E.M.M.S. Accuse PrivateParty Operator
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THE Chesterfield-Manchester service operated by East Midland Motor Services. Ltd., had been badly affected by the private-party operations of Castle Coaches, Bolsover, the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners were told last week. Mr. E. G. Dravers, East Midland's traffic manager, said Castle's " so-called football excursions" were taking people on shopping expeditions, and so abstracting traffic from his company.
He was opposing Castle's application to add seven new destinations to their licence, including Manchester, Belle Vue, Skegness and Cleethorpes. Mr. J. A. Woodhouse, proprietor of the small company, said his business had expanded rapidly in the past two years.
Cross-examined by Mr. W. R. Hargrave, for East Midland, he said when he took a private party to Manchester or Belle Vue, he left the coach in Piccadilly, Manchester, and the occupants could pleae themselves what they did. Mr. Hargrave suggested that this was really an express service between Bolsover and Manchester.
"No wonder my clients' returns to Manchester show a sharp decline over the past two years," he said. " What hope exists for genuine stage-carriage operators when you break the conditions which were imposed on your licence to protect the stage-carriage operator?"
In evidence, Mr. Dravers said he had advertised the Chesterfield-Manchester service extensively in Bolsover, but there had been no response, and after hearing the evidence put forward for Castle the reason was clear.
Decision was reserved.
FIRST NEW TANKER "LAUNCHED"
THE Mayor of Batley, Yorks, last week tapped a new 4,000-gal. tanker over the back and front bumpers with a bottle. The bottle did not contain champagne, however—it held ammoniacal liquor, which the tanker had been specially designed to carry. The vehicle cost nearly £10,000.
Operated by R. Chappell (Batley), Ltd., this was the first of seven tankers that will be used to carry the liquid from gasworks to farms in the West Riding. The liquor used to be wasted, but it is now known to.contain valuable fertilizing properties, and has the advantage that it can be applied at any time of the year.
TITANS AND OLYMPICS FOR&APE TWENTY Leyland Titan double' deckers and 16 Leyland M.C.W. Olympic single-deckers have been ordered by Cape Electric Tramways (1949), Ltd., South Africa. The Titans will have semiautomatic Pneumo-Cyclic transmission and air brakes, and 150-b.h.p. engines will be installed in the Olympics.
C.E.T. control 12 subsidiary companies operating 700 motorbuses and trolleybuses in the Cape Peninsula, Stellenbosch, Paarl and Mamre areas. Last year 200m. passengers were carried by the motorbuses, which covered 25m. miles.
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Union Want Stamped Log Sheets
THE road transport industry was being
ruined by interlopers, who often could be identified only by their registration numbers, said Mr. John Kyle in his presidential address at the annual conference of the Scottish Horse and Motormen's Association in Ayr last week.
"For most of this disorder the Government must accept the major portion of the blame," he added. "They were the architects of denationalization and the increase in the speed limit, and have refused to make any move on the Association's recommendations for a shorter working day and amendments to the regulations about keeping records."
The conference unanimously adopted a resolution calling on the Government to introduce a system of officially stamped log sheets, dated and numbered, whereby only one sheet could be used daily. The object was to eliminate falsification and duplication.
Mr. D. Strachan, Edinburgh, said that a man who falsified his log sheets was damning the industry, "Forget the operator," he advised. "We have to hammer the driver."
A resolution was also passed declaring that the maximum working day of a driver should be reduced to 10 hours, and the period of rest increased to 12 hours in every 24. Mr. John Brannigan, general secretary, said that 11 hours might be within the capacity of men between the ages of 25 and 45, but not of older drivers.
The use of devices such as radar to check the speed of vehicles was deprecated.
RECIPE FOR SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS
CLEAR, concise facts were the essence Is-, of successful applications for licences, Mr. J. Foley Egginton, a vice-President of the Institute of Traffic Administration, told the East Midland Centre last week.
The greatest pains must, he said, be taken to substantiate all evidence and to make sure all relevant points were covered. -The care taken must be akin to that to be exercised in preparing a Criminal Court brief. Too often applications were refused because a case had an unstable foundation or was poorly presented.
The sooner normal user was properly defined the better for the industry, even if the matter had to be pursued through the High Court.
BEN ACT AFTER CRASH
STEPS taken by the Motor and Cycle Trades Benevolent Fund within hours of the Isle of Man air disaster (The Commercial Motor, March 7) to obtain details of the circumstances of the dependants of the victims, were noted with satisfaction at the Fund's annual conference in Birmingham last week. Eighty delegates from 27 branch centres attended.
