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SATISFACTORY LONG-DISTANCE COACHING OVER CHRISTMAS.

30th December 1932
Page 59
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Page 59, 30th December 1932 — SATISFACTORY LONG-DISTANCE COACHING OVER CHRISTMAS.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

GENERALLY speaking, the coaching traffic during the Christmas holidays was up to last year's standard, and, despite fog in many districts, the longdistance services were not unduly dislocated. From London, the northern traffic was more than usually heavy.

The King's Cross. Motor Coach Station sent off a large number of coaches to Newcastle, Manchester and Liverpool, whilst a useful amount of traffic was available to cities as far north as Glasgow and Edinburgh. We underStand that there was no noticeable dislocation of services by reason of fog.

We learn from the Central London (Road Transport) Station that most of the traffic from this terminus went out on Friday night, and, in volume, was roughly equivalent to that of last year. This station, of course, serves particularly Newcastle and other north-eastcoast towns.

The London Terminal Coach Station reports a smaller number of bookings than last year, and an unusual state of affairs obtained in connection with services to Portsmouth, which were not so well patronized as is usually the ease, but, on the other hand, there was ample traffic on the Southampton route. We are informed that northward traffic was fair.

From London Coastal Coaches, Ltd., we learn that the volume of business handled was larger than at last Christmas, and that traffic to the north was Particularly heavy. Services of the Southdown Motor Services, Ltd., and the Maidstone and District Motor Services, Ltd., handled a larger number of passengers than 11911 al, and, generally speaking, the business dealt with during the holiday was quite satisfactory. It is worthy of note that between 7.30 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Friday last 38 coaches bound for Newcastle were despatched from the station. Little dislocation was, we understand, occasioned by fog.

30 BUSES WANTED.

THE transport committee of Man chester Corporation requires tenders for the supply of 30 chassis, either of the petrol-engined or oil-engined type, suitable for carrying double-saloon bodies to seat not fewer than 52 passengers, as well as tenders for the supply of 15 double-saloon bodies. Forms of tender, etc., may be obtained from the general manager, Corporation Transport Department, 55, Piccadilly, Manchester, and tenders must be delivered not later than 10 a.m. on January 10, 1933.

COMMISSIONERS UPHOLD AGREEMENTS.

TWO agreements entered into between operators were upheld at a meeting of the East Midland Traffic Commissioners, when Sir HaviIand Riley, chairman of the Eastern Traffic Commissioners, deputized for Mr. J. H. Stirk.

Mr. II. Booth, of Blidworth, sought to operate excursions from headquarters, and it was revealed that he had entered into an agreement with the Midland General Omnibus Co., Ltd., which precluded him from running excursions, and the Commissioners upheld this arrangement.

Another agreement was mentioned in connection with an application of Mr. A. H. Lingard, of New Balderton, to operate a Balderton-Newark service. Mr. Lingard had sold this service to a Mr. Brown, trading as the Grove Motor Co., and, later, Mr. Brown sold his business to the Lincolnshire Road Car Co., Ltd.

This concern objected to Mr. Lingard's application on the ground that the agreement entered into between Mr. Lingard and Mr. Brown was still binding. The agreement said that Mr. Lingard was "not to compete with the business now carried on by Mr. Brown," and the Lincolnshire Road Car Co., Ltd., contended that the agreement specified the business no matter who operated it, whereas the applicant held that the arrangement terminated when Mr. Brown sold the business.

The Commissioners decided that, unless the agreement was upset by law, they must regard it as good, and refuse the application.

BOOTLE BILL APPROVED.

A MEETING of Bootle ratepayers,

last week, approved the promotion of a Parliamentary Bill to obtain powers to run buses in the borough and neighbourhood. Included in the Bill are provisions in connection with the abandonment of the tramways It has been recommended that Liverpool City Council should petition against the Bill.

BLACKPOOL STANDS TO GO.

THE watch committee of Blackpool Corporation has given its final decision that the stands for coaches, in the streets, are to be abolished.

STATION FOR BRIGHOUSE?

A MEETING between the bus com

panies and the municipalities interested in the erection of a bus station at Brighouse is to be called in that town.

VERBAL AGREEMENT WITH NORTH-WESTERN ROAD CAR CO.

AT a sitting of the North-Western Traffic Commissioners, last week, a licence was granted to the NorthWestern Road Oar Co., Ltd., to operate additional journeys and extensions from Hoekley to Hazelgrove. It was stated that the application involved the surrender of a licence by Mr. F. Hallworth, who had entered into a verbal agreement with the company.

HULL PROJECT APPROVED.

THE special meeting of Hull City Council, held, as reported in last week's issue, on December 21, approved the scheme for the erection of a central bus station, garage and offices, at an estimated cost of £111,248. It is understood that the London and North Eastern Railway Co. will be a joint owner of the station.

EASTERN LICENCE TRANSFER.

THE Eastern Traffic Commissioners have transferred to Benfleet and District Motor Services, Ltd., licences held by Major A. Pearse. This is a new company with a share capital of £3,500 in £1. shares, and Major Pearse and two other partners in the concern hold single shares, whilst Mr. H. A. Bridge holds the remainder.

Mr. Bridge was formerly a director of Westeliff-on-Sea Motor Services, Ltd. BUSH AND TVVIDDY SELI; NORWICH-LONDON SERVICE.

WE understand that the Norwich London service of Messrs. Bush and Twiddy, of Norwich, has been transferred to the Eastern Counties Omnibus Co., Ltd., of that town. It is stated that the deal involves Messrs. Bush and Twiddy's complete fleet of coaches, which has been built up since 1919, and the only difference in the service under new control will be that, at Norwich, coaches will stall from Thorpe Station. instead of from Castle Meadow.

