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THE LATEST NEWS OF IMPORTANT EVENTS

9th June 1933, Page 53
9th June 1933
Page 53
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Page 53, 9th June 1933 — THE LATEST NEWS OF IMPORTANT EVENTS
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P.S.V. OFFENCES ANALYSED.

IN a return showing the number of offences telating to motor vehicles in England and Wales, and the results of proceedings in connection therewith, which was issued by the Home Office on May 26, reference is made to those particularly concerned with publicservice vehicles. The following is an analysis of the statistics, which are most comprehensive:—

For using a vehicle without a publicservice-vehicle licence or in contravention of the terms of a licence, there were 736 offences (convictions 415) ; for umingaa vehicle as a stage or express carriage without a road-serviea licence, the cases dealt with were 687 (convictions 383) ; for breaches of licence conditions, the offences numbered 263 (137 convictions) ; offences in connection with drivers' or conductors' licences were 741 (440 convictions) ; breachee of regulation of conduct were (a) by driver or conductor 295 (136 convictions) ; (b) by passenger 132 (110 convictions). Other offences under Part 4 of the Road Traffic Act numbered 1,421 (922 convictions).

In addition, there were 3,912 offences against the 30-m.p.h. speed limit (3,172 convictions). It is interesting to compare these figures with the 32,504 offences in connection with the speed of goods vehicles (25,239 convictions). BOMBAY BUYS BRITISH BUSES.

PASSENGER transport within the Bombay municipality is carried out by the Bombay Electricity Supply and Tramways Co., Ltd. (India), which purchased its first buses about 10 years ago. The company has, for some time, been experimenting with different types and has now placed an order with P.M. Chiniay and Co., Ltd., The Bombay Garage, for eight Albion Valkyrie 32-36seater chassis, which are to be equipped with oil engines. The bodywork is" to be carried out in Bombay, and the chassis are passing through the Albion works.

" CONSENT " FOR ROTHERHAM.

AS a result of a public inquiry held at Rotherham, on May 24, the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners have granted Rotherham Corporation conseut to run buses on certain roads mind& the county borough. POSSIBILITIES OF COMPRESSED GAS AS BUS FUEL.

REMARKAI3LE figures concerning the use of compressed town gas for the propulsion of motorbuses were given by Mr. J. E. White, of the Newcastle and Gateshead Gas Co., at the conference of the Institute of Gas Engineers, at Liverpool.

Referring to recent experiments on a 37-seater gas-driven bus belonging to the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., which owned a big fleet, Mr. White spoke"of the benefits conferred by the latest Budget. For the company concerned, the vehicles of which averaged 30,000 miles a year, the cost of the extra taxation on those equipped with gas would amount only to 0.16d. per bus-mile—equivalent to 1.12d. per gallon of petrol—making the total fuel cost equivalent to petrol at aid. per gallon, against gas at 4d. per therm. The direct saving to the company would be £8,700 per annum on each group of 60 gas-driven vehicles.

TILLING AND ORANGE BROS. AMALGAMATION.

FURTHER to the announcement in last week's issue, we now learn that the company associated with Messrs. Orange Bros. in an amalgamation is Thos. Tilling, Ltd., and that a new company with a title of Orange Bros., Ltd., is being formed.

Thos. Tilling, Ltd., will hold the controlling interest and will be represented by Mr. E. B. Hutchinson and Mr. C. Cardwell. The business will be carried on independently as hitherto under the general management of tho three Orange brothers.

TWO LATEST APPEAL RULINGS: LICENCE REVOKED.

THE results of two appeals are announced by the Minister of Transport. The appeals of the Western Transport Co., Ltd., against a licence condition imposed by the NorthWestern Traffic Commissioners have been dismissed with costs.

The appeal of the West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd., and the London, Midland and Scottish Railway On. against the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners' action in granting to Messrs. H. Lister and Sons an express-service licence in respect of a Pal:bey-Southport service, has been upheld. In 1931, Messrs. Lister ran a LeedsSkipton-Southport service, and, when application was made to (he Yorkshire . Commissioners for a licence for it, this was refused, but no appeal was lodged. In 1932, a licence was issued for a Pudsey-Southport service, via Huddersfield and Halifax, but, on appeal, the Minister of Transport revoked the licence, because he considered that the Commissioners had not full possession of the facts of the case.

