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bird's eye
Page 73
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viewby the Hawk
• Get-you-home service
I hear that the red and grey single-deckers of Lancashire United Transport are enjoying another wave of popularity among certain individuals who like a free ride. About three years ago the company suffered a sudden epidemic of missing vehicles—which in almost every case were recovered undamaged. Last Saturday LUT had to contact the police again when they found that a six-month-old bus used as a works special had disappeared from its depot in Partington Lane, Swinton.
But a few hours later an anonymous caller telephoned to tell officials where the bus could be found. It was recovered undamaged. Then on Sunday night another single-decker disappeared from the depot— but this time was found by the police 10 miles away at Warrington, damaged and abandoned. The police are "making further inquiries", as they say, and in the meantime LUT officials are keeping an eye on their rolling stock, double-deckers included.
• A bargain
Did you ever take back a jam jar to a collection centre and receive a ha'penny for your trouble? Before the war this was one way that jam manufacturers ensured that they got their jars back. Now instead of jam jars think of pallets. Tom Hodge of Hilton Transport Services tells me that his company operates a pallet redistribution service on the old jam jar principle. Anyone returning to HTS pallets which have the owner's name stamped on them are paid a "return" fee. Once a week the pallets are sorted into redistribution loads and returned to the owners, who are charged a nominal sum for the service. Tom reckons the cost to the owner averages lOs per pallet compared with /2 for a new one—a fair bargain.
• Poor definition
When Jack Dash visited the London branch of the Transport Managers' Club last year BBC television cameras came along too. The results of their labours came over on the box last week under the title "When I am 65". There were many excellent shots of the members, none of whom, incidentally, were 65—being transport managers they only looked it! I understand that these latest TV personalities are charging only nominal sums for their autographs.
II Hole in one
I'm delighted to see that the Post Office is issuing a guidance book for those who have to dig holes in the road or sit in those little cabooses over manholes in the middle of main streets, risking being swept off the face of the earth. It's a 70-page manual compiled in liaison with the MoT (as was), showing how and where to place warning signs, lights and so on.
I hope the idea catches on among those who carry out street works. Too often one rounds a blind bend to find a major obstruction, with the warning sign placed almost on the works. Education in stopping distances is sadly lacking among the street works brigade, but I think the shortcomings are most often due to a lack of imagination.