Workmen's Fares : Appeal Uncertain
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A CONFERENCE of 24 local I-1 authorities and trade unions in Cardiff, last Saturday, adjourned for a fortnight so that delegates could be advised regarding an appeal to the Minister of Transport on the abolition of workmen's bus fares. The meeting was held to consider a second opinion from counsel on this question. An earlier meeting had been held on February 9.
Clir. Frank Edwards, of Abercarn, the chairman, said that they should right the issue to the bitter -end.
Delegates were greatly concerned about the cost of appeal. It was stated that so far costs totalled about £2,000. Hearing of the applications by 12 South Wales bus companies to abolish workmen's fares occupied six days last year and seven days in January of this year. During these proceedings, 25 local authorities, as well as trade unions and others, were represented.
RECONDITIONING SAVES 12,000
jr is reckoned that £2,000 per vehicle I will be saved by Sheffield Transport Department by reconditioning bus chassis and having new bodies fitted, rather than purchasing complete new vehicles.'
The transport committee recently inspected a bus that had been dealt with in this manner. It was finished in green, instead of the usual Sheffield livery of blue and cream. No decision on changing the department's colour scheme has been made, but it is stated that if green paint were adopted, £10,000 would be saved in repainting the complete fleet.
TEMPO VANS FOR BRITAIN
A LMOST immediate delivery of Tempo 15-cwt, three-wheeled threedoor delivery vans is announced by A ncharlco, Ltd., Tempo Works, Paradise Street, West Bromwich, which claims to be sole concessionnaire Great Britain for this make of vehicle. The manufacturer is Vidal and Sohn, A.G., of Hamburg-Harburg, in the British Zone of Germany.
The specification of this van includes heavy-gauge steel body, water-cooled, two-stroke engine of 400 c.c. developing 14 b.h.p., front-wheel drive„ four speeds and reverse, and six-volt electric system, including itarter and dynamo and Lucas battery.
ACCIDENT PREVENTION MORE IMPORTANT
I—I A POLICEMAN who, by vigilance on the roads, averted an accident or diminished the risk of an accident, was performing a more necessary duty than one who prevented or diminished the risk of burglary, suggested Lieut.Col. J. T. Rivit-Carnack, M.C., Chief Constable of Huntingdonshire and the Isle of Ely, at Peterborough, last week. The occasion was the annual staff dinner of E. H. Lee, Ltd., Woodston,
Peterborough. Mr. Lee said that his company had been in operation for 18 years and, among other activities, had in that period carried 300,000 tons of sugar beet to the Peterborough factory, involving a vehicle mileage of 3m.
The company had been convicted only four times for dropping loose beet on the road. Two of these convictions occurred during the season just finished, when 19,726 tons of beet were carried. Of every 20 tons of sugar beet going into the factory by road and rail, E. H. Lee, Ltd., hauled a ton.
Mr. Lee paid a tribute to "The Commercial Motor" and said that in his business he constantly used figures from "The Commercial Motor" Tables of Operating Costs.
UNIT TRANSPORT CHARGES? THE Transport Act should be
amended so that internal transport charges are standardized and fixed, irrespective of the distance of carriage. This was the substance of a question put down by Mr. Hector Hughes, M.P. This island is treated as a unit for postal purposes but not for the carriage of essential commodities," the motion states, " . . the carriage of such essential commodities is charged for by both weight and distance and . . . this penalizes producers and consumers, particularly in remote districts." The Minister of Transport replied, on Monday, that he could not contemplate such legislation.
EXPECTING THE WORST?
THE national rates committee of the Road Haulage Association will meet on Marth 13, two days after the announcement of the Budget.
The Association's annual general meeting will be held at Caxton Hall, London, S.W.1, on May 14, the day after the annual luncheon. Meetings of the retiring and new national councils will be held at the same place and time.