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MoreGovt. Stalling
Page 62
Page 63
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in Rural Transport
Front Our Parliamentary Correspondent
MANY M.P.s hoping for news of Government plans for improving transport in rural areas during a fullscale Commons debate on the countryside last week were sorely disappointed.
Speaking towards the end of five hours' discussion, during which there was a constant call for some action on rural transport, Mr. David Price, Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade, praised the roads programme, and then said: "I shall not get into a discussion about rural transport and the Jack Report?'
Opening the debate, MT. Jeremy Thorpe (Liberal, North Devon) suggested that the Government should set up rural development agencies. He complained that the Ministry of Transport's criterion for road development was based on the amount of industrial traffic the roads would carry, and implored the Government to realise that one of the major supporting industries in rural areas was tourism. If the Government wanted to open up these areas they had to spend a lot of money on improving communications, he added.
A deputy traffic commissioner for each reasonably sized rural area was called for by Mr. Percy Browne (Tory, Torrington) —there might be two or three for Devon, for example. The solution of the rural transport problem had to be on a local basis, said Mr. Browne.
It was, he went on, fairly common that if a small bus operator, probably a garage proprietor, applied to run a service, the big boys would put in an objection, and this frightened him off. Deputy Traffic Commissioners, seeing the needs of the area, could allocate routes to those who were prepared to run licensed services, whether with mini-buses or small buses, in the interlacing areas in the hinterland, or the bigger companies on the main routes.
It was perfectly ridiculous, went on Mr. Browne, that the Minister of Education laid it down that local education authorities must accept the lowest tenders for school transport even if as a result—and it often was so—that the contract went to somebody who was not even licensed to run a bus when he put in his tender.
It should surely go to a person who was prepared also to run a stage service during the day, said Mr. Browne. If this were done he thought we could rationalise our rural transport, and he believed that subsidy should be paid through local councils which knew the needs of their areas.
Mr. James Dance (Tory, Bromsgrove) praised trailers which, he said, might be developed as a general delivery system in rural areas. He thought people would rather go slightly slower and be able to take their goods and chattels with them.
Speaking from the Opposition Front Bench, Mr. Cledwyn Hughes (Anglesey) said Mr. Price should tell the House whether the Government had shelved the Jack Report recommendations for
good, or whether something would come of them.
Noting that some bus routes were to he closed : because they were uneconomic. Mr. Hughes asked how Many would have to be closed if there were a report dealing with bus services on the basis of the same terms of reference as the Beeching Report.
Admitting the great need for more and better roads, Mr. Price suggested that the standard of our truly rural roads was high compared with those of other countries. The Government was paying substantial sums towards the upkeep of rural roads. but the main problems were trunk and urban roads.
Coventry to Test Fleetline
COVENTRY City transport committee has recommended acceptance of an offer from Transport Vehicles (Daimler) Ltd., Coventry, for the loan of a Heed ine bus for trial operation on various routes in the city.
It will he recalled that Coventry's acceptance of a tender for 22 Leyland Atlantean buses last year led to protests from the joint shops stewards' committee of the Daimler concern. The committee challenged the council to operate both a Daimler Fleetline and a Leyland Atlantean on a local route before ordering any new buses.
After deferring its decision for a month, the transport committee reaffirmed its intention to buy Leyland vehicles, a move immediately confirmed by the full council. Now Coventry is inviting tenders for another 22 rear-engined double-decker buses with 76.-seat bodies for delivery next year.
National Travel Survey THE first section of a national survey of travel habits, to be carried out during February and March, has started.
Information is being collected by Research Services Ltd., on behalf of the Ministry of Transport, and a crosssection of people, selected at random throughout Great Britain, will he asked to keep records and answer questions about all journeys made during one week
U.S. Companies Want Trailers
A MERICAN bus operators are seriously considering launching a campaign for Congressional action in support of small trailers for buses. A scheme for bus trailers was proposed three years ago by Trailways but declared illegal by the Interstate Commerce Commission on the grounds that it would be " an unwarranted incursion" into the domain of hauliers. It ruled that goods could only be carried in a bus itself. But operators, however, are now saying that they depend to a large degree on the carriage of packages and parcels to make money and without this goods traffic many routes would soon be in the red. NEWS IN BRIEF Express Services from 'Car Parks?: Leeds Corporation transport commit tee mav introduce express bus services to link various suburban car parks with the city centre. The committee's proposals, recently outlined by the chairman, Ald. John Rafferty. were for buses to meet motorists at the car parks from about 8 a.m.. with possibly a combined ticket covering both car park charges and the bus fare, A return service would be run in evening peak hours.
