On the Ball
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OF all the mayors I have heard welcome conference delegates, Cflr. John Kennedy, Mayor of Scarborough, was in his introductory speech to the annual conference of the Public Transport Association, last week, more appropriate to the occasion than most. He showed a keen appreciation of road conditions— perhaps because of the wrangles that have taken place within Scarborough Town Council on the parking of coaches.
Discussing the problem of car parking he said that the provision of parks was not enough. They must be linked with an efficient system of public transport. He suggested that one must look beyond the present type of vehicle, perhaps to the suspended rail car. Surely we are not going back to the tram, even in the levitated form?
International Incident
AHIGHLY topical note was introduced into the conference proceedings by Mr. R. A. Rovell, chief mechanical engineer of the Ministryof Transport, who confessed to a grievous omission from his paper. He had left Russia out of the list
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of countries represented on the working party on the construction of vehicles of the Economic Commission for Europe. "I, for one, am ready to apologize," he said, amidst laughter. "1 hope the conference will be allowed to go on."
No Musical Chairs
A NOTICE in my hotel at Scarborough informed me that ra-light lounge suites were not permitted in the ballroom. It appears that there had been complaints about guests sitting in deckchairs on the dance floor.
Vanishing Trick
u-OW does one make an overwidth vehicle shrink to the 11-maximum legal dimension? The answer, according to the exuberant Norman H. Dean, general manager of the Yorkshire Traction Co., Ltd., is—or was in 1919—simple. In those days one took the vehicle to the police station to be measured and the police constable held one end of the tape and the operator the other.
[Afterthought: That was before Mr. Dean joined B.E.T. and became respectable.]
Double-cross
T ORD CHESHAM, Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the L./Ministry of Transport, can be relied upon for an appropriate anecdote. One I like concerns a garage owner who took advertising space on the local buses to announce: "Get off this
bus. It will never he yours. Buy a car from
Delayed Reaction
XTOBODY in Britain seems, so far, to have taken up the 1 N suggestion made in the feature on flashing direction indicators (The Commercial Mow, March 25) that a control hould -be introduced into the, circuit to enable all the lamps in each iide of a vehicle to be flashed in cases of emergency, uch as a breakdown-on a motorway.
The Americans, who originated the idea, are more aware if its safety potentialities. They are introducing a regulation in August 1 under which all vehicles disabled or stopped on he highway must flash all four direction indicators simulaneously. The device would not cost much to install on lritish vehicles, but it might save a few lives.
Var on Smoking
A FRIEND of mine has declared war on smoking lorries.
In future he is going to note the registered number and ame and address of the owner of every offending vehicle and lake a report to the police. He has already booked a :ingston-upon-Thames operator whose vehicle was emitting a loud of foul smoke on a level stretch of road at Hook, Surrey. /lore power to his notebook.
cram bled
A READER of the Dully Telegraph reports finding a bird's -1 nest in the starter of a new heavy vehicle delivered to him. he manufacturer is understood to offer this gratuitous extra illy during the nesting season.
jiscovery
WEDGWOOD BENN, one of Labour 's spokesmen on XI-transport, has discovered a London bus 24 ft. long and ft. wide, and a taxi 8 ft. long and 4 ft. wide. I should like to Ee them,
His knowledge of transport seems to be as doubtful as his arty's policy on the subject.