SCOTTISH HOPES OF BEITER BUS LIGHTING
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OLLOWING a visit to Glasgow by Dr. Gilbey, the Home Office expert on lighting, it was stated, last week, that within a short time there may be a substantial improvement in the light• ing of the corporation buses and trams. In the course of his visit Dr. Gilbey inspected buses and trams with Mr. Frank Coyle, assistant passenger-group secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union. Discussions also took place with other officials of the Union, representatives of Glasgow Corporation, and employees of the corporation transport department.
Dr. Gilbey revealed that the Home Office had made a study of the different methods of illuminating the destination boards of vehicles, and had discovered a better method than the blue light at present used by Glasgow Corporation.
This new system, Dr. Gilbey stated, had been developed by two of the biggest electrical concerns in the country. They had perfected a combination of lamps, one white and the other grey, which would illuminate destination boards distinctly and without glare. Dr. Gilbey also indicated that he would not be opposed to improved lighting on the rear platforms of vehicles. All the black-out paper on buses and trams would also be removed.
As a result of the Home Office action in sending a representative to Glasgow, the transport workers did not carry out their -earlier threat to run vehicles into the depots at 8 p.m. on and after October 19.
The statement by the Transport and General Workers' Union that employers, as well as workers, had a grievance regarding black-out conditions, was given extra point when public transport authorities in Scotland decided to unite in petitioning the Government to relax the lighting rertrictions on passenger vehicles. This decision was taken at a conference in Glasgow, on October 19, of the Sottish Road Passenger Transport Association.
The conference was a private one, hut it was learned that the discussion on the black-out conditions—which was the main question under consideration —showed a unanimous consensus of opinion that the present restrictions are too stringent.
It was stressed that better lighting on load vehicles is urgently desirable in the interests of safety, in view of the appalling number of accidents under existing conditions. Mr. Robert Beveridge, of 'the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd., presided.