Passenger Service Principles Lpplied to Goods Transport
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Red and White Associated Companies Develop an Extensive Fleet of Goods Vehicles Coupled With a Red and White Combined System of Express Parcels Delivery
ONE of the best-known passenger . transport...coneeros in the countrY . . .. is Red and White Services, Ltd:, of Chepstow, Mon., the managing dirertor:of which-is,-Mr.A. H. Watts, This
.company has developed ' continuously by the. absorption . of -smaller concerns and the extension. of its services in other directions, and now posse.sses a fide . fleet -oft 600vehicles,. covering 17,000,000 route miles and -transpOrtJug 30,000,000 passengers • per annum. .: Not content with this-, however, some of the directors-are busily engaged _in .promoting a transport concern known as " All British Carriers.' This is an amalgamation of the following concerns :—W. Bater and Son, Ltd., of Swansea ; Freeguard Bros. Transport, Ltd.,and Somerton Transport, Ltd., both of Newport, The headquarters of the joint organization are at Newport, 'With -Mr. John Freeguard as director and general manager. There are branches at Swansea, Skewed, Glouces.ter, Liverpool. Birmingham and London.
The idea is to form a unit sufficiently
• large to warrant a coinprehensiVe scheme of• well-arranged braneheS and agencies. Practically the ti,hole of the fleet .invOlved is being, replaced within 12 months, the idea being to standardize upon Albion vehicles with Gardner oil engines. There will be a central and well-equipped workshop at Newport, where provision is being made for periodical inspection and docking, as is the practice with Red and White passenger vehicles.
The whole of the account system has been mechanized by the utilization of adding. machines, etc., with the object of making figures instantly available. Costs will be under constant supervision, so that the risk of working at uneconomic rates will be removed. It is considered that, with such extensive :organization. the project: is bound' to be successful, and the slogan of the
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company will be " goods service at a reasonable Price."
At the commencement the fleet will comprise about 50 machines with load capacities ranging from 2 tons to 15 tons. All will be finished in a standard red with the lettering "All British " in gold. There will be .a _small 'Union Jack painted on the sides Of each cab, also over each will be an illuminated sigh with the words " All British."
In addition to this extensive goods transport scheme there is an express parcels Service, which is operated" in conjtiction with Red Sand White and associated companies. The outstanding features of this--comprehensive service may be summarized :a follow It is -available' over the 'extensive network of bus services operated by the above companies, the area covering practically the whole of South Wales, including Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire, with express -delivery of parcels between South Wales and London by Means of the:. company7s fleet (including vans). In view of the frequent bus services in all :districts, same-day delivery Of parcels can be assured over a wide.area. Door-to,cloor delivery of all parcels is made. in the following towns :—Gloucester, , Newport, Cardiff, Neath, Swansea (within the respectiveboroughs) and London (within a five-mile radius of Charing
Cross). This facility, moreover, is provided without extra charge. ,H The rates schedule for the . conveyance of parcels is a very economical one, the charges for the transport of goods over the bus services being most favourable as compared with other methods.
Red and White Services, Ltd., which is the main sponsor of this comprehensive scheme, has recently 'issued a specially designed publicity booklet which is being widely distributed and is available, free of charge, from any of the company's offices: It cannot he said • that the parcel _service is an innovation, for the company has oper
ated a parcels sei-c7ice1' continuously " since 1920, and the §uccess' AvhicE has attended its. effortsever inee the inception of the service is pioof. of the merit'-of the system is a means for parcel delivery. The basis upon which this service has been built up is economy and, above all, reliability. . Reverting to the main services; trunk vehicles-will operatedaily between London and South Wales, the Midland's and "the North, arid work under con'tract will extend so far as Matiehester. All the drivers Will he in Uniform and will be paid good wages; with • allowance§ when away at night. Buying for the whole fleet will be controlled from a central office:
' The bead' office of Bulwark -Transport, Ltd., is also situated at the Red and -White headquarters at Chepstow, which signifies that this: company is also under the' sante control: A -fleet of 30 standardized Albions is used. The company operates extensive services chiefly , betiveen Monmouthshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire. and Sorner setshire••tii• London. • :
We are: advised that the, controlling interest in the London and Southern Counties Transport Co., Ltd., now passes from the National -Electric Construction Co.-, Ltd., of Kingsway, London, to -Mr. John H. Watts :and certain of his friends. This company's
headquarters are at Transport liouse. Southampton Way, Camberwell, London, where Mr. Bockhorn, the former managing director, will con tinue with the new group. Branch offices are situated at Southampton, Bournemouth, Bristol, Salisbury, Exeter and Penryn in Cornwall.
Daily trunk services are operated from London to Bristol ; London to Portsmouth, Southampton and Bournemouth; and London to Penryn, Cornwall, via Salisbury, Exeter and Plymouth. Deliveries are made to all towns and villages in the counties of Dorset, Wiltshire, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall. This corimany owns specially designed premises in London, equipped with stores, garages, offices, repair depot and loading bank. Upwards of ;30 trunk machines are employed with
varying carrying capacities. , A further important development is announced by a link .which has been .made with Mechanization, • Ltd., the .headquarters of which are at Cheltenham.. The position of this centre is of considerable importance in the scheme of. co-ordination. .Mr. John Watts has become chairman of this Company.
Captain Lucy, the original owner, remaining as managing director.
The company owns a fleet of 00 lorries and its premises at Cheltenham comprise upwards of 10 acres, whilst there are depots at London, Bristol, Chippenhain and Manchester, with extensive daily serVices to and Iron' each of these centres. 'Another important Side of this business is the large number Of vehicles employed on Post Office' cOntratts; for which purpose yebicles. have been specially designed. Two of the fine Leyland vans operated by the London and Southern Counties Transport Co., Ltd., between Reigate and. _Salisbury. The control of this company now passes to Mr. J. H. . Watts and certain of his friends.
The result of this,co-ordinatiOn means that unusually extensive serVices will aYailable to: the public! From London, for example, a :24-hour service for all classes of goods will available for the following areas :-Livcirpool, . Manchester_.„ Portsmouth, Southanipton, Midlands, Gloucester, Exeter, South Wales;. Bristol; and the West.
Another feature of extreme importance is that the principal ports of the country, London, Liverpool, Southampton, Avonmouth, and all the South Wales ports, Newport,. Cardifi, Barry, Port Talbot and Swansea will he linked up.
The scheme means that every branch office will be able to offer much wider facilities to its customers and give better opportunity for. advantageous loading.
One can foreshadow the linking •up in the future of the London headqdarters, with an extensive saving in costs and increase or efficiency. The pooling of London collections and 'deliVeries of the various interests concerned %"ifould undoubtedly result in great eCciriomy.