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Liverpool to Run One-man Buses

T IVERPOOL'S one-man buses, fore" shadowed in The Commercial Motor last week, will begin operation on July 9. Two Leyland Royal Tiger 40-seaters will be used in the first instance. Two more will be introduced later. The bodies have been assembled by Liverpool Corporation, employing frames constructed by Crossley Motors; Ltd.

They have a front entrance and rear exit, with electrically operated sliding doors controlled by the driver. As each door opens a step light is automatically illuminated. Ticket-issuing and changegiving machines are mounted beside,the driver.

M.o.S. TO PAY DAMAGES TO B.R.S.

DAMAGES amounting to 1800 and costs were awarded to the Road Haulage Executive (British Road Services) by Mr. ' Justice Finnemore at Nottingham Assizes on Monday against the Ministry of Supply. In July, 1950, a shunting engine at the Ministry's supply depot at Ruddinglon ran into a B.R.S. lorry.

For the plaintiffs, Mr. A. J. Flint said that a report of the accident was not made because the Ministry said it would be against public policy, and that the investigation into the accident was privileged. One reason for delay in bringing the case to court was " voluminous correspondence" between Government departments.

Mr. Justice Finnemore observed: "It is part of the stupidity we have got into these days that anything that is done in Government offices has to be kept secret, and the public, who pay, know nothing about it."

ULSTER GOVERNMENT AGAINST DENATIONALIZATION

A BILL to denationalize road haulage rA in Ulster was opposed on second reading by Lord Glentoran, Minister of Commerce, in the Northern Ireland House of Commons last week. It was a private member's Bill promoted by Dr. R. S. Nixon. The debate was adjourned.

Lord Glentoran's objections, were that an unwieldy administrative machine would be necessary to dad with applications for licences and the hearing of appeals. He was not agreeable to a system of "free for all."

The Ulster Transport Authority, he said, was confident that if its road goods services were not disrupted, it would continue to carry well over lm. tons a year and that its road freight System could be operated with financial benefit to the whole undertaking..

MR. LEEPER NOW CHAIRMAN

AANAGING director of the Lep IVI Group, Mr. R. K. Leeper, has been appointed also chairman of Lep Transport, Ltd., and associated operating companies in the United Kingdom. Be has been managing director for 25 years. B.T.C. Rate " Freeze": Road Upkeep Cut IT was expected, as The Commercial 'Motor closed for press, that an announcement would be made that the British Transport Commission would stabilize their charges. On Tuesday, Sir Brian Robertson, chairman, told the Prime Minister that the Comioission had come to a decision on the matter, writes our political correspondent.

Sir Anthony Eden was due to receive representatives of the Federation of British Industries and the British Employers' Confederation to ask them to " freeze " prices until next spring.

Cuts in Government expenditure announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on Tuesday contain provision for a reduction of £180,000 in road maintenance. The road-building programme is not affected.

Many economies have been designed to lessen the burden On the engineering industries. Vehicle production for the Services may be affected.

The cost of the driving test may rise to El, but an increase cannot be made until the Road Traffic Bill, which has had only a second reading in the House of Lords, has been passed. The Ministry of Transport is to make administrative savings.

PLANS TO MEET LABOUR DEMANDS ON SPEED LIMIT

SUGGESTIONS for meeting the demands of labour in return for an increase in the speed limit on heavy goods vehicles to 30 m.p.h. were considered on Wednesday by the national executive committee of the Road Haulage Association.

Another proposal included in a long agenda was for action to secure a firm policy by local authorities in fixing haulage rates.

It was also recommended that, to preserve continuity, the immediate past national chairman, should be a member of the chairman's committee. Another resolution proposed longer business sessions at the Association's conference at Bournemouth in October.

Credit facilities granted by oil companies, wages, dock delays and markings on vehicles were among other matters on the agenda.

NEW S.M.T. BOARD

AS a result of Mr. Charles Clore's gaining control of the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd., a new board has been formed. It consists, apart from Mr. Clore, of Lord Elgin, Mr. Leonard §ainer, Mr. J. G. Gardiner and Sir Andrew Murray. Sir Andrew, who was formerly chairman of the company. is the only remaining member of the old board.

PARK ROYAL NOW GUINNESS

TO avoid confusion the title of Park Royal Transport, Ltd.. was changed on Tuesday Guinness Transport, Ltd.

