News of Municipal Activities
Page 47
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Co-ordinal ing Ambulance Arrangements.
The Minister of Health has suggested that all county councils and local sanitary authorities should make arrangements to secure efficiency in the working of ambulance services. The Minister has sent a circular letter to the authorities pointing out that no rule should be applied to restrict the use of an ambulance to the area of the authority employing it. It is suggested that suitable agreements should be made between authorities for use of the ambulances in any of the districts concer»ed. No sick person, it is added, should be required to change from one ambulance to another in the course of the journey to hospital.
Caterham's Experiments with Refuse Collectors.
The highways committee of Caterham Urban District Council reports that trials with the Pagefield system of refuse collection have been carried out, and the ascertained costs will be submitted to the committee.
The Minister of Health, in considering applications for sanction for loans to purchase vehicles requires to be furnished with the results of trials of four different systems of collection. Should the question of applying for a loan ar:se, the committee has authorized the surveyor to try out three other methods.
Mr. Fearnley on Sheffield Congestion.
Reporting with regard to the relief of traffic congestion in Sheffield, Mr. A. R. Fearnley, general manager of the corporation transport department, states that the congestion in the centre of the city is now, more than at any time previously, brought about by the parking of motor vehicles in main thorough fares. At certain times this has reached such proportions as to make it difficult for the tramcars, buses, and other vehicles to pass through the central area.
He suggests that this matter should have careful consideration and that proper parking accommodation should be provided within reasonable distance of the centre of the city.
Big Transport Board Scheme.
Consideration of the proposal to form a vast transport board in the ManchesOr area has been deferred for a month by Oldham Town Council. The scheme has already been referred to several times in The Commercial Motor, Level Crossing Responsibility.
With regard to a fatality at the level crossing at Boundary Lane, Chester, the Great Western Railway Co. has informed the corporation that, whilst regretting the accident, the company could not accept responsibility. It considered that persons ran less risk at that level crossing than they did when crossing many of the public streets. The company could not see its way to provide staff to protect users of the level crossing, as suggested by the watch committee.
The committee cannot agree with the company's opinion with regard to the • risk to road users. There was a public right of way in existence at the time when the railway was constructed, and the committee contends that the company has a moral obligation to do all in its power to protect road users.
Nine-year-old Eleetrics Still Going Well.
The works committee of Warrington Corporation has had a report by Mri Charles Parfitt, the cleansing superintendent, with reference to the Orwell electric vehicles engaged on the collection of nightsoil, five of which have now completed nine years' continuous service.
The past year, he says, has been one particularly free from serious mechanical trouble.
The work of collection has slightly increased from April, 1933, due to the extension of the borough boundaries, with an Addition of 196 palls. These, however, have since been withdrawn and replaced by the ,corporation standard The following table shows the number of loads carted and .mileage run per vehicle during the past 12 months.
The total current consumed for the year ended June 30 last, equals 49,423 units, the cost of current per mile run being 2.19d.
Limiting the Use of Mobile Shops.
At its November meeting, Mountain Ash Urban District Council decided to institute steps which will prevent butchers in outside areas from using mobile shops to bring meat into the district for retair sale in the streets, on the ground that these travelling shops were "unfair to the local tradesmen." A formal complaint had been made to the council by local butchers.
Burden of New Taxation on Municipalities.
An example of the heavy burden imposed upon the public by the new schedules of vehicle taxation comes from Hastings, where the Pagefield ash collectors of the corporation are mounted on solid tyres. The present duty is £60 a year, but on and after January 1 next this sum will be increased to £135. If the lorries be equipped svf,th pneumatics, the tax will be f108. The health committee recommends that the vehicles be converted to pneumatics, although this does not appear to be economic. The change-over will, however, -reduce wear on roads and diminish vibration to buildings. The quotation of Hollingsworth, Ltd, is recommended for acceptance.