birds eye view
Page 50
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by the Hawk • Nice work The operator associations can, when necessary, move at a pace which puts Ministries to shame. A couple of weeks ago when it finally became clear that British operators' vehicles in EEC countries would need to conform to AETR rules for driving hours from October I, it also became clear that it was no use waiting for the MoT to make up its mind whether to do anything about providing AETR log books. So on a Tuesday the FTA, RBA and PVOA put their heads together and decided to draw up a log book on AETR fines. By the Friday they had planned the book, discussed it with the Ministry and got it into the hands of a printer with a firm order.
I gather that copies of the AETR book, which has been made uniform for goods and passenger use, will be available from the associations by about mid-September. It uses the AETR graphic form of time recording, with lines drawn to represent duty and rest periods. This may come as a bit of a puzzler to British drivers at first, but I gather that, once familiar, it is almost literally child's play.
• Tragedy
I dare not count the years that have been spent telling offspring where not to play and what not to touch and do. Over the years the possible dangerous circumstances that have been envisaged must be countless and yet the other day I read of a situation which few parents could be expected to foresee.
In Slough, it seems the latest game played by the children in an effort to prove who is the bravest and most daring has involved the emergency buttons situated on the sides of the buses with remotely controlled doors. Both operators in Slough—London Transport and Thames Valley Traction Co— feature these buttons.
The children's game has been to operate the buttons on moving buses as they pass by, sometimes at some considerable speed, so causing the doors to open.
Recently, I hear, the inevitable happened_ An 1-year-old boy leapt at the butto misjudged it and fell back, unfortunate under the vehicle's wheels. He died.
I don't think there is any moral to learned from it; it just opens one's eyes little wider.
• Beach party
Perhaps a few British busmen should folio the example set by some of their Americi colleagues this week.
In Miami on Sunday, an estitnati 20,000 people attended a beach par organized by the Miami bus drivers' unio the Fraternal Order of Transit Employe( The event, financed by raffles, was counter complaints from passengers rudeness, a generally poor service ar refusal to accept passengers who did n have the correct fare.
A beach party in Dunstable, Bedfor shire, is just about impossible as there 'no beach for miles; a recent complaint 1 the Luton Trades Council to the Unit+ Omnibus Co Ltd would seem to justi something, however.
I'm told that a bus carrying factor workers from Dunstable was recent delayed for 25 minutes because the Uniti driver took his tea break in the canteen another factory en route. Consequend the passengers were 25 minutes late f work, those on the clock" losing half hour's pay.
The trades council demanded a pub] inquiry; instead a private inquiry is beil considered by the company. On the face I it, I think United should hold an inquir and let its findings be known.
• Cor, Corby!
The always-enterprising York Trailer C has taken the initiative again, and with campaign to which I lend my wholeheartt support. York's marketing manager ft trailers, Jeff Harrison, has just sent me tl literature for it. It carries just one gloria message—"Save the miniskirt!"