Councils ,Seek New Concession Powers

FFORTS are to be made to secure

• L' the amendment of the Public Service Vehicles (Travel Concessions) Act to remove what have been described as anomalies.

Representatives of Birmingham, Coventry, Liverpool, Birkenhead, Newcastle upon Tyne and Gelligaer, who attended a conference in Birmingham on Tuesday, agreed to ask all municipalities owning transport systems to approach the Minister of Transport for in, amendment of the law. They are to be asked for, details of existing fare concessions and anomalies. . The municipalities aim to gain Power to deal with local problems.

According to Aid. A. F. Bradbeer, chairman of Birmingham General Purposes Committee, the principal anomaly in thecity was that concessions could not be given to teachers, .fire-brigade officials and police, who had given long service to local authorities, and to s people not receiving national pensions, but who depended on private pensions and resources based on pre-war money values.

EXCURSIONS FOR DOG EXHIBITORS

AN application to run excursions for dog exhibitors and their dogs was made to the Yorkshire Licensing Authority on Monday by Sharpe Bros. (Beighton), Ltd., Sheffield. The company wished to operate to eight places where championship shows were held.

Mr. F. Sharpe said that he was a pioneer of such excursions. There were about 10 dog societies in the Sheffield area. His company's trips allowed half-hour stops on journeys for owners to exercise their dogs.

Yorkshire Pool Operators withdrew th eir objection. British Railways wished the applicants not to seek permission for two years to run more than one coach to Manchester or Leeds. The application was granted, but the limit pressed for by the railways was specified to end on December 31. 1957.

CONCESSION FARES EXTENDED rIN Sunday London Transport will

,extend its 5s. unlimited-travel tickets on the country buses. At present they are valid on most country routes south of the Thames, but as from Sunday they will be issued also on practically all the country routes to the north of London.

FUEL TAX CUT NEXT YEAR?

HOPES of a cut in the fuel tax next year rose on Tuesday, when the Chancellor of the Exchequer said that it might then be possible to make relaxations, instead of austerely building up Budget surpluses. He was speaking during a discussion on entertainment tax, and promised that a reduclion in it would be considered.

Demand for 40-hour Week Condemned

TRADE-UNION pressure for a I 40-hour week and three weeks' paid holiday was criticized by Mr. C. Sprittles, refiring president of the National Employers' Association of Vehicle Builders, at the annual general meeting at Blackpool last week. A shorter working week, he said, would mean less production at higher cost.

Automation, he thought, might result in a revival of craftsmanship through the tendency of individuals to wish to own something different from other people. "It is in this direction that, we trust, prosperity for our members will always lie," said Mr. Sprittles.

Mr. P. A. Harding was elected president and Mr. N. R. Carrington-Bates has succeeded him as vice-president.

COMET FOR OILFIELD WORK A SPECIAL mobile unit for perforatrt ing the cement casings of oil-well bores has been placed in service by Trinidad Oilfield Service, Ltd. It is based on a Leyland Comet goods chassis, similar to that used by the concern as a mobile cementer to line the bores. Previously the company used American petrol chassis, but they have now conserved dollars by buying British.

The unit functions after the well has been drilled and the casing cemented in the open bore. The casing has to be perforated where the oil-bearing sands are, and this is done by an electric gun which is lowered to the required depth by winch_ Power for the winch is supplied by the Comet's 5.76-litre engine. Maximum output is required for continuous periods of six to 12 hours.

About 17,000 ft. of single-core wire line is spooled on the winch drum, and lowering of the 12-ft-long gun is controlled from a small cabin at the rear of the cab. The gun descends by gravity and its speed is controlled by the winch brake. When at the required depth, the operator checks by a linemeasuring device and can fire the shots from the control panel in the vehicle.

Another function performed by the unit is collar locating. This demands an extremely slow line speed and the lowest ranges through the Albion gearbox and Warner transmission to the winch are used.

LINCOLN LOSING TRAFFIC

REPORTING a deficiency of £18,800 for the undertaking CUL F. W. G. Todd, chairman of Lincoln Transport Committee, told the city council last week that 335,000 passengers were lost between November, 1955, and March last. There might be a deficiency of £33,000 by March, 1957.

