Municipal Objecti Nice or Profit?
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M.P.T.A. Conference Delegates Discuss Social Obligations of Transport Operators : Joint Training Schools for Inspectors and Drivers Suggested C0-OPERATION by transport authorities in the establishment of training colleges for drivers and inspectors was urged at the annual conference of the Municipal Passenger Transport Association in Belfast last week.
The position of public transport as a social factor and the possibilities of subsidies from housing and education authorities to counterbalance the provision of unremunerative facilities also came before the assembly.
A popular innovation was devotion of the second day to consideration of topical subjects.
Mr. G. A. Cherry (Birkenhead) was elected president, as reported in The Commercial Motor last week, and Cllr. R. Weir (Blackburn) vice-president, 1953-54. Other elections ' were the honorary treasurer, Mr. E. R. L. Fitzpayne (Glasgow); honorary solicitor, Mr. John Atkinson (Newcastle-onTyne); honorary auditor, Mr. Clifford E. Grayson (Leeds).
An increase in subscriptions for 1953-54 was agreed.
No Future for Crush-loaders ?
UTURE prospects of the large underfloor-engined single-decker for urban routes, as opposed to the standard double-decker, were discussed by Mr. Ben England (Nottingham). The Association had been in communication with the Ministry of Transport as recently as August on this matter and the question was now a burning one, he said.
At present, high-standing-capacity single-deckers were permitted to carry 30 standing passengers, or a number equal to the seating capacity, whichever was the less. It was now proposed that standing passengers should not exceed half the seating capacity. Instead of 60, the practicable maximum might be .52, so that the 44-seater with eight standing would give equal capacity. Thus, the principle of the crush loader would be defeated.
Nottingham had tried both the Glasgow crush-load trolleybus and the 60-passenger motorbus. Longer trial was needed for proper conclusions to be reached.
Was transport a suitable occupation for women, asked Ald. M. M. Kelly (Stockton-on-gees), discussing the female conductor. If so, where would the practice stop—with drivers, inspectors or managers? How were crews to be made up, especially when married couples were involved? Stockton, a recent year, had 169 conducting sh —48 male and 121 female.
Aid. Kelly quoted figures to show th sick pay was higher with female stE than male, but the turnover of fema staff was lower. The trade unions we not in favour of female conductors al they were asking authorities to chan when they could obtain male staff.
Cllr. S. P. Hill thought that as worn. drew the same pay as men in transpc they were more satisfied in their jo than in industries where they were on lower rate.
Mr. R. C. Moore (Sheffield) ask whether municipal transport was a soc service, a trading concern or both. Pi sent-day conditions did not permit ho aims to be achieved. It was in peak-ho duplication that most economies cos be achieved, for, compared with 19: peak periods had been reduced in lengt although over the same length of tit rush-hour pressure had increased.
Town councils „should advise tral port committees whether service economies of the department were come first. The worst feature was wh parties traded on current difficulties I political purposes.
Aid. Ball (Wigan) said that by a ha hour's staggering in three mills the t of 18 extra vehicles had been gain4
If there were to be a complete social rvice of transport, asked Aid. H. Plan irkenhead), what was the standard of rvice to be provided. For a long time, tnsport to some new estates was not anomie, but it was a social service. here, for instance, 600 children were ing carried from the country to betteruipped schools, there might be minds for a direct subsidy from ethical' to transport and this principle might followed in other cases.
When a city treasurer had to find 'ge sums for the relief of transport he Ls apt to think he was the general mager, commented Clir. J. F. illiams (Sheffield). Municipalities ght to keep their undertakings out of clutches of the finance committees. Whether scheduled speeds could be ;reased in the interests of economy Ls the topic introduced by Mr. A. itcomb Smith (West Bromwich), who inted out that schedules of vehicles vered by the Association varied from m.p.h. to 14 m.p,h, Mechanical iciency had risen but speeds remained ich the same. A 10 per cent. increase suld save at least id. a mile. Numerous measures could be adopted ease the progress of traffic through ies, one of these being the transfer of vices to parallel low-density streets. Cllr. H. O'Kane (Middlesbrough) ongly opposed the suggestion of .eding up but Aid. H. 0. Emmony ottingham), a former holder of a bile service vehicle licence, replied it at present the most difficult thing do was to keep the driver down to ; schedule. Perhaps the greatest Realty of increased speed would be it of collecting alL fares.
ght Against Fuel ix to Continue
LD. J. H. WHITAKER (Todmork den) took his usual lead and was a on his feet in the opening discusn on" Aiming at Higher Operational iciency," the paper by Mr. T. Barnd, general manager, Doncaster, ich was summarized last week. Ald. aitaker said that the Association old continue to protest against execse fuel taxation. Those undertakings
that refused to display the protest posters were not likely to refuse any rebate, if offered.
Was the industry pitch-forking men into inspectors' jobs, which were important in public relations, without proper training? This question was posed by Mr. I. McKnight (Wigan), who wondered whether some national school should be provided to which potential candidates could be sent.
Aid. H. Platt (Birkenhead) expressed a leaning to the view that conferences were a waste of money. Such a conference as that of the M.P.T.A. should decide on general policies. If a local authority decided to spread its population, was the policy to be that those people be provided with a service, or should they have facilities only if a profit could be made? When authorities were building housing estates, they might consider including an amount in the costs to subsidize the transport.
Mr. N. Morton (Sunderland) observed that his committee would strongly resist any attempt to dictate the policy that they should follow in their own borough. Operators must beware of being complacent on costs, in his undertaking buses that were a ton lighter had given a saving equal to 40. per gallon on fuel.
Many transport committees were pledged to a belief that making a profit was wrong, said Aid. Emmony, who criticized the impact of politics on transport. How many managers could go before a committee and propose a 'eduction in staff? It was difficult even to persuade some members that persons who evaded paying fares should be prosecuted.
Mr, R. Le Fevre (Bury) thought that half a mile was too far to walk from a housing estate; one might well walk another half a mile and save paying a fare at all.
In areas where there were numerous undertakings could a co-operative school for drivers be established, instead of each undertaking training its own?
Mr. Clifford 'Thomas (Caerphilly) directed attention to the railways' experiment in South Wales, which would bring trains operating along some of the valleys at regular frequencies, so that there would be no need to refer to time-tables. In considering competition, managers had to remember that once traffic was lost to an alternative form of transport, it was difficult to retrieve.
Transport Administration In Ulster
IVAN Y distinguished guests were inamong the company of about 500 attending the M.P.T.A. annual dinner.
Mr. W. V. McCleery, Northern Ireland Minister of Commerce, said that the administration of transport in Northern Ireland was one of the functions conferred on the Provincial Parliament when it was established 32 years ago; under those powers they had set up the Northern Ireland Road Transport Boarel in 1935 and the Ulster Transport Authority in 1948, For some reason, people who were willing to pay an economic price for anything else were liable to protest at being charged a fair figure for transport, said Mr. G. A. Cherry.
In addition to an interesting round of visits in Ulster, delegates had the opportunity of a test tour in the city on a Belfast Corporation bus fitted with the Ashanco exhaust brake. This device incorporates an electrically operated valve, which is worked by light pressure on a switch attached to the brake pedal. As the switch is actuated before the vehicle brakes come into operation, the exhaust outlet is shut, and the engine thus acts as a simple compressor.