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THE MUNICIPAL VEHICLES OF PARIS.
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The Organization of the Street and Market-place Cleansing Department, of the Fire-fighting Service, and the Bus System of the French Capital.
IN dealing with the collection and "disposal of refuse, sweeping, watering, etc., the system of contracting out, 80 universal throughout France, is still employed to a great extent by the City Council of Paris. The Council has, nevertheless, broken with tradition during the last few years and now owns a fleet of exceedingly up-to-date refusecollecting lorries, numbering nearly 200. The remaining refuse lorries of Paris are owned by three contracting firms. These firms, together own over 700 lorries.
The city is thus served by a total of 900-odd refuse vehicles. The mainten
ance and working of the fleet owned by the municipality is directed by a special department known as the " T.A.M." (Service Special des Transports Auta mobiles Municipeaux), which has been created at the Hate' de'Ville.
The refuse-collection problem in Paris is a formidable one. Dealing with Paris proper, that is to say the area within the ring of the old fortifications, now disappearing, a total mass of 2,000,000 cubic metres has to be col
lected anvil-ally. The' weight of thie c58
rubbish amounts to well over a million tons. M. Girard, the present inspector General des Travaux, has calculated that if the stuff were to be dumped in the Place de la Concorde it would cover all that vast area and make a pyramid rising to the level of the Sacre Cur Church on Montmartre.
. Paris produces a greater quantity of refuse in proportion to its population than any other city in Europe. So well is the matter handled, however, that the French capital is particularly clean and tidy in these days. The major portion of the refuse, some 950,000 tons per annum, consists of domestic and market rubbish. The numerous street markets held in the city all contribute their quota, whilst Les Balks, the great central market, makes more litter than all . the London markets put together.
The nature and quantity of refuse to be dealt with daily vary according to the season. A graph of the refuse collection in Paris throughout any one year shows curious fluctuations. The variation in density is remarkable. For instance, the weight of a cubic metre of refuse may rise to a ton in December or January and fall to only 6 cwt. in July. It follovs that the carrying power of a lorry is limited ln winter by the maximum useful load (5 tons) and in summer by the maximum cubic capacity of the body, 9 cubic metres.
The quantity of refuse collected in certain districts of PariS during the summer months falls to an almost negligible figure, as compared with that collected
during the rest of the year. This is due to the general holiday migration to the country. Only these who have actually lived in Paris can realize the' extent to which the holiday habit has taken hold of Parisians during recent years. From the end of June to the first half of September whole streets are practically deserted!' Block after block of flats may be seen without a single inhabitant except the concierge. The exodus is not confined to private residents. Hundreds of shopkeePers put up their shutters on July let, with an announcement that business will reopen in September!
The smaller quantity of refuse to be collected during the summer renders it possible to reduce the number of vehicles in service by over 20 per cent.—an im portant economy factor for the Hotel de Ville..
The contracts under which vehicles are run and maintained for the city council by the three contracting firms, S.A.S.M. and C.G.E.A., are of a rather unusual nature. They run for a period of 15 years in the case of each lorry and they are in the nature of hirepurchase arrangements. After seven years the lorry becomes the property of the Elfitel do Vine. but is still run and maintained to the end of the 15 gears by the contractors. The period may seem long, but it mast be remembered that in France motor vehicles are immortal (if one may thus use the word!). A 1905 taxicab, for instance, if rigged up with a van body, Will still find a purchaser.
'rho contractors are obliged to hold a minimum of 72 per cent, and a maximum of 90 per cenf, of their fleet at the disposal of the Hotel de Vine every day. The contracting firms are responsible
for the garaging, driving and complete maintenance of the vehicles. In return for this they receive a daily subsidy for each vehicle held at the disposition of the council and a payment per kilometre for every kilometre run, whether loaded or empty. The daily subsidy% may be varied in amount from time to time, according to the rate of wages ruling for drivers. The kilometre rate also fluctuates according to the market price of petrol quoted on the first of each month. Tile System of having two variable subsidies has proved sufti-, eiently elastic to permit of respect for the interests of both parties. This, moreover, has been a reasonable arrangement in view of the very difficult period of fluctuating economic values which France has just experienced.
In connection with the kilometric subsidy it may be mentioned that the Hotel de Ville employs a permanent staffof 80 cyclist inspectors to read and check the distance-recording instruments on
the contract lorries. The lorries used by the various contracting firms cornprise C.G.O., Schneider, Latil, De DionBanton and Lailly vehicles. Those of the S.I.T.A., the most important concern, running a fleet of over 500 vehicles, are all Schneiders. In these lorries, as in all the others employed for refuse collection in Paris, the body is constructed entirely of steel and is provided with sectional sliding covers. These covers are very easily moved, as the body is low-built, the edge of the
sides being less than 4 ft. 8 ins, from the ground. A wooden border is fitted along the sides in order to decrease noise from emptying dust-bins. In the case of the Schneiders the tipping arrangement is mechanically operated by means of cables and drums worm-driven from the gearbox. In the, Latils hydraulic tipping gear is employed. For the purpose of refuse collection Paris is divided into four sections—N.E., N. V., S.W. and S.E., corresponding with the four big destructor works erected just outside the gates of the city at Remainvine, Saint-Ouen, Issy-les-Moulineaux and Ivry. The cleaning of the great central market (Les Hanes) and the space around it, known as "le Carman," is a task which calls for special methods. The surface area of the roads and footpaths comprised within the " Carreau " is no less than 150,000 square metres. This is exclusive of the ground occupied by the actual market halls. With the exception of Mondays, markets are held
here for five hours 'out of every 24. At the conclusion of each day's market some 200 tons of litter is left on the roadways after the departure of the market carts !