Applicant Told : "You Are on Road to Ruin"
AMAN who applied for a new licence to carry goods within 30 miles of Bradford, was warned by the objectors, last week, that he was heading for financial ruin. Mr. T. B. Atkinson, for British Railways, told the Yorkshire Deputy Licensing Authority, Mr. J. H. A. Randolph, that he would be doing an act of kindness by refusing Mr. B. Jones' application.
Mr. Jones said he had always wanted to be his own master, and although he was still employed as a van driver he had bought a 21-ton lorry on hirepurchase to sell coal-bricks and scrap. This business was not paying, however, because he could use the vehicle only at week-ends. If the application were granted he would give up his job and devote all his time to haulage.
Refusing the application, Mr. Randolph remarked that he sympathized with Mr. Jones. but his hands were tied because any grant would be equivalent to an A licence, and there was no evidence of need, CHEAPER SCOTTISH OIL?
AN experiment which, if successful. may yield oil more quickly from shale deposits, is being carried out in Winchburgh, West Lothian, Scotland, by Scottish Oils, Ltd. The experiment was suggested by the Ministry of Power and is the first of its type in the world.
Each year 9,000 tons of shale, impregnated with high-quality oil, are produced by Scottish Oils, Ltd., and this is said to be sufficient to run three-quarters of Scotland's municipally owned road transport. The new process is intended to produce the oil at its source, instead of by heat treatment as at present. This will be done by igniting the shale underground and condensing the vapour.
LATER COACH RALLY ENTRIES
ENTRIES for the British Coach Rally, at Brighton on April 19-20, can be accepted up to April 10. This is to allow operators who are awaiting delivery of new coaches to enter at the last minute.
Among entries so far received is one from Nederlandse Buurtvervoer Maatschappij. of Zeist, Holland, this being a Verheul-bodied Leyland Royal Tiger Woridmaster. Acorn Motors, Ltd., have entered a Rutland coach powered by a turbocharged Meadows oil engine, the blower being of B.S.A. manufacture.
NEW AIR SPRINGING SYSTEM
ANEW type of air-suspension unit for light vehicles is among the innovations to be shown at the Industrial Textiles Trade Fair, which opens at the Albert Hall, London, on April 14 for
five days. .
Many other new developments will be exhibited, including plastics-coated nylon tarpaulins, welded instead of stitched at the seams, and a new type of weatherproofed canvas made from Courtelle, art acrylic fibre.
Irish Tour Application Wrong: Withdrawn
AFIER the North Western Traffic Commissioners had decided that their form of application was wrong, BattyHolt Touring Service, Ltd., Blackpool, withdrew their application last week to add two Irish tours from Bolton to their licence. British Railways, J. Smith (Wigan), Ltd., and Ribble Motor Services, Ltd„ objected. Mr. H. Backhouse, for Batty-Holt, said that they sought to run tours combining travel in North Wales and Eire between Easter and November. Passengers would cross the Irish Sea from Holyhead and be met in Eire by the company's own coaches. There were no other such tours in the northwest except those involving an air ferry and travel in Irish coaches. Mr. Backhonse said that when Ribble applied to add an Ulster tour via Stranraer to their 'licence two years ago, there was no objection from his clients. Mr. A. Bolton, managing director of the applicants, said that he had been given permission to operate in Eire last autumn. The company wished to operate their Liverpool-Bolton feeder service in reverse to pick up at Liverpool, Aintree and Wigan. For Ribble, Mr. F. D. Walker claimed that the applicants could not operate new tours on their present vehicle allowance, and Mr. J. Booth, for the railways, submitted that if the licence were granted . there would he an abstraction of passengers from railway facilities co-ordinated 'with sea and air services. After Mr. Backhouse.had agreed to an application being made for a separate licence to meet. the objections of Smith and Ribble. Mr. F. Williamson. chairman, said that the form of application was incorrect, particularly with regard to the reversal of the feeder service. If BattyHolt made a fresh application for a new licence and there were no further objections, it might be unnecessary to have a further sitting.
PORTSMOUTH LOADING BANS?
AHINT that plans for restricting loading were likely to be considered by the Portsmouth authorities was given at the annual general meeting of the Portsmouth. and District Area of the Traders Road Transport Association last week. It was stated that the matter was as Yet only in its preliminary stages and that no decision had yet been taken. hi his annual report, Mr. H. C. Chandler, chairman of the Eastern Area, said that the Association's opposition to proposals concerning the restriction of loading in London had cost a substantial sum. but the money had to be spent to safeguard members' interests.
MORE BEAVERS FOR POWER L'ORTY Leyland Beaver tankers are to
be supplied to the Power Petroleum Co., Ltd., who already have over 100 such vehicles in addition to Comet and Octopus types. The company's latest order concerns chassis with 125-b.h.p. engines and 25-b.h.p. power take-offs from five-speed gearboxes.
