Bigger Buses With More Standing Room Would Cut Costs
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A N increase in the standing capacity Cl of public-service vehicles, at present prohibited by law, was advocated by Mr. W. M. Little, transport manager of Edinburgh Corporation, at the annual conference of the Scottish Road Passenger Transport Association, held it Pitlochry, last week.
He also made a special plea for a universal type of vehicle on a single basic structure. if the overall width were increased to 8 ft., he said, a vehicle 30 ft. by 8 ft. should be able to deal comfortably with a total load of at least 60 passengers. Subsequent discussion was mainly in Favour of Mr. Little's proposals', but Mr. Gordon Young, chief engineer of Messrs. Young's Bus Service, Paisley, spoke in support of double-deck vehicles for economy and ease of loading and unloading. If someone produced a three-decker, he would buy it, he said.
Court. W. P. Farsman (Edinburgh) ;aid that passenger vehicles were now osting from £4,500 to £5,000, and local rathorities had come to the point where they were refusing to pay such prices. The solution was to put on the road. not more vehicles, but machines of different design and larger capacity. He thought that the public would rather stand on short journeys than stand in queues.
Mr. S. Cartmell, of Leyland Motors, Ltd., said that if there were a 32-ft. by 8-ft. body, makers would be able to produce cheaper buses. Mr. A. Chattey, general sales manager, A.E.C., Ltd., suggested closer association between operators, vehicle makers and those responsible for ensuring that the regulations made by the Government were sensibly applied.
• Mr. E. R. L. Fitzpayne, general manager, Glasgow Corporation transport department,.said that Glasgow. had tried out some 8-ft.-wide trolleybuse.s and they had been a great success.
Mr. James Amos, chairman of the• Conference, declared that unless seating capacity per vehicle were increased, the hope that bus fares aorad be maintained at their present level was bound to wane in the near future.