AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

Post-war Development of Road Transport

29th June 1945, Page 28
29th June 1945
Page 28
Page 28, 29th June 1945 — Post-war Development of Road Transport
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

AT ajoint meeting of the I.A.E. held on Wednesday last, a symposium of papers was read, the subjects covered being " Roads," by Major H. E. Aldington, M.Inst.C.E,, chief engineer, M.O.W.T., " Progress of Motor Vehicle Design and Construction," by Major E. G. E. Beaumont, O.B.E., A.M.Inst.C.E,, M.I.Mech,E., M.I.A.E., M.Inst.T., and "Traffic," by Mr. J. S. Nicholl, C.B.E., M.Inst,T,, transport engineer, McNamara and Co., Ltd.

Although Major Aldington's paper was, of necessity, short, he managed to get into it a considerable amount of practical detail, going into such mat,ters as the type and extent of the equipment necessary to do the job.

'It was his opinion that if traffic movement was to be efficient and safe then some form of pedestrian control seemed inevitable.

Dealing with the reduction of traffic congestion, Major Aldington said that, in many cases, instead of widening . roads, which appeared to be the obvious thing to do, the expenditure of available money would yield better results if spent in redesigning road junctions, so that traffic could, flow freely without being alternatively held up and released. He 'dealt with many factors relative to road design and closed with these words from Ruskin: " All social progress resolves itself into the making of good roads."

In his paper dealing with vehicle design and constrnction, Major Beaumont said that the onerous operating conditions of public-service vehicles provide a searching test of fitness in construction and of endurance, more stringent or more uniform in application than applies to other classes of road motor transport. The presentday double-deck bus, he said, was, in fact, a remarkable example of construction and a high tribute to the capabili.ties of designers and manufacturers.

Dealing with the question of increasing the width limit to 8 ft., the speaker said that it was clear that it would contribute to the comfort and convenience of passengers and it could be demonstrated that such a vehicle would not impede or endanger other traffic.

Progress of the Oiler Touching on the subject of petrol and oil engines, Major Beaumont said that the rapid progress which was made prior to the war in the change-over from petrol to oil would be completed in the near future; with extended experience in use, quieter and smoother operation may be expected.

. In dealing with goods vehicles, the speaker said that, as with public-service vehicles, the cost of operation and all that that implied had been the primary consideration and determining influence upon design and construction.

High quality at high first cost with low depreciation rate, he said, was claimed by many to be the better longterm policy in comparison with less excellence, low first cost and high depreciation rate.

Regarding the speed-limit anomaly as between the 30 m.p.h. class and 20

m.p.h. machines, he said that as heavy commercial vehicles were generally as easily controlled as those permitted to, run at 30 m.p.h., the restriction to 20 nep.h. was regarded as illogical. He had a word of praise for the designers of machines built for abnormal loads, which, he said, had to cope with the special requirements of highpower, and torque transmission, heavy braking 'stresses, and steering and control problems.

The paper on "Traffic," by Mr. J. S. Nicholl, perforce had to overlap matters dealt with by the previous speakers as many aspeots of his subject could not be divorced from either the roads or vehicle design and construction.

Many of the difficulties with which we are faced, said the speaker, were due to the very mixed bag of traffic units for which we had to 'provide. Ws had to cater for private cars in great numbers, and with a wide difference ir potential speed and performance; fo, buses, coaches, trolleybuses, trams taxis and motorcycles. On the good side, we had vehicles varying fron light delivery vans to large long-dis twice machines, heavy tractors am special vehicles built to carry abnorma loads; horse-drawn vehicles, handcarts cattle, cyclists and pedestrians.

Mr. Nicholl, who, quite obviously had 'made a close study of the humar element side of traffic problem: touched on traffic segregation, an city, fast inter-urban and local rur: traffic, and road accidents in a wa which showed a tlose understanding the subject-matter of his address.

Tags

People: J. S. Nicholl

comments powered by Disqus