In January, this year, the Commissioners granted a licence for an express service to be run by Messrs. Lister on the Pudsey-Southport route, on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, from July 1 to September 30. This ruling forms the subject of the present appeal. It appears that the Commissioners did not require certain passenger statistics to be submitted on cross examination at the public sitting, and the Minister states that, although such action is at the discretion of the Commissioners, the value of such evidence B40 is diminished if not submitted to test. The Minister considers the service to be nearly akin to the excursion and tours category. The licence is to be revoked.

MORE INTER-AVAILABILITY.

FURTHER inter-available facilities

have been arranged between the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co-, Ltd., and the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Co. If there be no convenient railway service available at a number of points in the Leicester and Nuneaton areas, passengers may travel by bus.

DEVELOPMENTS IN LONDON OPERATIONS.

WE learn that the Minister's Orders regarding London suburban coach services have not yet reached the final stage and that they will not, as is sup posed in some quarters, be put into operation on July 1 next.

We also understand that the hidependent bus operators will not be transferred to the London Passenger Transport Board on July 1, but October 1 is thought to be a suitable date. It is' believed to be likely that they will be transferred in groups or separately, as is provided for in the Act.

LOWER FARES ON NEWCASTLELONDON ROUTE?

OPERATORS on the Newcastle-Lon don route are to apply to the Traffic Commissiofiers for sanction to reduce the return fares by 2s. 6d., thus bringing them down to 30s. This step has been decided upon following the decision of the railways to reduce their NewcastleLondon (night-express) fare to 34s. return. NEW BID TO BRING MINERS BY BUS FROM OUTSIDE AREA.

THE South Wales Traffic Commis

sioners will have the opportunity of 'revising or reaffirming the principle actuating their refusal of a licence for a workmen's service from Dowlais to Bedwas (as reported in our iSslIC dated May 26).

An application which will shortly be heard, has now been made to the Commissioners for a licence for a workmen's service from Cwm and Llantwit Fardre to Bedwas to carry about 100 colliers. The application differs little in sub

stance from that reported. The distance would be about 14 miles as against 20 miles, but workmen's services 10-15 miles long are not uncommon in South Wales.

Bedwas and Machen Urban District Council decided "resolutely to oppose " the application, on the grounds of the availability of local men for the work, and that when, some 30 years ago, the local collieries were opened up, men were induced to come from other parts of the coalfield to live in Bedwas. ' The applicants, as in the former case, will argue that this is simply an application with regard to the transport of workers, that the patronage is guaranteed, no other means for conveyance is available, and, finally, that the relations between the local workers and the Colliery Co., in which the local employment question is bound up, are altogether extraneous matters to the application and its consideration.

MAIN FARES COMMITTEE.

A MEETING of the main fares com

mittee, the chairman of. which is Mr. S. E. Garcke, is to be called by the Motor Hirers and Coach Services Association, on Monday next, to discus various problems. YORKSHIRE FARE DISPUTE.

FARES on services between industrial towns hi Yorkshire were discussed at a recent Meeting of the Yorkshire Regional Fares Committee, to which the matter had been referred by the Traffic Commissioners.

Major Chapple, of the West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd., said the company was prepared to raise fares if other operators would follow suit, but Mr. J. Keeling, secretary of Yorkshire Coach Owners, Ltd., said that, if anything, fares. should be reduced, in view of the recent attitude of the railway companies. The Committee decided to make no recommendation on the subject to the Commissioners.

SCARLET PIMPERNEL SERVICE COMMENCES.

WE are informed by the General Travel Agency (London), Ltd., that the Scarlet Pimpernel service from the London Terminal Coach Station to Taunton, Wincanton Barnstaple and Ilfracombe, commenced on June 3. All the coaches have opening roofs and a new attraction in the form of Silent Guide equipment. The latter is employed in conjunction with a booklet supplied to each passenger.