Brothers on35Charges: £210 Fines
TWO brothers pleaded guilty at 1 Chelmsford last week to 35 charges of using vehicles to carry goods without a proper licence, and a third brother admitted aiding and abetting. Fines totalling €.70 were imposed on each defendant. Defendants were Jack R. and Robert Herbert Purle, trading as Messrs. Purle Bros., Sepad Works, Rayleigh Road, Thundersley, and Charles [lurk, Whitefriars Crescent, Westcliff. Mr. W. F. Bestley, prosecuting, said that Charles Purle took out A licences in the Yorkshire Traffic Area in respect of four vehicles, indicating that he was operating from a base in that county. In fact, the vehicles—tankers for cesspool and industrial emptying—were owned by Messrs. Pin-le Bros.. and used from Thundersley.
It was contended for the defendants that the offences were technical and
trivial. The firm carried on business
from depots in four counties, and for convenience the licence application was made in the name of Charles Purle, an employee.
0-YEAR-OLD LORRY FOR LEYLAND MUSEUM
A N R.A.F.-type lorry with an engine I-1 number plate dated 'July, 1917, has been "acquired by Leyland Motors, Ltd., for their Proposed museum, and may be on show at the rally of the Historical Commercial Vehicles Club which is expected to takeplace at the company's
works in June. .
Although laid up in a yard at Lymington since 1931, the vehicle was in good condition and ran to Leyland from the company's Bristol depot at a steady 25, m.p.h. without difficulty. It still has a water tank on the dash for cooling the transmission brake.
I.T.D. AND CLARK TRUCKS
INFORMATION concerning the pro duction of Clark trucks in Britain by 'T.D., Ltd., supplied by the Clark representatives, Unitra, S.A., at the Geneva Motor Show, is stated by I.T.D., Ltd., to be incorrect in certain respects. Only a selection of trucks from the Clark range is to be put into production by LTD. in the near future. 1.T.D. also point out that the arrangement concluded on July 1, 1957, whereby Clark Equipment International C.A. have become equal partners with the Austin Motor Co., Ltd., and Crompton Parkinson, Ltd., in LTD., Ltd., has not changed since that date.
FLOATING CONTAINERS
A NEW system of canal "trains," rl employing floating containers which could be carried on lorries for collection at the waterside. may be started by British Waterways. The scheme is the idea of Sir Reginald Kerr, British Waterways' manager and former divisional manager of British Road Services. He said last week that it might relieve road traffic.
"Stand for Councils" Transport Men. Urged
'LEADING a discussion on "The Transport Man," Mr. C. N. Graddon, the retiring chairman of the London Division of the Industrial Transport Association, urged transport executives to stand for eleetiOn to their local councils. Local government, he said, sorely needed elected representatives with the operational and technical cast of mind, uninfluenced politically, with the courage to judge the intrinsic merits of a proposal. He criticized the insecure status and inadequate remuneration of transport executives. Be thought that at many managerial levels the transport manager was regarded as a nuisance. " He is bedevilled by associates, managers and directors who have little or no interest in his problems—who simply and solely want him to do the impossible, at no cost at all," said Mr. Graddon. It was remarkable that anyone of his own free will elected to enter trans port, or, having done so, not promptly leave it. The fundamental fault was that anyone could "practise " transport. The Profession was wide open to the "quack." Many concerns would not pay the salary that would attract experienced and forthright men. They made do with secondrate managers and seldom realized how much they last by doing so: This practice depreciated the Standard and salaries of all transport executives. It was probably impracticable to " close " the profession, but Mr. Graddon could not understand why it could be done in accountancy but not in transport. Every transport man should want recognition of his status in the industrial
and economic' fabric of, nation, acknowledgement .o , his professional
skill, a commensurate salary and freedom to do his job. subject only to policl decisions.
BEDFORD FIVE-SPEED GEARBOX
AN optional heavy-duty five-speed gearbox for certain Bedford forwardcontrol chassis has been introduced by Vauxhall Motors, Ltd. The new box has forward ratios of 7.08, 3.78. 2.24. 1.47 and 1 to 1. reverse being 7.01 to L The gearbox, which does not have synchromesh, increases the chassis price by £70, plus €17 10s. purchase tax. It can be installed in forward-control 4-, 5and 6-ton 11-ft.-wheelbase chassis, in the 8and 10-ton 7-ft. 2-in.-wheelbase tractors and in all 7-ton chassis.
BRIDGE '"GINGER" GROUP
A" GINGER " group to press for the construction of a Tamar bridge held its first meeting last week, at which it was decided to launch an intensive publicity campaign. The town council of Saltash are backing the group, although they will lose £l0.000 in ferry revenue each year. Mr. W. E. Foster, Devon and Cornwall area secretary of the Road Haulage Association, suggested the issue of "Bridge the Tamar" stickers for vehicles. u17