unnecessary obstruction.

A member at Harrogate had reported that a driver had been " booked" by the police for causing unnecessary obstruction when loading outside his own premises. The Association contacted the police immediately and received an assurance that the matter would be treated as an officer's "excess of zeal."

NEW POINT FOR IRISH PASSENGERS?

THE North Western Traffic Com missioners reserved decision, at Manchester, last week, on appliCations by Florence Motors, Ltd., Oldham, to add a picking-up point at Heysham Harbour to all their tours from Manchester and Morecambe, for patrons resident in Ireland. James -Smith and Co. (Wigan), Ltd., and Morecambe Motors (Silver Grey), Ltd., objected.

Mr. R. R. Renton, managing director of Florence Motors, in evidence, said that it was desirable that all passengers arriving on the Heysham steamers should be collected in one coach.

Mr. H. Backhouse. for the objectors, submitted that the suggested routes were unsuitable. There was insufficient demand for the Manchester tours, and the Morecambe application was structurally wrong. No case had been made out for such an addition.

Mr. T. Moss, for Florence Motors, said the objectors had no operating rights in the area, and were not licensed for similar tours in Morecambe and Heysham. The routes chosen were appropriate and the application was reasonable.

TWO TYRE RATES DOWN /‘ LTHOUGH the Chesterfield and 1-A Morecambe and Heysham municipal undertakings are to pay their tyre contractors less this year, Southport's rate of 0.72d. per vehicle-mile, paid to the Goodyear concern, is unchanged. Goodyear have cut the charge made to Chesterfield by 0.042d. per vehicle-mile. Morecambe and Heysham will save about £175 a year, as their suppliers are quoting 0.038d. per vehicle-mile less. B5

Illegal Caravan Towing: Business Lost

rARAVAN sites and camps were

rapidly increasing on Anglesea and during the past 18 months Mr. W. J. Davies, a Holyhead haulier, had received frequent inquiries for towing on the island and to and from Lancashire, the Midlands and Bristol.

Mr. J. R. Lindsay, North Western Deputy Licensing Authority, was told this at Caernarvon last week when Mr. Davies applied to add a condition to a B licence to tow caravans within 200 miles.

British Railways, Lloyd's Caravans, Rhyl, and Hoyland and Stanley, Chester, objected. Questioned by Mr. J. Edward Jones for Lloyd's Caravans, Mr. Davies agreed that he had never done this work before. He* had six vehicles, one on special-A, one on contract-A, one on B and three on C licences, and it was proposed to use the B-licence vehicle, a Bedford 6-tonner, for towing.

Mr. T. D. Hughes, a Holyhead garage manager, said his firm stored caravans in winter. The movement to and from the sites was formerly done under trade plates or by farmers' vehicles but they had been informed by the police that it was illegal and, as a result, their caravan business was being lost. No one on the island had a licence for caravan towing.

A caravan-site owner, Mr. G. Williams, said there was great difficulty in moving caravans when the licence expired.

Mr. Lindsay limited the grant to 25 miles.

WHY STEERING RULES WERE RELAXED

IN the House of Commons last week, I Mr. Ernest Davies inquired why, unlike bigger vehicles, 12-seat buses of the type now permitted to be used under the amended Construction and Use Regulations need not have polished steering arms or non-pendant steering connections,

Mr. G. R. H. Nugent, Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, replied that polishing was a safeguard so that fractures could be easily detected, but it had been thought that the danger of such fractures on small buses was insignificant.

Pendant steering arms already existed on millions of vehicles, and Ministry officers were satisfied that they were safe for 12-seaters.

Mr. Nugent added that the use of 12-seaters would be watched closely and if they did not help to improve rural transport facilities the decision to permit their employment might be reversed. The Government did not want to see them being used only on contract hire, but performing stage-carriage work.

£95 PRIZES FOR DRIVERS

CASH prizes totalling £95, as well as trophies, will be awarded in the Weymouth round of the Lorry Driver of the Year Competition, to be held at Westham Coach Park, Weymouth, on May 17. Entries can still be accepted by Mrs. J. P. Hall, 36 Broadmeadow Road, Wyke Regis. Weymouth.

Non-Stop Service Grant " Premature "

TT was premature of the East Midland 'Traffic Commissioners to have allowed Barton Transport, Ltd., and the Trent Motor Traction Co., Ltd., to run an hourly non-stop service between Derby and Nottingham before the effect of British Railways' new Diesel train service between the two cities could be assessed.

This was submitted by Mr. J. R. C. Samuel-Gibbon, for the railways, before Mr. J. R. Willis, Ministry of Transport inspector, last week, when they appealed against the Commissioners' sanctioning of the bus facility.

Mr. Samuel-Gibbon further alleged that figures submitted for Derby-Nottingham traffic by the companies had included the numbers of people who boarded vehicles at intermediate places, whereas the new service was non-stop.

Mr. Anthony Rothera, for Trent, said that ordinary services between Derby and Nottingham carried 13,000 passengers a year over the whole route. Mr. R, Seely Whitby, for Barton, argued that the application to provide the non-stop buses was not timed to compete with the proposed Diesel rail service, but in anticipation of the completion of the Borrowash by-pass.

START ON MANCHESTER RING

NvoRK is expected to start shortly on the second stage of the £51m. Stretford-Eccles by-pass, which forms part of a scheme to .provide an outer ring road for Manchester.

It starts south of the Manchester Ship Canal at the junction with B5214 and runs for 3+ miles in a south-easterly direction to join A56 between Stretford and Sale. The new road will be for motor traffic only, and will have two 24-ft.-wide carriageways separated by a 15-ft. central reservation. There will be access to the Urmston area and the Trafford Park industrial estate.

Rail Losses No Reason for Preference

THAT the railways did not make a profit was no reason for, expecting businessmen to use facilities less suitable than ancillary transport, said Mr. F. D. Fitz-Gerald, National Secretary of the Traders' Road Transport Association, following statements made by Sir Brian Robertson, chairman of the British Transport Commission, to the London Rotary Club (The Commercial Motor. last week).

Sir Brian thought that more traffic in 'London should be conveyed by public transport, but never produced any evidence that it could be carried more cheaply in this way, said Mr. Fitz-Gerald.

"it is interesting to note that apparently Sir Brian thinks the traffics carried by public transport are the less profitable ones. Perhaps Sir Brian would look more closely into the nature of the loads carried by British Road Services, and then indicate which of them and their proportion of the whole come within his classification of rough rather than smooth," Mr. Fitz-Gerald remarked.

INVISIBLE AXLE DEFECT: "NO NEGLIGENCE" 'THERE was no question of criminal negligence, the Hoyland Coroner ruled last week, when he held an inquest into the death of a driver's mate who had travelled in a vehicle stated to have had an invisible hairline fracture in its axle since the time of manufacture.

The lorry hit a bump in the road in Birdwell and the axle broke. The driver said that he was travelling at 20 m.p.h. when the accident occurred. The vehicle overturned and crashed into a house, killing Thomas Wood, Bradford, aged 47.

A police vehicles examiner stated that the axle had been partly broken for some time, but the hairline fracture, which had always been there, could not be detected visually. The vehicle had covered 300,000 miles.


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