P.V.O.A. Scottish Celebration The annual Turnberry week-end of the Passenger Vehicle Operators' Association, Scottish area, will
take place on March 19-23. The main function wiff he the official dinner at the Turnberry Hotel on Friday, March 20. A golf competition will he held on Friday afternoon and there will be other social events on the Saturday and Sunday. West Bridgford Golden Jubilee : Despite the threat of being " taken over " by Nottingham Corporation if the boundary revisions proposed for the area take place, West Bridgford urban district has gone ahead with celebrations to commemorate the golden jubilee of its own passenger transport undertaking. A dinner has been held—which is more than was done to celebrate the introduction of the first buses on January 28, 1914. Today the company operates 28 buses. which last year carried 6,418,254 passengers. and services include a joint service with Nottingham Corporation to the country's largest housing estate at Clifton, which hes a population of nearly 30,000.
Western Welsh Awards: Long-service awards were presented to Western Welsh Omnibus Co. Ltd. employees at a dinner given by the company at Cardiff last week. There were 11 men with 40 years' service and 20 men with 25 years' service. Western Welsh now has 366 employees with 25 years to their credit and 39 with 40 years, out of a total staff of some 2,500.
One-man Bus Study: Manchester City Council has approved the plan to send a delegation of five to visit Munich. The 1-lague, Rotterdam, Stockholm and Lille to study one-man -bus operation.
Leyland Success at Amsterdam: Verbal orders for a Qm, worth of bus and coach chassis. including the new rear-underfloorengined Panther,. have been taken at the Lancashire company's stand in the first days of the Amsterdam Commercial Motor Show. Orders have been received from various Dutch municipalities and companies, including those of Arnhem. Groningen and Utrecht. Quantities will he confirmed bier when contracts have been signed. Guy Extends Arab V Range: A 16-ft. 4-ine wheelbase version of the Guy Arab Mark V double-deck bus chassis is now available. This model is suitable for 27-ft. 6-in. bodies with a seating capacity of 65 passengers and is an addition to the range of p.s.v. chassis built by the Jaguar group. Guy Arab V chassis were previously only available in 30-ft. form; production of Daimler chassis, which includes 16-ft. 4-in.-wheelbase models with Guy constant mesh gearboxes, is u naffected.
More for Maidstone and District: Maidstone and District Motor Services Ltd. has ordered 45 36-ft.-long A.E.C. Reliance single-decker bus and coach chassis. Five of the chassis will be fitted with Cbeieat bodies for coastal express duties, whilst the balance will be equally divided between 49-seat express service coach bodies and 53-seat bus bodies. built by Metropolitan Cairimell Weymann Ltd., of Birmingham. Four-speed, synchromesh gearboxes will he fitted to the buses. and six-speed units fitted in the coaches.
Liverpool Tyre Contracis: Liverpool passenger transport committee has accepted tenders for the supply and maintenance of bus tyres for a contract period of three years from April 1, 1964, at 0-572d. per bus mile. Dunlop is to have 50 per cent. of the mileage and Pirelli 40-per cent., the remaining 10 per cent, to he allocated for experimental and testing purposes at the discretion of the general manager.
Roe-bodied Daimlers: Darlington Corporation has ordered six double-decker bus chassis from Transport Vehicles (Daimler) Ltd., at £2,709 each and 'six bodies from Charles H. Roe Ltd., at £3,030 each. 1)elivery will start in November.
Dearer Coach Trips?: Seaside coach trips from the Midlands may soon cost more. Three operators-:--East Midland Motor Services Ltd., or Chesterfield, North Western Road Car Co. Ltd. and Sheffield United Tours Ltd.—are applying for an 81 per cent increase on excursion fares to seaside towns. the applications also include other longdistance services.
Midland Red Awards: Safety awards gained in Road Operators' Safety Council competitions were presented to driving and conducting staffs of the Midland Red company's Shrewsbury, Wellington, Stafford and Vv'olverhampton garages at two recent functions. Top awards went to three drivers with 29 accident-free years. Others were: one driver with 27 years, two with 26, one with '15, one with 24, four with 22, two with 21, one with 20 and one with 17.