We are also notified that On the London-Liverpool services of MacShane's Motors, Ltd., and Red and White Services, Ltd., the fares have been reduced to 15s. single and 25s. return.

It is now possible to book by Coughs Welsh Motorways, direct from London to Aberystwyth, via Cardiff.

"NORTH-WESTERN" PROGRESS.

THE North Western Road Car Co., Ltd., Stockport, of which Mr. 1 W. Womar is general manager, has completed its arrangements for long-distance holidays by coach. Express services are maintained between Manchester and Blackpool, Liver pool, Llandudno, Derby, Nottingham, Sheffield (via Glossop), Sheffield (via Cattleton), Bridlington and Scarborough, Barnsley (via Holmfirth), B a rnsley (via Penistone), London, Bradford ; between Liverpool, Leeds and Newcastle ; Liverpool, Leeds and Hull, and between Liverpool, Manchester and Lowestoft.

" Anywhere " tickets, costing 4s., are issued on certain days, and these enable persons to travel as many as 150 miles iu the day, working out at the extremely low rate of three miles for 14. Fifteen years ago the company owned 10 buses and employed a staff of 50, whereas to-day it has a fleet of' over 400 vehicles and employs a staff of over 1.500 persons. During the year ended March, 1933, 43,698,668 passengers were carried and 15,457,771 miles were covered.

APPEAL RULING AS GUIDING PRINCIPLE?

THE limitation of the number of coach journeys was urged on behalf of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Co., at a sitting of the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners. It was argued that as, on appeal, the Minister of Transport had instructed the NorthWestern Commissioners to limit the number of journeys, other Commissioners Should follow it. The Commissioners reserved their decision.

AVERAGE SPEED TOO HIGH.

AN average speed of 24 m.p.h. was stated by Sir Haviland Riley, chairman of the Eastern Traffic Commis sioners, at a sitting at Ipswich, to be too high for an ordinary stage-carriage service.

This ruling was given in connection with applications by the Eastern National Omnibus Co., Ltd., and when a representative of the company suggested that the chairman should put forward a suitable average speed, Sir Haviland Hiley said that the Commissioners would not accept the responsibility of setting average speeds, but would reserve the right to criticise those submitted to them. REDUCED FARES ALLOWED.

THIRTY-NINE Blackpool coach

owners, members of the local Motor Coach Owners Association, and two from Lytham St. Annes, have made application for the charge of is. ed. fixed by the Commissioners for local trips to be reduced to is. Originally, Blackpool Corporation joined with the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Co. and Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., in opposition.

At a Blackpool sitting of the North-. Western Traffic Commissioners a letter was read from the Mayor of Blackpool (Alderman T. Fenton) stating that 1s. fares had always been popular with visitors. Such runs, he declared, constituted one of the attractions of the

town. Some of the smaller operators rely almost exclusively for three months of the year on these is. runs to keep them employed.'

The Commissioners granted the application for the issue of is, tickets for local circular tours, INCREASED FARES IN NORTH.

THE chairman of the Northern Traffic Commissioners, Sir John Maxwell, stated recently that, in the near future, the whole question of the increases of fares granted to bus companies in the Northern Area would have to be reconsidered.

CARDIFF'S STATION SCHEME.

DURING the autumn. session, Cardiff Corporation will present a Bill to Parliament seeking sanction to proceed with the ,necessary property acquirements in order to carry out the busstation scheme.

MANCHESTER TO APPEAL.

THE transport committee of Man chester Corporation has decided to appeal against the refusal of the Traffic Commissioners to grant an application made on behalf of the corporation and the North Western Road Car Co., Ltd., to extend the Northenden bus route from the present terminus to Moss Nook (Wythenshawe Estate).

BUSES FOR TRAMS IN TWO NORTHERN TOWNS.

THE new Burnley, Colne and Nelson

Joint Transport Board is to substitute buses for trams in Colne and Nelson. It is stated that the change over will represent a charge of £25,.00 the ratepayers, the sum being divided in unequal proportions between the municipalities.


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