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Passenger Transport
Page 58
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Edinburgh Bus Policy Report
FURTHER comment on the potential passenger-carrying capabilities of 36-ft.-long single-deckers, referred to in The Commercial Motor, May 24, has been made in a report by Mr. W. M. Little, general manager of Edinburgh Corporation Transport. He said: "From experience gained, I would put thc number who could reasonably be carried in a single-decker bus now at about 70 passengers, in the proportion of 50 seated and 20 standing. To go beyond this would lead to a deterioration of standards and comfort to an unacceptable degree."
Mr. Little went on to point out that the tolerable capacity of about 70 passengers was the same as carried on a normal existing standard double-decker. Current double-decker models could carry up to 83. Whilst it was possible to increase the single-decker's capacity to 90 by carrying 30 seated and 60 standing, he said, "all experience suggests that this would not at any rate for a long time be regarded as a suitable method of bus travel."
The conclusion was that the singledecker would continue to be limited to places where bridge restrictions applied, or be used as a low-first-cost vehicle for peak-hour use only. "This is an inter esting -possibility which is still being investigated. A further possibility is that these vehicles could produce economies by use as one-man vehicles at off-peak times ", Mr. Little said.
Larger double-deckers with a maximum gross weight of up to 16 tons instead of the present legal maximum of 14 tons are also envisaged by Mr. Little. He considers that these are almost certain to be rear-engined because of problems of front-axle loading.
The report has been prompted by the fact that Edinburgh Corporation has 120 double-deckers with seating capacities of 55 and 56 which shortly Will be due for replacement. Single-decker buses to carry 70 passengers, for which union negotiations on use with more than 60 passengers are at present incomplete, would cost about £5,500, a relatively high figure because of the multiple doors fitted.
A standard open rear-platform 66-seat double-decker would also cost £5,500, whilst a forward-entrance 70-seat doubledecker, of either normal or low height, would cost between £5,750 and £6,250. Both these would also carry eight standing passengers. A front-entrance doubledecker with 78 seats and capacity for five standing passengers would cost between £6,500 and £7,000.