B.R.S. London Parcels Plan to Save 24 Hours on Delivery
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ASCHEME to save 24 hours on the delivery of parcels within London and from London to the provinces by eliminating one handling was inaugurated by B.R.S. (Parcels), Ltd., on Monday. There were stated to be 10,000 regular users of the nationalized parcels service in London, and they were asked to co-operate by segregating their traffic for re-delivery in the Metropolitan area and the provinces.
There are 16 parcels depots in London, with 700 collection and delivery vehicle, working within an area bounded by Knebworth in the north, Horsham in the south, Henley-on-Thames in the west and Tilbury in the east. Eight of the depots receive and forward traffic to provincial centres.
In future, provincial traffic will be centred on three depots. The Willow Walk branch will cover collections and deliveries south of the Thames. The north-east sector of London will be served from Waterden Road, where the depot has been extended, and the north-weit sector from Coppetts Road, Muswell Hill, supplemented by the Acton depot. New depots are proposed to be built in northeaSt and north-west London. Sites have not yet been decided.
Traffic for collection and redelivery in London will be handled at the Macclesfield Road depot, with assistance from branches on the outskirts of the metropolis. Consignments from the provinces for delivery in London will be pre-sorted at the forwarding depot and sent to the appropriate London delivery depot, which will deliver. direct to the consignee.
In practice, senders in London will be visited by two vehicles instead of one— one for London traffic and the other for provincial deliveries. Where justified, several collections a day will be afforded.
In answer to a question, Mr. A. F. Walton, who has succeeded Mr. A. W. Mitchell as London area parcels manager of B.R.S., said on Monday that no increase in vehicles would be required. Indeed, he expected the transfer fleet to be reduced. Less mileage would be operated.
Replying to another question, he declined to specify the advantages of B.R.S. facilities over railway services, because, he said, B.R.S. were not trying to take traffic from the railways.
Improvements were, he added, being made in the parcels services at Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Leicester and elsewhere. The aim was to establish one main depot in each city. At present Liverpool, for instance, had five depots.