NEW PROPOSALS FOR SAFETY.

AS a sequel to a recent accident in the Spittal of Gleashee, certain proposals to secure greater safety were made, last week, at the sitting of the Northern Scotland Traffic Commissioners.

The Commissioners wished that all public-service vehicles should be driven in first gear from the summit of Cairnwell to Devil's Elbow, at a speed not exceeding 8 m.p.h., that vehicles must stop when a change is made to low gear, that all buses using the road must be able to negotiate Devil's Elbow without reversing, and that full use must be made of the engine as a brake.

Representations were made that buses with more than 20 seats should not be allowed to traverse the road. Objections were entered by several operators, and consideration was adjourned.

MANCHESTER BUS COSTS, WHEN Manchester Corporation applied to the North-Western Traffic Commissioners for permission to make certain increases in fares, sonic interesting figures were given by Mr. R. Stuart Filcher, the transport manager. He said that, last year, from August 7 to November 27, the receipts were 14.757d. per mile, this year's figure being 14.332d. Yet this year the vehicles had, for various reasons, had to cover some 500,000 more miles than a year ago. Mr. W. Chamberlain, chairman of the Commissioners, thought that even the reduced figure of 14.332d. per mile was fairly good. Mr. Filcher gave the wages of drivers and conductors as representing 3id. per mile, and said that the cost of operating a double-deck bus was 16.5d. per mile, as compared with 11.3d. for a single-decker.

RHONDDA WANTS BUSES„

A_ MEETING of Rhondda ratepayers,

at Pentre, last week, passed, by an overwhelming majority, a resolution iu favour of the promotion of a Bill by the Rhondda municipality, providing for the replacement of the tramways by buses.

LESS RATE-CUTTING IN BUS OPERATION.

IMPROVED conditions in the matter of rates for the hire of buses to municipalities, for the transport of school children, were revealed by the tenders submitted to Rhwntlyclydach Council by the Eclipse Saloon Bus Co., Ltd., and the South Wales Transport Co., Ltd. It appears that, in 1931, buses were hired for this purpose at a rate of 41d. per bus-mile, resulting in a loss of 6d. per mile to the operators. The low charge was attributed to fierce competition. This year tenders were submitted on a basis of is. per mile, but the Eclipse and South Wales• companies decided to accept 11.d, per mile. ALEXANDER'S WINTER LOSSES.

LOSSES incurred during the winter by W. Alexander and Sons, Ltd., were revealed at a recent sitting of the Northern Scotland Traffic Commissioners. On behalf of the company it was stated that, in the north of Scotland, it had, in the past, been losing about £1,000 per week from September to July. The increase in the price of petrol has resulted in a considerable rise in the company's costs, so that it has been necessary to seek a reduction in a number of services during the 'winter.

SIR J. MAXWELL ON TRANSPORT PROBLEMS.

DURING an address on "Some

Aspects of the Road Traffic Act, 1930," before the members -of the Institute of Transport, at Newcastle, Sir John Maxwell, C.M.G.' chairman of the Northern Traffic Commissioners, recommended that a lectureship on the subject should be established at Dur

ham University. He attributed the southward movement of many industries to the fact that, in the south, transport costs were less than in the north.

Sir John also mentioned that the Commissioners for the Northern Area have never revoked a licence, whilst he gave it as his view that the parcels problem would right itself in the course of time.

ENCOURAGING ECONOMY.

THE transport committee of Rother ham Corporation recommends making grants to men who have operated their trams and buses with the least amount of current and petrol. In the trolley-bus class, it is suggested that the first three men be awarded prizes of £5, £3, 12 respectively, and, in addition, two drivers be awarded £1 each, whilst each of the first 13 petrol-bus drivers should receive £1.

The committee also recommends that, in the future, the annual grants of this nature be discontinued.

TO BUY PRIVATE SERVICES?

A SUB-COMMITTEE of the Chester

field authority has been authorized to continue negotiations for the purchase of the goodwill of the bus services worked by certain private operators.

AGREED FARES IN TWO AREAS.

GAZETTE 62 of the Western Traffic . Commissioners contains a list of proposed inclusive return fares for charxing on excursions and tours radiating from Exmouth.

Gazette 91 of the West Midland Commissioners gives details of proposed schedules of fares for day tours, halfday tours and excursions to races and similar events from West Bromwich and Darlaston and Wednesbury. It is proposed to substitute these fares for those published in Gazette 58.

RUSES FOR TRAMS, IT is hoped that it will be possible to substitute buses for trams on the Dewsbury-Ossett route in August or September next. The replacement will he made under an agreement between Dewsbury and Ossett Corporations and the National Electric Construction Co., Ltd.

"CONSTRUCTIVE" PART OF COMMISSIONERS' WORK.

THE chairman of the West Midland

Traffic Commissioners, Colonel A. S. Redman, has expressed the view that the Commissioners' work has, so far, been largely in the nature of running eliminating trials in connection with individuals operating services and the services being worked.

The Commissioners are now coming to the more constructive period of their duties, and Colonel Redman thought that it would be helpful to hold informal conferences between the Cornmissioners, operators and others concerned, to discuss questions of general principle, but not statutory matters, such, for example, as the granting of licences.

Mr. 0. C. Power, traffic manager of the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., made a suggestion of this, nature and Colonel Redman hopes to be able to-hold a conference at an early date in the New Year.


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