IN YOUR OPINION
Page 69
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Why Not Have Single-deckers in London ?
IN regard to Mr. Hyslop's criticisms of a previous letter I of mine (The Commercial Motor, November 12), I concede that his knowledge of London Transport statistics is greater than mine. However, I was referring to their purchases of Leyland RTLs and RTWs rather than Leyland-engined Routemasters. Although I do not dispute it, his figure of 2,100 Leylands bought by London Transport since the war rather surprises me.
I do know that the bulk of London Transport buses in the eastern suburban area are still RTs, they not having reached the Routemaster stage yet. Although I maintain that Leyland make a good product, I am by no means a devotee of them. They have their faults, like most others, and on some of their models of latter years, such a seemingly straightforward task of changing a fan-belt turns out to be a major operation.
Mr. Hyslop must indeed be an optimist if he imagines that cost-conscious municipal operators are going to be influenced by the possibility of their helping to create a Leyland monopoly. Their first duty is to the ratepayers, and it is only natural that they should decide on the vehicle that can best do the job that they require, with the lowest initial outlay and subsequent maintenance cost. • As for support of the Jaguar group helping to equate the situation, in the same issue of "CM new Guy vehicles were advertised with AEC engines and gearboxes!
It has always been a mystery to me why London Transport, for instance, maintain, as they have done in the past, that single-deckers would not be a practical proposition in London. Why not? Comparable cities such as Paris, New York, Tokyo, Moscow, etc., have always managed very well with them.
When, I wonder, is a large city undertaking here going to be bold enough to institute the one-price fare and transfer system, commonplace across the Atlantic, and where the operator of the bus is not so much a driverconductor in the accepted sense, as a driver-change-giver? The practice of " fiddling " can be largely eliminated, inasmuch as the driver only gives change, and the passengers themselves put their ticket or fare into a " coffee-pot " machine, which can only be unlocked back at the depot. In any case, passengers can buy their tickets in book form.
I agree with London Transport's Mr. Shave, in regard to the noise problem created by rear-engined Atlanteans. The first Atlanteans that I know of to be operated in the Greater London area were introduced sometime ago, by Upminster and District Motor Services, who were featured in a 'CM' article in a previous issue, and to the best of my knowledge this company still operates them. The increased noise level was most marked in comparison to the front-engined conventional types. I don't think that it has been mastered anywhere yet, and is positively deafening when a high-powered two-stroke is used. The forwardengined vehicle probably has the edge over the rear-engined one on the question of noise level, by reason of a combination of slipstream and the body itself absorbing some of the noise, and to substantially increase the insulation of a ,rear engine would undoubtedly encrOach on the space available for passengers in the lower saloon. As for my being naïve to suppose that the likes of ERF, Foden, Seddon could consitute a threat to the mighty Leyland, I don't. But at least if they had a mind to, they could show the flag, as it were.
Your Scottish correspondent's complaint at lack of a 24-hr. service, reminds me that at one time I was invited to invest in a garage offering a 24-hours-a-day, seven-daysa-week service to commercial operators. What would happen was that the driver would bring a truck in at the end of the day and want it first thing in the morning. Nine times out of 10 he would get it. But when it came to settling the account, ah well, that was different! Competent staff to work nights and week-ends were difficult to obtain in any case, and component suppliers wanted their accounts settled on time. Most of these service centres have enough money out, during daylight hours of business, without wishing to add to it with nights too! I would suggest, though, that vehicle manufacturers should insist on reasonable hours of business at nights and weekends, when allocating agencies and franchises.
Sedbergh, Yorks. S. A. Taor-r.
Degree Course for Transport Management
I ATTENDED The Commercial Motor Fleet Management Conference at Dunblane last week and found that the arrangements made by you and your staff were really excellent. The papers presented were very instructive and stimulating and I look forward to attending the next Conference in London next September.
I would like to make a comment in connection with the paper presented by Mr. E. B. H. Elsbury with special reference to the need for education of future potential managers. Mr. Elsbury maintained that a ,more professional training was essential and suggested that one method of achieving this training would be for students to read for an appropriate university degree.
It occurred to me. that many of the gentlemen attending the Conference may have considered this idea to be somewhat unrealistic, but this is not so. The new Technological University in Glasgow (Strathclyde University) already has a Department of Transportation Studies which has been in existence for more than 10 years and which already has an international reputation in its field. This Department is expanding rapidly, and with a little encouragement from the transport industry is prepared to provide a degree course for transport management. Already it is running courses on business administration, and a very practical course could be followed by students covering business administration, economics and transportation.
The encouragement would, of course, require to be financial, but the sums involved spread over the industry are infinitesimal. A covenant for seven years of between £2,000 and £3,500 would enable this project to proceed.
Finally, let me point out that the hotel industry has now the opportunity of sending potential hotel managers to this university to study for a BSc., thanks to an endowment by the Rank Organization.
Glasgow. W. MCMILLAN Director, James Hemphill Ltd.
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