Trains of trucks drawn by an electric tractor, similar to those employed at big railway termini, circulate ainongst the rubbish. Each truck bears a big iron. refuse-bin. The bins are filled by the sweepers and the train proceeds to a motor crane, by means of which the bins are lifted and emptied into the waiting lorries. Each train is composed of four travelling bins and 80 bins are used. Two motor cranes serve the 'market: Thirty-five lorry loads, or more, of litter are taken from Les HaIles every day. As soon as the litter has been cleared away the watering and cleaning begin.
The market carts are supposed to be away by 9 a.m. or 9.30 a.m.' at latest, but the merchants are usually in no hurry to leave. About 10 a.m. the high-pressure watering and sweeping wagons arrive. These charge in amongst the laggard market carts with their side sprays working at full blast and a hasty exodus follows. By midday the Carreau is as clean and tidy as any other part of the city. .
The custom of holding street markets, so general throughout France, is car
ried almost to excess in Paris. No fewer than 42 street markets are held in various parts of the city, each of them usually on three days in the week. On an average 14 markets are held every day and 19 on Tuesdays. To this custom is undoubtedly due in part the very large production of refuse in Paris as compared with other European cities.
For the cleaning and watering of the streets Paris is served by two contracting firms owning a total of 266 vehicles. Out of these 156 are " Auto-mixtes," or combined sweeping and watering machines ; 84 are sweepers and 29 watercarts. The vehicles use 13 garages. The contracts under which the sweepers and waterearts work are very similar to those in. force for the refuse-collecting lorries. The special department of the Hotel de Ville (the " T.A.M.") has
recently acquired 16 vehicles itself. These comprise 13 high-pressure water. carts and three sweepers.
In the above review we have dealt solely with vehicles employed by the City Council and operating within the fortifications. If, we include the immediate suburbs the number of municipal motor vehicles in service rises to well over 2,000. In the suburbs, as in Paris itself, the contract system is in general use, and this applies to great provincial cities, such as Marseilles, Bordeaux. etc. • In so far as practical results are concerned it may be said, without any hesitation, that the system appears to work exceedingly well. The streets of Paris to-day present a model of cleanliness. This has not always been the case with regard to Paris, for in earlier days her name was " Mud !" From the empire • of the Franks up to the 13th century the streets of the city were entirely un. paved. They were carpeted, if one may use the expression, with an incredibly thick layer of manure. In those days the greatest sign of contempt and dislike for an individual was to throw in his face, "La. boue puante des rues de la vine," whilst the antique and pleasing name of Lutetia had been changed by the populace to the Latin substantive Lutum, meaning mud.
During that picturesque but dyty period known as the Middle Ages, the principal streets were paved, by royal decree, with square stone blocks 3 ft. by 3 ft. by 1 ft. thick. The onus of keeping the streets clean and getting rid of household refuse was thrown upon the inhabitants. At this time Paris was perhaps the dirtiest and most plaguestricken city of the then known world. The idea of private responsibility for street cleaning and the evacuation of refuse actually held good until 1859.
It is •intereating to note that from 19/4 to 1920 electric refuse Tonics Were used in Paris. They were discarded in 1921 as being too expensive.
Turning to other inianicipal thotor services, the HOtel de Vine has no need to concern itself with fire-fighting. The Paris fire brigade is a military bdtly lent to the city for its protection by the French War Department and coming under. the immediate control of the Prefecture de Police. Here, for once, the contract ,system is in abeyance. All the fire-fighting appliances are army property. The fire-engines and escape wagons are, 'with but One or two exceptions, all supplied by Messrs. Delahaye. a firm which has specialized in this type of machine for very many years past.
The Paris Ere brigade is most effic:ent and their material is constantly being renewed and brought up to date. Amongst recent innovations may be mentioned powerful motorcycle and sidecar outfits, carrying three firemen, for first-aid work, special long-distance-call motor fire-engines, with closed bodies to protect the men and keep them fit for their work at the end of the journey, -and, lastly, first-aid pumps built on the lines of very fast touring cars/ The vital importance of prompt attack on a fire is recognizeil in Paris.
The latest big Delahaye engines in use are very fine outfits indeed. They are capable of delivering as much as nrio,000 litres per hour. The standard. Paris engine delivers 120,000 litres per .hour. Drill and discipline are very strict in the Sapeurs Pompiers regiment, which is regarded as a crack corps rather like, our own Royal Marines. The training has to be of an intensive chhratter, as the rank and file are conscripts serving their usual military period. The officers and N.C.O.s of the .regiment remain permanently with the brigade in Paris. The munic*.pal ambulances of Paris are all Parrhard and iLevassor 'vehicles. They are run under contract for the Hotel de Ville by the hire department of Messrs.. Panhard and Levassor.
In the matter of public passenger transport we have an example of the hire-purchase system on the grand scale. The T.C.R.P. is a, body composed of all the original private omnibus and train services of Paris. This complete organization has been purchased by the council, complete with all its rolling stock, on a 30 years' contract. During this period the T.C.R.P. enjoys the combined advantages of being at one and the same time a private company and a sort of government department. The contract, curious though it may appear, is working out very well in practice, both for the travelling public and certainly for the shareholders. About 1,300 omnibuses, including a certain number of six-wheelers, are run by the
The fleet may appear small, but in Paris the taxicab takes the place of the omnibus to a great extent, as fares are so low. Paris omnibus services have been described in detail upon several occasions in these columns..