DANGEROUS LONDON ROADS:
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NO MORE WOOD BLOCKS? PARTICULAR concern about the 1 dangerous surfaces of some roads in the London Traffic Area is expressed in the 22nd annual report of the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee. The report has been made to the Minister of Transport and covers the year ended September, 30, 1947_ It has been issued by the Stationery Office at 6d., and is the Committee's first report to be published since 1938.
"We recommend," states the report, "that only non-skid road surfaces should be laid, that they should be kept non-skid, and, in particular, that wood blocks should not be used."
Now that some of the main thoroughfares in Central London are being cleared of standing vehicles by the "No Waiting" Order, the Committee proposes to consider whether a system of unilateral waiting could with advantage be introduced in other streets of ksser traffic importance, where movemenu • is at present hindered by vehicles waiting on each side. • The Committee has placed on record some of the reasons for advising the Minister why it would be unwise to introduce in one operation a scheme on the lines of the Antrobus plan.
F'UEL ISSUES LIMIT C-LICENCE WORK " IT does not seem sufficiently well understood that although the use of C vehicles for the carriage of goods for and in connection with the C licence holder's own trade or business is not restricted under the provisions of the Road and Rail Traffic Act, 1933 . . . motor fuel rations are issued against applications specifying the purposes for which the fuel will be used. Use of motor fuel for any purpose other than that for which it is issued is illegal," states the Traders' Road Transport Association.
The Association points out that if an operator applies for and receives rations for use in a specified vehicle for carrying his own goods within a certain radius, but operates the vehicle outside that radius, he is committing an offence. SIX ON SHORT LIST FOR LIVERPOOL
L'RO/vt 69 applicants for the post of 1 general passenger transport manag6tat Liverpool, Mr. Ben England, Mr. H. Muscroft and Mr. G. H. Pulfrey, general managers at Nottingham, Huddersfield and Hull respectively, have been placed on the short list or six. The post is held by mr. W. G. Marks, who retires this summer. Salary is 12,500 a year, rising by £250 annually to 13,000.
NEW EAST AFRICA TRACTOR AGENCY
A N announcement Of the formation
of Blake-Mackay Engineering Co. (Africa), Ltd., as sole agent in East Africa. for Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co. and• other U.S. concerns, is particularly interesting as a link with the groundnuts scheme, transport for which is reviewed in a special article in this issue. The organization has so far been established at Nairobi, Dar-esSalaam, Mombasa and Lindi.
Large numbers of Allis-Chalmers exwar tractors and equipments have been reconditioned in the U.K. by Mackay Industrial Equipment, Ltd., Feltham, Middlesex, parent agency, and are being used on the scheme.
3,000 MORE B-LICENSEES
A N increase took place last year in
the number of B-licensees, as well as in the numbers of A, Contract A and C-licence holders. In 1947, operators holding B licences or B defence permits increased from 29,542 to 32,508. The number of vehicles operated under these licences rose from 58,386 to 64,418. CLEARING HOUSE PROPOSALS FOR B.T.C.
THE joint cotrunittee .set up by the
National Conference of Road Transport Clearing Houses and the Road Haulage Association's Clearing House Functional Group at the time' when the Transport. Bill was before Parliament, has been re-formed. It now consists of eight members.
Mr 'Henry Rossington, chairman, of the N.C.R.T.C.1-1.—Mr. L. C. Andrews, Mr. N. E: Bennett and Mt. A. Packham represent the Conference. The committee is to formulate proposals to place before the ,British Transport Commission regarding the operation of clearing-house facilities.
ANONYMOUS LETTERS TO T.R.T.A. • ANONYMOUS letters "-orn tloperators have been received trt the Traders' Road Transport Association in answer to the request (published in "The Commercial Motor" on March 19) for documented evidence of alleged illegal use of C-licence vehicles. The T.R.T.A. points out that no action can be taken on unsigned letters.
RATES TABLES EXTENDED T ABLES to cover weekly, daily and / hourly hire for local work and to provide a basis of charges for additional waiting above a reasonable time, for Vehicles of all carrying capacities, are to be added to the rates schedule which has been devised by the National Conference of Road Transport Clearing Houses.
This schedule was described in The Commercial Motor" of March 19, and operates in conjunction with a simple goods classification. It is hoped that the work of compilation will be completed within the next three months
WREXHAM C-LICENCEES UNITE WREXHAM now has a sub-area YY organization of the Traders' Road Transport Association. Mr. F. P. Crowe has been appointed chairman, Mr. E. Smith vice-chairman and Mr. W. Kington honorary secretary. Other members of the committee are Messrs. J. Brown, K. Hugh Dodd, A. F. Evans and R. D. Wilson.
Col. A. Jerrett, president ot the Association, presided at the inaugural meeting.
IPSWICH TROLLEYBUS FARM 50 PER CENT. UP?
AN all-round increase of 50 per cent. in trolleybus return fares is contemplated by Ipswich Corporation. Application has been made for authority to raise fares.
Children's return tickets will be available from Mondays to Fridays only for children up to 15 years of age, or beyond that age if wearing school uniform. No children's return tickets will be available during school holidays, An additional id. will be charged on ordinary fares in respect of a limited number of selected fare stages.
Newcastle-on-Tyne City Council is to apply to the Ministry of Transport for sanction to raise tram and trolleybus fares.