From Our Berlin Correspondent.
Page 35
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Increased motorbus tariffs came into force in Berlin on March ist. Three of the omnibus company's lines are now run at 15 pfennigs (1.85d.) instead of to pfennigs (1.25d.) for the distance between the termini, sectional distances only costing the latter fare.
The Wurtemberg postal authorities are ordering vans of the Gaggenau parcel post type, now that they have become convinced, from the behaviour of the trial vehicle, that motor-driven vans are superior to the herse-drawn variety. The trial van is flued with a 4-cylinder, Gaggenau engine of 22h.p., and carries about a ton ; it has been running in Stuttgart (see page 621).
The Simmeringer Hauptstrasse (Vienna) is to be connected up with Kaiser-Ebersclorf by means of motor
buses. According to " Die Zeit," these points are some 4 kilometres apart, or about two miles and a half ; so that, if, as this paper states, the buses will cover the distance in 25 minutes, inclusive of stoppages, the pace is not to be exactly " killing." A pedestrian accustomed to step out could easily walk the distance in half an hour at the outside.
The Gaggenau, single-deck motorbus ordered for Genoa weighs close upon 3 tons, is t7ft. sin. in length, and has a wheel-track of just over 5 feet, It will carry 28 persons, 21 finding sitting accommodation inside, next to the driver, whilst the remaining 6 stand on the platform at the rear. Seats inside are arranged longitudinally and crosswise. Extended along the right side there is a seat for 7 passengers; on the left, at the entrance, a crUSS-at:iL for 2 ; then, four more crossseats, set pairwise and back to back, for 8; and, at the further end, behind the driver and facing the door, a-seat for 4, which tits into the front angles of the vehicle and extends across its entire width. Single tires are used in front and tWin tires on the back wheels (85o X zoo x 75 and go x 120 x 8o
lespectively). The omnibus is driven by a 4-cylinder, Gaggenau engine of the pattern recently
illustrated in " TILE COMMERCIAL Moron " (one of the " Norddeutschland " type) developing some 32h.p. It will be noticed that the driver's seat has been placed over the engine with a view to economisingspace. This arrangement does not, however, diminish the motor's accessibility. From the railed-off space on the roof, one sees that the vehicle is intended to do something more than perform the functions of a mere city service motor omnibus.