1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168 
CENTRAL SMT FORCED TO CUT SERVICES
Page 43
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Traffic manager tells of decline in traffic and crew shortages
HALF a million passengers a week had been lost to the Central SMT Co. Ltd., the Scottish Traffic Commissioners were told in Edinburgh on Wednesday when the company applied to vary its timetables. Mr. John Whittle, traffic manager, said this was the total falling off in passengers for the past five-year period.
Mr. Whittle said they were not seeking to reduce mileage but rather to redistribute it. The application was to vary timings on services between Newmains and Glasgow, Coatbridge and Hamilton. Newtown and Glasgow, Lanark and Glasgow, Wishaw and Glasgow, Lesmahagow (local) and Lesmahagow and Glasgow, Newarthill and Glasgow, Hamilton and Shotts, Shotts and Glasgow, Strathaven and Airdrie, and Eddlewood and Glasgow.
For the company, Mr. J. B. T. Louden said that Central SMT was short of drivers and conductors, was suffering from a decline in passengers and the competition of improved rail services and the increase in cars.
It was also suffering because timetables had been adjusted when p.s.v. usage was at its very peak, but that peak was no longer there.
Mr. Whittle revealed that they were about 25 per cent below strength in drivers and 13 per cent in conductors and had even advertised in a Pakistani newspaper, which had drawn a good recruiting response. After a call for volunteers for extra duties, 58.'7 per cent of drivers and 31 per cent of conductors now worked their rest days.
Representations by Lanark fourth district council were accompanied by a statutory objection from Lanark town council against the cut from 15 min. to 20 min. in the Glasgow service frequency. To this, Mr. Whittle replied that a survey showed that the services being left on were still in excess of requirements.
The Commissioners granted the application, the chairman, Mr. A. B. Birnie commenting that a more reliable service would result.