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The Motor Omnibus World.

29th June 1905, Page 6
29th June 1905
Page 6
Page 6, 29th June 1905 — The Motor Omnibus World.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

The L.G.O. Co., Ltd., has just taken delivery of two Leyland buses from the Lancashire Steam Motor Co., Ltd.

An announcement is made that Oxford and Bicester are to be connected by an up-to-date service about the middle of July.

The Scottish Motor Traction Company, Ltd. (to which reference was made last week) has placed orders for a number of double-deck vehicles and is hoping to secure delivery of a few early in August.

Messrs. Salsbury and Son, Ltd., the old-established house for every description of vehicle lamps, is making a speciality of large acetylene generators for buses. One of these generators, known as the 280, will give three nights' lighting, each of about ten hours, and supplying two burners consuming a total of d cubic feet per hour.

The B.E.M.T.A. invites British motor bus manufacturer to immediately communicate their names and addresses to the secretary at ii, Rod Lion Square, W.C., so that such names can be placed in the register of manufacturers which is now being compiled. The intention is to endeavour to conduct orders amongst British in preference to foreign makers.

A crowded meeting of Oxford ratepayers was held last week to discuss the desirability of postponing the proposed purchase of the horsed tramways by the corporation. Many of the most prominent residents in Oxford were present, and after a long, and, at times, somewhat acrimonious debate, the following resolution was declared to be carried :—" That, in the interests of the ratepayers it is expedient to postpone the purchase of the present tramway company's undertaking until the city council has given to the public every information as to the best system of public conveyances that can be adopted to replace it, and reliable details of the approximate cost of alternative schemes."

The Wolseley Tool and Motorcar Co,, Ltd., sent one of its double-deck buses recently for a call into Dunstable to give the Mayor and Corporation an idea of the poss.bilities of working in some of the narrow streets of the town. A trip was taken to Luton and back, and so pleased were the local authorities with the performance that a scheme for a regular service was immediately discussed. The particular vehicle tried is the property of the London Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., and, as the result of negotiations since commenced, we can announce that the company will almost certainly run a service with four vehicles in August. The proposition is for a twenty-minute service with popular fares, threepence being the charge for the run from Dunstable to Luton, or fourpence from Dunstable Down, Matters are now %veil forward for a passenger and mail service between Clonmel and Dungarvan. All the local authorities are keenly interested in the project and the Clonmel Urban District Council has used every influence to ensure the service being of a successful character.

Yet another new service was commenced by the G.W. Railway on Monday last between Radipole and Wyke in Dorset. Double-deck buses, each seating thirty-four passengers, are provided, giving an hourly service in each direction. Fares range from one penny to sixpence for the whole journey.

The following is the clause which the Worthing Town Council is forcing into any license for motor buses to ply for hire in the neighbourhood :—" That such omnibuses do not ply for hire within the borough on Sunday in any week other than and except in taking up or setting down passengers thereby on the occasion of any excursion which may be made by such omnibuses to and from towns and other places outside the borough on that day."

If such a clause is inserted the inhabitants of Worthing will have the remedy in their own hands, by turning the bigoted councillors out of office next November and electing men more in sympathy with modern progress.

Sutton, a thriving residential district south of London, is at last to be joined up to the metropolis by something better than the poor service of trains to London Bridge and Victoria. A motor bus service is to be immediately opened up between the corner of Farlsfield Road, Tooting, and the historical Cock Hotel at the top of Sutton High Street. This will mean building development of one of the last of the really rural roads in London's outer circle. Several trial trips have already been successfully run.

The Potteries Electric Traction Company is proposing to run buses with so-called automatic fare boxes,' so that the driver can act as conductor. A vehicle of this type, built by the Brush Electrical Company at Loughborough, was exhibited at a recent show in London. When we inspected this bus we expressed the opinion (and are still of Ile same mind) that the duties of driver and conductor on a busy service are sufficient to occupy two men and cannot be carried out properly by one person. If any accidents should result from such a foolhardy arrangement, the directors would be morally guilty of negligence. We trust this matter will be re-considered by those who control the destinies of the concern, and that wiser counsels will prevail.

It has always been the custom for the " pirate " horsedrawn omnibuses to increase their weekly takings by a special journey to Hampton Court on Sundays. This journey was such a severe tax on the horses that it was necessary to use a four-horse team, and it was only possible to make one journey in the day. As, however, the fares obtained were half-a-crown for the full journey, with a maximum of sixpence for shorter portions, the takings were very fair. That they must have been remunerative is shown by the fact that every available pirate bus was to be seen on this journey on summer Sundays. The advent of the motor bus has made the range of action so much greater that three or four such journeys could come in an ordinary daily schedule, and passengers from, outlying suburbs would dismiss the idea of railway travelling when they knew they could get a through omnibus journey at a fast speed.

Last week the New London Suburban Omnibus Co., Ltd., extended the route of their Crossley-Leyland omnibus (which used to run from Surbiton to Kew Bridge), so that it now runs from Surbiton to Charing Cross. This is a more severe journey than Hampton Court, and if anything a little huger mileage, and it involves climbing Petersham Hill. This bus has worked satisfactorily for three months since it was delivered, and has never lost a journey. We congratulate the company on its enterprise in starting this extensive journey, and hope that on the delivery of further buses now on order it will be able to give a five-tninute service. We are sure that the suburbanites of Richmond and Kingston will appreciate the advantages of a daylight route, and many who have been in the habit of using the tramcars to Hammersmith and the underground rail beyond that point will prefer to make the whole journey by motor bus.


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