A scheme to save £7.000 was being pushed forward. Aid. J. W. Rayrnent said that services might have to be cut if frequencies were too high.

Petrol Tank Exploded Child Trespassed

THE father of a 10-year-old girl who was injured after she threw a lighted match into a lorry's petrol tank on a bombed site, failed to obtain damages from the owner of the vehicle in the Queen's Bench Division last week.

The defendant, Mrs. Florence Loveridge, Second Avenue, Manor Park, London, was a used-vehicle dealer who employed the site as a park. She claimed that the child was a trespasser. Defendant had rented the site for a week before the accident. For some years before that the ground had been allowed to children for play.

Mr. Justice Pearce said that the plaintiff bad failed to establish any licence to the land by the child. Mrs. Loveridge turned children away from the site whenever she went there. She had no duty towards the child as licensee, but as a trespasser. As the accident was not reasonably foreseeable he gave judgment for the defendant.

JIB EXTENSION FOR 2-TON , CRANE A N extension jib for fitting to the Staffa "2" 2-ton hydraulic portable

crane has recently been produced. It can be quickly attached to the standard jib by means of locking pins, the hook and chain being transferred to the extension.

With the extension jib, loads of

950 lb. at 7 ft. 8 in. outreach, to 5,000 lb. at 3 ft. 6 in. outreach, can be handled. The crane is made by Chamberlain Industries, Ltd., Staffa Works, Leyton, London, E.10.

ANOTHER Id. SOUGHT

AN application for an increase of Id. on all city bus fares is to be made by Birmingham Transport Committee. Ald. 1-1, Watton, chairman, said last week that a plan to raise week-end fares had been withdrawn. Workmen's fares and fares on night services would go up by Id.

SCHOLARSHIPS

THE scholarships selection panel of the institute of the Motor Industry, 40 Queen's Gate, London, S.W.7, will be interviewing candidates before the end of July for the new year at Loughborottgh College which begins on September 17. New French GasTurbine Vehicle KNOWN as the Shooting Star, an experimental gas-turbine vehicle was announced last Friday by the Regie Nationale des Usines Renault; Billancourt, near Paris. It is not a prototype for production in the near future, but is to be the basis of further experimental work.

The Shooting Star was demonstrated at Montlhery motor race track, but no technical information has been released beyond the fact that it incorporates a Turbomcca gas turbine of a type already successfully used in aeroplanes. This has a maximum b.h.p. of 270 and is presumably a similar unit to that installed in the experimental Sornua sixwheeled lorry (The Commercial Motor, May 4). Renault and Somua are financially linked.

NO INSURANCE: SENT TO PRISON IGHT days after he had been interviewed by the police with regard to four driving offences a man was found to be committing them again. At Chesterfield borough magistrates' court last week, Edward Baler, of 10 Walton Crescent, Chesterfield, was sent to prison for three months for driving a van twice without third-party insurance. He was also disqualified from holding a driving licence for two years.

He was fined 11 for not displaying "L" plates when driving under a provisional licence on the first occasion, and £2 for the second occasion_ For driving when not accompanied by a competent driver he was fined £1 the first time and £2 the second time, and for driving a van without a Road Fund licence he was fined £2 and £4:

Ex-Garage Owner Jailed for Fuel Swindle

rtA TWO-YEAR prison sentence was imposed at Essex Assizes, last week, on John William Peters, Oundle Road, Orton Longuevillc, Peterborough, who for 23 months until February 29was proprietor of the Cosy Corner Garage. Little Paxton on the Great North Road. He appeared on three charges of false pretences involving small sums.

According to the prosecution, police officers watched the garage and noted the quantities of oil fuel supplied to lorry drivers. It was later found that notes submitted by Peters to the Regent Oil Co., Ltd., were in respect of quantities larger than had actually been supplied.

It was alleged that Peters had offered lorry drivers 2s. 6d. or 3s. for each extra gallon of fuel shown on theirsheets. Mr. Justice Gorman said that he was worried about the co-operation of lorry drivers in the offences.

NEW SPECIALIZED -DEPOT ON Monday, Coventry and Jeffs, Ltd., Lansdown Garage. Clifton, Bristol, 8. are opening at Bedminster a well-equipped depot exclusively to handle Seddon and Dodge commercial vehicles, and Perkins conversions and replacements.

