The Motor Omnibus World.
Page 5
Page 6
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
The Middlesbrough Corporation is discussing the question of motorbus and trackless-trolley services.
Keighley Town Council has accepted an offer for a hiring trial, over a period of two months, of :1 " Commer Car" motorbus.
The Stretton, Whitley and District Motorbus Company, Limited, has been registered, with an authorised capital of /:1,000 in Li shares, and with its office at Is, Mill Street, Warrington.
'He: Calverley (Yorkshire) District Council is desirous to provide a motorbus service between Rodley and Calverley, and it is hoped that arrangements will be completed to enable these Civilities to be provided.
The Linlithgow County Council is of opinion that motorbus traffic along certain roads has increased the cost per mile: from £135 to ..450 per annum. We are prompted to ask whether the " roads" deserved that appellation in their original condition,
The War-Office motorbus mobilisation run of Friday last is fully reported
on pages 322 to 324. Mr. A. W. Windsor, A.M.I.Mech.E., was present throughout the day, by the invitation of Mr. Frank Searle, One of our three illustrations is at the foot of this page.
The Drummore-Stranraer Route.
A 3o-35h.p. Halley char-a-bancs, to seat 28 passengers, was put into service, on the 3rd instant, between Drummore and Stranraer, to meet the needs of the district upon the withdrawal of the Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Railway Company's service, which cessation we reported on the 26th ultimo. The newoomer is owned by the Irish Motor Service Company, of Edinburgh, and the return fare is 3s. 6d, for the total disfence of 36 miles.
London Traffic Department.
GREAT EASTERN.—On the 17th instant, the Great Eastern service between Ilford Broadway and Shepherd's Bush was altered to run between Ilford and the Falcon Hotel at West Kilburn ; the new road traverses Mile End, Aldgate, Oxford Street, Edgware Road, Maida Vale and Clifton Road. The service is maintained by Arrol-Johnston machines, and the fare for the complete journey is sevenpence. The alteration has been made to meet the competition of the amalgamated companies.
Heavy Edinburgh Fines.
A driver named Thomas M'William, employed by the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd., was heat/HY lined on the rfith instant. Three charges were made : that he failed to stop on the rh November last on the signal of a policeman ; (2) that he drove the bus recklessly or negligently, whereby he collided with a cable car and damaged it ; and (3) that on the t5th November, in Princes Street, he again drove his bus recklessly and negligently, whereby a tramcar pe:ntsman was knocked down and injured. There was still a further charge, to the effect that M'William drove his bus recklessly and negligently and knocked down a messenger boy, on the 25th November, in Craigmillar Park. Evidence was given to the effect that this driver was only licensed on the 3rd November last, and witnesses who were in the omnibus on the different occasions came forward to give evidence on the driver's behalf. In the end, total
fines of is. were imposed, the accused being allowed three days to pay the fines, with the alternative that he was to go to prison for 38 days.
The S.R.T.E. Smoker.
On Friday, the 18th instant, a wellorganised smoking concert was attended by a large number of the members of the Society of Road Traction Engineers and their friends. The entertainment commenced at 8 p.m.. and was held in the spacious Crown Room of the lfolhorn Restaurant. Mr. Julian W. Orde, Secretary of the Royal Automobile Club, to which the Society is now ;affiliated, presided in his inimitable manner, and, in addition, he personally provided an extra turn in the form of a speech which contained a number of amusing anecdotes of the Commercial Vehicle Trials of last year. A programme of no less than thirty turns had been arranged, and this was keenly enjoyed by an audience which numbered over 200, and which included, amongst others : Captain Hume, Messrs. E. A. Greathed, H. H. Gregory, Veitch Wilson, Routledge, W. J. Melling, W. H. Wilcox, P. Woof, E. B. S. Aston, J. H. Randall, F. Goodchild, H. S. Carr, B. Thompson, Stanley Williams, E. Goslett, C. Fernandez, George Barber, F. A. Bonsor, W. F. French, W E. Wolsey, Frank Searle, F. J. Field, G. Pollard, A. Green, P. Frost Smith, A. W. Windsor, J. A. Jackson, and a number of other men who are prominent in one or other of the branches of activity which the Societe fosters.
A Manchester Echo.
Before Mr. justice Neville, in the Winding-up Court, on the istit instant, the affairs of the Manchester District Motor Omnibus Company, Limited (in liquidation), again came up. Counsel stated that the parties had agreed terms, in respect of two summonses, one a claim for alleged misfeasance, and the other for adjudication on a claim by Mr. Boyle, and the effect would be to put an end to certain litigation. The arrangement was sanctioned, but liberty was given for the restoration of the summonses should con-. ditions not be fulfilled.
Mudguard Trials in Paris.
A great number of complaints has been made, in Paris, of the mud which is thrown up by the motorbuses during their passage through many of the narrow and ill-kept streets of the capital. In view of this circumstance, the Compagnie Generale des Omnibus decided to hold a competition for the invention of efficient mudguards.
Individuals who desired to compete had to send, before the 15th of thi, month, complete drawings of their priiposed apparatus to the company's
offices, 34, rue Championnet. These plans bad to be accompanied by full descriptions of the method of attachment of the devices, and their cost. An
inlluential committee has been appointed to award prizes, which range from 250 to n000 francs.
Yielding to the Tramcar at Peckham.
At the last meeting of the Camberwell Council, a motion was put forward to restrict the standing space for motorbuses at the corner of Rye Lane, Peckham, and it was agreed that only one motorbus at a time should be allowed to stand in the roadway at High Street, in this particular place, instead of two.
City of I ,ndon Traffic Bill.
Messrs. Sherwood and Company, Parliamentary Agents, have deposited in the Private Bill Office of the House of Commons a Bill promoted by the Corporation of the City of London with regard to street traffic. The Bill, which consists of four clauses, has provisions with regard to driving cattle through streets, the unloading of coal and casks, and the exhibition of advertisements. The clause relating to general traffic runs as follows :— " From and after the passing of this Act Section i 1 (Regulations within special limits) of the Metropolitan Streets Act 1867 shall in its application to the City be read and have effect as if the matters therein referred to with respect to which regulations may he made were : (A) The route to be taken by all vehicles or any particular class or de
scription of ehicles with power to prohibit or to permit on certain specified conditions either generally or during particular hours the passing of all vehicles or any particular class or description of vehicles into or along any street or part of a street within the general limits of the said Act ; (a) the line to be kept by persons riding or driving or conducting any animal or vehicle within the said limits."
In the notices in regard to the Bill, it is explained that what is chiefly ;timed at is to confer further powers upon the Commissioner of Police of the City with reference to the regulation of traffic, and, amongst other matters, the routes to be followed by vehicular traffic, including omnibuses and other stage carriages, and the working of such traffic, and the places at which, and the periods for which any vehicle may stop, and with respect to the part or parts of any street or streets to be used by heavy or slow-moving traffic, and so far as may be necessary or expedient to alter, amend or repeal, or to exempt the City or some of the streets therein from all or some of the provisions of the Metropolitan Streets Act 1867, and any Act or Acts relating to the regulation or control of the traffic within the City, and to extend the provisions of that Act whirl are applicable within the special limits therein defined to the whole City or parts thereof.