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BUS ACTIVITIES IN NORTH-WESTERN SHIRES.

29th September 1925
Page 22
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Page 22, 29th September 1925 — BUS ACTIVITIES IN NORTH-WESTERN SHIRES.
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Details of Extensive Developments Which are Being Recorded in the Counties of Cumberland and Westmorland.

IN a survey of the period from the end of the war to the present time nothing is more remarkable than the almost universal development of motorbus services throughout the length and breadth of the country. Private owners and municipal undertakings, in many instances,: have co-ordinated their efforts to provide efficient connecting links in the areas which they serve.

In the far north-west corner of England, bounded on the east and west by the Pennines and including almost the whole of the country between the Scottish Border and Morecambe Bay, rapid developments have taken place recently, mid alibi:nigh the services now running are quite comprehensive; it is certain: that there will be imPortantex-. tensions in the near futhre. Springing from a modest bus service instituted between Whitehaven and Cleator Moor there is to-day a large system of services operated in this area under the associated management of the Cumberland Motor Services, Ltd., and the Westmorland Motor Services, Ltd, the latter being a newly formed company whose organization incorperates several concerns which already have services in operation.

The Cumberland Company's services were commenced in 1512,whert three vehicles were put into service, anti then the war bame and operations were brought to a standstill, the company having a. very difficult time with certain types of American vehicle using coal-gas as a motive power. Machines for which deposits were paid. before the war were not received until after the Armistice, and then it Was not long before develop-: ments were recorded, the first new service to be added to the original cue being between Workington and Mary port. Four double-deck vehicles were then put -on to the Cleator Moor service, which was extended to Erizington, the l‘faryport service being extended later to Cockermouth.

The coal strike showed the importance of road motor services, and it suggested the need for a through 'service from Whitehaven to Carlisle, a distance of 41 miles. This long. route is now a regular feature of the work of the company; and the service is maintained in

638 conjunction with those from Cockermouth to Carlisle, cad froth Maryport along the coast to Silloth and then through IrVigtou to Carlisle. A still further ,extension of the Cleator Moor service to Rowrah has taken place, whilst there is also a route through Egremont to ati.sforth, and during the past summer a new service has been opened in this direction to St. Bees.

The latest development, however, is mare in an inland direction, and by the buses on the Cumberland and Westmorland Co.'s services it is now possible to traverse portions of the Lake District which haVe never before been

touched by hue services and which are far removed from railway connections. .Industrial, agricultural. , and •.rural populations are serVed by the companies vehicles and there is also a big holiday traffic to deal with in : connection with the services to the -various seaside. resorts and to the' Lake District, but wherever one of the . familiar red vehicles is met there is little fear that. any irregularity in running will have to be recorded. • Fares varyaccording to . the routes. traversed, but, on the whole, they approximate to ane penny per pas-, senger per mile, although . cheap return, weekly, contract and school-children's. tickets are issued. The summer services are naturally more extensive than those

run at other times of the year and the mileage covered reaches the high total of 1-i million a year. At the present time 63 vehicle's are in service, and in order to maintain early morning services and prevent dead running, branch garages have been founded at Workington (with eight vehicles), Maryport .(two vehicles), Cockermouth (four vehicles), Wigton (14 vehicles) anti Keswick (two vehicles), these figures relating only to the services of

the Cumberland Co. All these vehicles are controlled from the head garage at Whitehaven and are brought there in turn every three weeks for docking. Drivers are not allowed to carry out repairs, but by a system of regular overhaul stoppages have been reduced to a rnininium, and on a year's running the company have a rt:‘cord of one breakdown to an average of 112,014 miles.

Difficulties have been experienced in housing this rapidly growing fleet, and the next development will probably be in the matter of providing more suitable accommodation in various parts of the district. This movement has been started at Workington, and here the company have a largo motorbus station -in course of erection. The station, which will shortly be completed, has imposing frontages to two streets, and the vehicles will pull in at one end and •proceed out at the other, •adequate facilities in the way of waiting-rooms, cafes and stalls of variouS sorts being provided. At Whitehaven important improvements are projected in regard to stores and to repair shops.

. The routes vary. considerably in so far as gradients and the character of the journeys are concerned, but the running costs are recorded at the remarkably low figure of 10d. pert mile; the principal items in this sum being drivers' and conductors'. -wages at 31d., cleaners id., inspeetors and tickets approximately id., maintenance of rolling stock nearly 2d., administration charges alniost and petrol -about 2d. per mile. . With a number of garages it might appeaeto be difficult to check figures. rogardingpetrel consiimption,but each driver has a card, and this is filled in by

the storekeeper, who also fills in from the way-bill the mileage accomplished.

The whole of the malitteeance work is carried out by the staff and, at the Vithitehaven depot, vehicles come in for attention with unfailing regularity. It is possible with the stocks on hand to replace or renew any part at short notice. On the occasion of a visit of a representative of Tile Commercial Motor it was noted that engines are given a prolonged running in on the test bench before being returned to the chassis. All the vehicles are electrically fitted throughout, including electric horns, and a well-equipped electrical department is a feature of the Works.

The greater portion of the fleet of vehicles is Daimlers, and many of them run on pneumatic tyres. So far as tests go pneumatic tyres have proved their worth, net only in regard to easier running, but in regard to maintenance costs, for vibration is materially reduced and this results in a reduction of wear and tear on the chassis and body so that miner adjustments are not so often required. Spare wheels are carried, and every morning an inspection is made of the tyres, the pressures of which are carefully checked.

Westmorland Motor Services, Ltd., have brought together the Lake District Road Traffic Co., of Amble-side (with 15 machines), Feints, Ltd., of Ambleside (with five vehicles), and Messrs. Rutters, of Kendal, whose five vehicles maintain a local service in the town of connection with the railway company, and will provide bue and motor, coach services in conjunction with railway bookings from 'Windermere. Five new A.E.C. vehicles of the forward-dash type, which are fitted with giant pneumatic tyres, have been put into serviee through the Lake District.

Under the direction of Mr. T. Meageen, the genial manager of the two companies, developments have occurred rapidly, and there is now a staff of 200 in connection with the Cumberland Co.'s services alone. It is a point of which the management is proud that with all the men they have engaged, it has not been the custom to take a man from a job, but it endeavours to keep the staff as settled as possible by careful attention to the welfare of every man. With this object in view two funds have been started, one being known as the benevolent fund and the other as the provident fund.

From the benevolent fund the men have their health insurance payments and union fuude augmented until they have 12 per week from the first day they are away ill. It was found that men came back to work before they were really fit fa the arduous work of driving and conducting, and this fund enables a man to take care of himself and provides funds in the first few days of sickness before the National funds are available. The management states that any fears there might have been that the men would take unfair advantage of the fund has been refuted in a manner which reflects credit on them. From this fund the men are also provided with an annual outing.

The provident fund is contributory, and the men may pay in anything from 6d. -per week. Some are paying in as

neueh as per week, and on their investments they receive from the company interest at the rate of 5 per cent. The men also have the opportunity of letting their wives and children contribute to this fund, and any amount can be withdrawn at a day's notice.

Tags

People: T. Meageen
Locations: Maryport

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