TRANSPORT TIPS FOR TRADESMEN.
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Particularly ,Addressed to Those Who are Replacing Horsed Vehicles by Motors, or Contemplating So Doing.
THE IDEA of utilizing commercial vehicles in their spare time for the profitable carriage of passengers is one which will, naturally, appeal to any trader running substantial motor vehicles and operating in a centre where traffic in the nature of motor coath trips holds out any considerable possibilities.
Spare Time Passenger Services..
The underlying principle is of course, that the most economical results, can be obtained when a vehicle is .kept permanently busy on productive work. There are occasions upon which no use can be made of a vehicle for the carriage of goods, and, generally speaking, it is just on these occasions that there is a demand for vehicles for the carriage of passengers. Moreover, passenger traffic is attractive because the fares charged may usually be such as to make the business distinctly profitable, and the necessary employment of labour in connection, with the service is comparatively small. The reason for the latter is, of course, that the passengers do not require to be loaded and unloaded. Consequently, as a rule, it is only necessary—for outside work—to employ drivers, though on the larger type. of vehicle it may be desirable to have a conductor to take fares and possibly, to see that the passengers behave and, properly. There may, of course, be difficulties about the provision of dnvers. One can hardly expect a man who has done aaldays' week, driving a vehicle carrying goods, to be anxious to spend his week-end in driving the same vehicle carrying passengers. It is not always desirable to put a different driver on to a vehiclewhich would, otherwise, always be in the same hands. If things go wrong it is very difficult to apportion the blame. The regular driver is not unnaturally inclined to attribute any subsequent troubleto the fact that his vehicle has been handled. by another man who, perhaps, does not properly understand its peculiarities. Moreover, vehicles certainly have a certain degree of individuality, and it does not necessarily follow that a machine which gives quite satisfactory service under the control of a man who knows it will do equally well when driven by a man who is not familiar with it.
Assuming that-. any such difficulties can be satisfactorily overcome—and they certainly ought not to be insuperable—we have also to remember that every vehicle requires periodical pverhauls and should be thoroughly gone over at least once a week with a view to making little adjustments and, by anticipation, preventing considerable repairs from becoming necessary. When a machine is out on the road seven days a week, the possibility of arranging for really adequate maintenance is much reduced and the profit' 'due to passenger carrying may presently be
swallowed up in an inflated repair bill. _
Interchangeable Bodies. • The next point is to consider whether the profits likely to accrue from the extra use of the vehicle, can be fairly estimated as being sufficient to justify the initial expenditure that will be involved. The, goodscarrying body of the vehicle must be specially arranged. so as to be readily detachable and yet so as to be absolutely secure when attached. A passenger-carrying body must be purchased. This latter will be lying idle for the greater part of its time and may depreciate in value by becoming obsolete in type. The motor coach body of to-day represents a great, advance over its predecessor constructed ten years
ago. If the latter were employed the vehicle would not compare well in appearance or in comfort with its competitors, and consequently custom would probably only be obtained if distinctly low fares were charged. It is, however, probable that we have, by now, approximated to the ideal body for an open coach; consequently such a body constructed now should become obsolete very slowly if at all and, if fairly regularly used at week-ends and holidays, should have a fairly long useful life beforeiceasing • to be attractive enough to justify its continued use.
Provision must also be made for the housing of the body which is not in use, under conditions favourable to it. If the spare body is carelessly kept, the result may be distortion, which, when the body is again applied to the chassis, will mean the bed fitting of deers and So on, and, generally speaking, rapid depreciation. We must also provide for the operation of changing bodies. For this we must either have overhead tackle, or else we must introduce some system by which either body can be slid or rolled off the chassis on to a suitable receptacle where it can be kept without fear of distortion. We must allow for the time and consequently the money spent in the work of changing bodies at the end of the business week and again when the vehicle is required for the carriage of goods. The cost of these two operations must be debited against the vehicle in its capacity as a motor coach.
Licences, Insurance, etc.
Next we have to remember that, from the legal standpoint, the passenger and the goods-carrying vehicle are two distiact things,. If a vehicle is to ply for hire in public places, a licence permitting it to do so must be obtained from the local authority, and, sometimes, such authorities put every possible difficulty in the way and do all they can to extort special payments in return for the granting of licences. This is a matter which should be inquired into in advance. Failing a licence to stand or ply for hire, it is still possible to use the vehicle for the carriage of passengers who take their tickets in advance and who enter and leave the vehicle on private ground.
Under the new scheme of taxation the public serviee vehicle pays on a basis of seating capacity,. the goodsscarrying vehicle on a basis of unladen weight. If a vehicle normally used for the carriage of goods is to be used at week-ends for the carriage of passengers, the payment for the licence under the new taxation scheme must be upon whichver is the. higher scale. Generally speaking, the licence for a passenger-carrying vehicle is distinctly the more expensive. This, then, is likely to mean an additional cost. Another additional cost will be incurred in respect of insurance. An ordinary policy covering a goods-carrying vehicle will not suffice.
Thus, it will be noted that, altogether, it. will cost a geed deal, both in the first instance and annually from then onwards, to arrange to use one's vehicles for week-end passenger service. Unless the season during which full loads of passengers are likely to be obtained easily is a fairly long one, the arguments for and against. must be very carefully weighed up in advance. If we depend merely on weeksend traffic during a short season and if the weather happens to be unfavourable, the returns. may be veiy poor. In some places, however, the season from this point of view is quite a long one. Also, if the passengercarrying body is cleverly designed, it may be possible to get occasional jobs during the winter months.