The main shop has an area of 11.000 sq. fr. with a clear roof span of 65 ft. without pillars. There are sunken service bays with Tecalemit service equipment. a 10-ton hydraulic ramp, washing bays, and all the necessary equipment for handling expeditiously heavy-vehicle repairs. The stores, with offices above, cover some 2,500 sq. ft. of floor area with overhead tackle and runway for heavy units.

ASCORK GRANTED LICENCE rrHE North Western Licensing Authority has granted an A licence for three vehicles to Ascork, Ltd., Kenwyn Avenue, Marton, Blackpool. At an original hearing last year, the application was to take over the licence held for many years by Mr. A. S. Cork, who had formed a company.

The application was refused, but, on appeal, the Transport Tribunal ordered the case to be re-heard. The Authority said that he did not wish to deprive Mr. Cork of compensation for a business he had built up.

BAN ON SLOW VEHICLES?

A LTHOUGH Calcutta State Trans(1 port has acquired 20 new 64-scat double-deckers for city services, it is not expected that facilities will be appreciably improved. The roads cannot accommodate many more vehicles, and unless slow-moving vehicles arc banned it is useless to provide extra buses.

It has been recommended that rickshaws, hand-carts and animal-drawn carts be replaced by motorvans. This has been done in Bombay. Delhi and Madras.

30 More Eleetries for R.A.C.S.

THROUGH the C.W.S. motor trade

department, Smith's Delivery Vehicles, Ltd., have received from the Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society a further large order for 30 1-ton batteryelectric dairyman's vehicles. Detachable bodies and cabs are being produced to R.A.C.S. design. These components are of composite, bolted construction, with corrugated aluminium floors and steel roofs for carrying crates.

Similar bodies were built on 23 chassis which Smith's supplied last year. The design has proved so successful in cases of accidental damage, and for maintenance and repair, that it has been adopted as standard by the Society.

QUICKER TO PARIS TRAVELLING time between London

and Paris by the coach-air service operated by Skyways. Ltd., is to be cut from 6 hours 50 minutes to 5 hours 55 minutes. This compares with the time for the fastest rail-sea facility of 7 hours 10 minutes.

Skyways' off-peak return fare will remain at £7 14s. Government permission is being sought to extend the hours during which it is applicable.

ONE-WAY INQUIRY

Minister of Transport proposes to make a full technical investigation into the possibilities of further oneway traffic operation in London. Mr. Gresham Cooke (Con.. Twickenham) was told on Monday

Oxford Street a Stumbling Block

AALTHOUGH investigations into the staggering of working hours in London have been partially successful, results concerning the Oxford Street and Regent Street zones have been disappointing, it is stated in the 1955 report of the Central Transport Consultative Committee (Stationery Office, 8d.).

Design of bus shelters should be standardized, it is proposed. They should provide adequate protection in exposed places. The Minister of Trans port is asked for guidance in the design of inexpensive all-weather shelters.

Last year the II area committees received complaints from the public of the non-existence or inadequacy of some 50 bus services. Estimated minimum savings accruing from the closing of railway branch lines was £1,428,811 a year.

Because buses cannot carry heavy luggage or , prams, inconvenience is caused to some members of the public where bus services have replaced closed rail branch lines. This matter has been considered by the Wales and Monmouthshire Transport Users' Consultative Committee, and the British Transport Commission have been asked to investigate means for providing suitable facilities.

Pending the possible intrtaduction of differently designed buses, say the committee in their 1955 report, trailers might be used.

The Central Committee have -asked the Minister to consider this matter, and point out that trailers are used abroad.

BUS OPERATORS FINED 135 VINES amounting to £35 were I imposed on J. Lloyd and Son, Ltd., Avenue Road Garage, Nuneaton, by Coventry Magistrates last week. The company pleaded guilty to 11 summonses and were fined £5 on each of four alleging the use without a conductor of buses with seating for over 20 passengers.

A fine of £5 was inflicted for using a bus with standing passengers without a conductor, and another £5 for using a bus without a fire extinguisher being readily available. The company were also fined £1 on each of five summonses for failing to carry fare tables on buses.

Costs of £3 4s. and £3 3s. advocates' fees were imposed.

