OPINIONS FROM OTHERS.
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Municipalities and the Motorbus.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[26981 Sir,—In Mr. E. S. Shrapnell-Smith's article in the issue of The Commercial Motor for October 2nd it -has been suggested that no municipality has giveu the motor omnibus fair play. Mr. Smith has surely forgotten the black country and its three municipalities at present exercising passenger transport powers.
In Wolverhampton all the tramways have gone and their place has been taken by the 55-seater and 60seater six-wheel motor omnibus and the six-wheel trolley vehicle. In addition, the company tramways adjoining the Wolverhampton district, running into the Dudley, Bilston, Darlaston and Willenhall areas, have been taken over by the municipality and have been converted or are under conversion at the present time.
The country around is either served by municipal buses or by Midland Red 'buses under a co-ordinated scheme. Walsall and Birmingham also are not behind in employing the motorbus either run by their own transport department or in co-operation with the Midland Red Company.
I do not propose commenting on Mr. ShrapnelSmith's argument regarding the general position of tramways,but feel compelled, to draw attention to the fact that at least one municipality has done its share towards developing the type of vehicle which Mr. Shrapnell-Smith and many of us expect will make
history.—Yburs faithfully, C. OWEN SILVERS, General Manager and Engineer Wolverhampton Corporation Tramways.
Wolverhampton.
Buses versus Trams : The Other Side.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[2699] Sir,—It is pleasing to observe that you are willing to afford publicity to views with which The Commercial Motor editorially may not agree regarding tramway matters, by publishing Mr. FitzGerald's letter concerning proposals to eliminate tramways. Mr. Fitzgerald is particularly well informed on both bus and tramway development and is well qualified to present the other side of a controversy which is, actually, highly involved and which has been found to require a much more careful study than is usually given to it.
As a student of this subject for some years, I cannot help thinking that discussions on the replacement of 244
tramways in leerge cities are ,futile, and inevitably reveal a complete lack of appreciation, on the part of tramway critics, of the possibilities in tramway development and of the requirements of a responsible city transport organization.
The full discussion of the tram and bus argument would fill books, but I would like to submit the following general statements for criticism as being of interest to those not generally willing to discuss detail arguments :— 1, Every large city in the' world employs tramways, and in every case, except London, they carry the bulk of the surface passenger traffic.
2. No large city tramway has been,' or is being, abandoned anywhere in the world.
3. No large city relies on buses unaided by tramways or electric railways: 4. Nearly all large city tramways established in places all over the world are spending heavily on definitely new equipment.
5. The majority of experts in all camtries with experience of buses and trams favours the latter for bearing passenger traffic for economy, speed, comfort and safety.
Unless these statements can be effectively challenged as a whole, it seems to me, whilst fully appreciative of the great development in bus construction that has taken place in recent years, that discussion as to scrapping tramways in large cities is a waste of time.—Yours faithfully, HENRY WATSON. Ilford, Essex.
The Editor, TEE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[27001 Sir,—Whilst fully recognizing the value of the motorbus and the wonderful work which these vehicles are doing all over the world to-day, it does not necessarily follow that the tramcar is now a "hasbeen." and the opinions of most traffic experts seem to he that there is still ample scope for both vehicles. While we were told recently that, in a certain town on a route where buses have replaced tramcars the former are performing their duties with success equal to that of their predecessors, we must pause to think what the position will be fire or six years hence, when the bus fleet in question stands in need of replacement, and it will be interesting to hear what the advocates of " economy " have to say on the matter. I understand that the life of a bus as compared with that of a tram is about five years to twenty.—Yours faithfully, Leamington. BASIL MILLER.