Why the Increase of C Licences?
Page 41
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AVE yet to hear of a Labour M.P. who will admit it the growth of the C-licensee is due to the iciency of the nationalized transport system. They better face facts, for the growth will continue.
y job is selling commercial vehicles, and I have d that in every case where a C-licensee adds to his , the reason is because of the poor service he is ng from nationalized transport, as against the nal private-enterprise service.
le prevalent habit of striking by drivers of malized vehicles is another reason for the growth C-licensees. Manufacturers, pararty those who employ efficient sport managers, are not likely to T a second time when they and
organizations have been victims drikes. A transport strike does affect only collection and distribu
of goods, but also productivity, those responsible for the running ationalized transport are living in ol's paradise indeed if they expect ufacturers to watch their business g slowly paralyzed while they bble.
talyze the growth of the C-licensee and you will that the numbers have increased most where strikes occurred. The Government of amateurs in business no more idea how to solve this problem than by and error, which seems to be the method it adopts everything it comes up against. The sooner we back to private enterprise the better for everyone erned.
ansport, the life blood of the nation, is suffering t thrombosis, which is described as a "clot in the d stream," or our alternative, nationalization, and Private Enterprise is the only specialist who can t the permanent cure.
y apologies to "Janus."
rmingham. TRANSPORTIV1TY.
FOR AND AGAINST THE CENTRE DRIVING POSITION a regular reader of "The Commercial Motor" I ioted in the issue dated April 20 a letter from 3sville Driver" under the heading "Why Not a re Driving Position?"
a footnote to this it was stated that there should o great objection to the centre position. I quite with this idea in respect of bad weather and rat driving, but to my mind, the most important ir concerning this suggested driving position has not mentioned. The point is, how far would a vehicle 8 ft. wide, a type now becoming popular, have to be pulled out of line to enable a centrally positioned driver to obtain a clear view of the road ahead for overtaking; also when pulling away from a stop when there is a large vehicle, such as a box van, immediately in front, would such a change not be a disadvantage?
It is important to take into consideration the fact that many journeys compel commercial-vehicle drivers to use rural roads in which there is room for improvement, both in respect of width and bends, and which are often encumbered by wide farm carts. Wilmslow. W. H. BRACEGIRDLE.
[We agree with our correspondent that there might be a certain amount of difficulty in pulling out, but perhaps not so much as he considers possible. We have often driven standard British vehicles on the Continent where our rule of the road is reversed, and found little trouble, whilst a central driving position would have made matters even easier. Quite a number of foreign vehicles with the left-hand position visit this country, including many American Service vehicles, and the drivers of these do not seem to experience any particular difficulty. As regards the wider vehicles, these are, of course, not employed on rural roads. It is worth mentioning that a well-known French manufacturer of commercial vehicles, for many years produced a large private car with a central driving position. Numbers of this model are still seen all over the Continent.—ED.1
4.4
WHAT MAINTENANCE STAFF IS REQUIRED?
IVE have a customer operating a fleet of vehicles VT totalling 37 cars and commercial vehicles, of which .nine are cars. Of the remainder, five are oil-engined vehicles. In addition, there are 20 detachable semitrailers. All repairs and maintenance are carried out by the customer in his own workshops.
Kindly inform us what you consider to be a reasonable maintenance staff for such a fleet.
Although we can approach other operators, we have comparatively few of this size, but in any case, would place more value on your guidance.
Nottingham. G.K.
[It is always difficult to assess labour requirements in respect of maintenance, as conditions differ. A good rough rule is to take one man for every 10-12 vehicles. In your case, reckoning the semi-trailers as part vehicles, I would say that you would need five or six men as follows:—One foreman fitter, two skilled mechanics, two semi-skilled mechanics and one labourer or apprentice.—S.T.R.]