AN* ELECTRIC IMPACT WRENCH A "PLUG-IN-ANYWHERE" elee tric tool for nut running and many other operations has been introduced by the Consolidated Pneumatic Tool Co., Ltd., 232 Dawes /Road, London. S.W.6. Known as the CP-725EW, it-is an electric impact wrench having a +-in.-square drive which will take a full range of sockets covering all sizes of hexagon and square nut within its capacity.

The standard tool is wouud to operate on 230-250v. A.C. or D.C., but it can be supplied for 110v. if required.

Witnesses Attack Rail Services

WHEN J. Rawlings (Haulage), Ltd., VY Newton Tony, sought an A licence from the Western Licensing Authority last week for a vehicle of 51 tons to be acquired, supporting witnesses gave evidence of the unsuitability of rail facilities. A spokesman of McDougall's, Ltd., millers, Andover, said that " tremendous damage" was caused by double handling when. self-raising flour was sent by rail. The transport manager of Tasker's of Andover (1932), Ltd., stated that rail transport was unsuitable for the company's business. Export orders had to be rushed to the ports at short notice and this was not possible by rail.

Mr. C. L. Pratley, for the railways, strenuoqsly opposed the application. Rail traffic from Andover had, he said. dropped during the past year. Applicants already held a B licence. for a smaller vehicle which it was intended to replace. Mr. T. D. Corpe said that the company sometimes wanted as many as seven vehicles a day for customers who required rapid transport of goods to any part of the country. It was annoying for the applicants, he said, not to be able to use a vehicle for a rush job because it did not carry the appropriate licence.

The Authority granted the application.

Modern Roads as Vital as Automation

"TUODERN roads are as vital to our /VI future as automation," said Lord Derwent, chairman of the British Road Federation, at the annual general meeting of the B.R.F. last week. There had not been great stability in the economy over the past 10 years, he said, yet during that period the gas and electricity industries alone had drawn on the total investment resources of the country to the extent of 41,120m. " While this has been going on, traffic on our roads has doubled and industry has found it necessary to rely more and more upon road transport," Lord Derwent said. He told the meeting that 13 countries had nominated delegates to the Federation's international conference in London in September to discuss urban motorways. "I can tell you that from the contributions to the conference we have already received from abroad, we . . . are really staggered to find how far this country lags behind in its road thinking." Lord Derwent reiterated a demand for a road loans system. It might be unorthodox in Britain, but there were plenty of examples that it worked.

Scottish Competition Rules Published

liDEGULATIONS for the Scottish Commercial Vehicle Driver of the Year Competition (formerly known as the ScottishLorry Driver of the Year Competition) have now been issued. Broadly, they follow the lines of the rules for the All-England competition. A similar classification of vehicles is used. Competitors who touch posts or pylons in the manceuvring tests will be less heavily penalized than in the English competition, but, on the other hand, anyone who makes a false declaration of freedom from accident will be barred for life from all further competitions. In the All-England contest, disqualification for making a false statement is discretionary. It had been hoped to hold an eliminating contest at Perth or Dundee, but insufficient interest has been shown by operators. Eliminating contests will, however, be held in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow. The dates have not yet been fixed. The competition is sponsored b y British Road Services, Associations of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, Scottish Cooperative Wholesale Society, Scottish Accident Prevention Council, Road Haulage Association, Scottish Horse and Motormen's Association, Transport and General Workers Union and Traders' Road Transport Association. Mr. John 0. Hastie, secretary of the T.R.T.A. Scottish Division, is secretary of the organizing committee.

LEARNING OFF THE ROAD

APRIVATE training ground for

learner-drivers is to be opened near Coventry next month. It is situated alongside the London Road at. Willetthall. The venture is the idea of Mr. L. J. Sutton, Gibbet Hill, Coventry.

The 34-acre ground includes crossroads, junctions, bends, a one-way street, a humped-back bridge and areas for reversing and parking in restricted places. There are also automatic signals, a zebra crossing and standard road signs.

WALLACE ARNOLD RECORD

I-1 A RECORD number of passengers was carried by Wallace Arnold Tours, Ltd. in 1955 on tours throughout Britain. Demand for Continental tours also increased. In his annual report, Mr. Robert Barr. chairman. says that the company hope to plan a modest number of aircoach tours in 1957. Last year, the remaining pre-war vehicles in the company's coach fleet were replaced.

Wilks and Meade, Ltd,, bodybuilding associate, now had a new workshop.