OPINIONS and QUERIES The " C.M.' 4 Guide to Wharves and Docks.
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The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[4198] Sir,—May we congratulate you on the very excellent list of wharves and maps indicating their whereabouts, in the November 10 issue of your paper? Should these be re-issued in pamphlet form, we shall be pleased to have copies for use by our office and drivers.
May we make two suggestions which we think would be useful, namely : (1) that the position of the Rotherhithe and Blackwell Tunnels and Woolwich Free Ferry should be shown, as imowledge of these would often enable drivers to save mileage ; (2) that for the benefit of your provincial readers an outline map of London covering a radius of, say, 10 miles from London Bridge, should be included, showing the more traffic-free routes from the main trunk roads to the riverside streets shown on the sketch maps (the position of each of which might well be indicated on the outline map). Our experience is that provincial drivers often keep to the more heavily laden routes when they might well save time to themselves and other people by taking lessfrequented short cuts to the riverside.
London, E.C.3. F. T. BOYER
(For Boyes and Anger).
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[4199] Sir,—As a reader of The Commercial Motor, I take this opportunity of thanking you for publishing the valuable information regarding wharves and docks in the metropolitan area, and I am sure that hauliers all over the country will welcome this information.
Should you, in the near future, reproduce this information in book form I shall be pleased if you will be good enough to send me along a dozen hooks.
High Wycombe. WILLIAM H. MEILING, The Editor, THE Cosnaznerm. MOTOR.
, (4200] Sir,—With reference to the list of Thames wharves and docks in the issue dated November 10, we would suggest that the name of the proprietors, also the telephone number of the wharf, be included, in the list, as the telephone number seldom appears under the name of the wharf in the telephone directory.
London, 8.E.11. G. JEPSON
(For A. Pennell. Ltd.).
The Editor, THE COMMERC/AL MOTOR.
(4201] Sir,—I am most interested in your issue dated November 10 giving the C.M. Guide to Thames wharves and docks. This certainly is a very valuable compilation and will be of the utmost help to all users, especially in the metropolitan area.
We note you propose to reprint maps and list in brochure form, but notice no mention is made to proB34
vide a key to locate the various positions and areas, and I therefore respectfully suggest that an index to streets and a sectional map be included in the compilation, so as to facilitate reference.
I shall be pleased if you will forward Inc six of these maps and lists when the work has been revised and completed.
London, El. G. LYE
(For the Co-operative Wholesale Society, Ltd.).
The Editor, TrEE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[4202] Sir,—We have pleasure in advising you that the guide to the Thames wharves and docks included in your issue of November 10 has proved extraordinarily interesting.
We are certain that in the issuing of this information you have met a long-felt want, and we shall be very pleased to receive in due course two copies of the reprint which you propose to complete at a later date.
Cowley, Oxford. G. P. ANSELL
(For Morris Industries Exports, Ltd.).
Starting a Quick-delivery Service.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[4203] Sir,—I am proposing to commence a quickdelivery service, with two deliveries weekly, to a place 100 miles distant, and propose to use a 2i-ton Bedford van, new model, for this work. How will this van be affected by the taxation of next year, My load will range from about 2 tons to 2 tons 15 cwt. and will be collected from two or three works and then delivered at the same number of works at the place 100 miles away. I shall be pleased if you will give me your figures for this work and what charges per ton I should have to make to receive a nice profit.
If I were able to obtain return loads of about two tons, but which would take me until noon of the following day to deliver, what difference in the rate per ton would this make, and would the charges to the firms at each end be the same per ton? If the Bedford taxation Is increased next year. what would be a suitable make of van for this work?
On the other three days I hope to work up a service to a place about 60-65 miles distant, again collecting at about six places and delivering at six places. These lots would be between 5 and 10 cwt. each, and would in time make up a full load each journey, both out and 'return. What rates should I have to charge for this work, both journeys in and out being done in one day? I hope eventually to work these two services in with
each other. H. HAYTHORNTHWAITE. Bri erfield.
(A11 24-ton lorries will be subject to an increase in taxation of £2 per annum after January 1 with the tax rising from £28 to £30. The make of chassis does not affect the question. You should base your charges on the double
rate of 4s. per hour, plus 34d. per mile. On that basis the one 100-mile job (200 miles return) will probably take 10 hours, including times for loading and unloading, and the actual mileage will he somewhat in excess of 200, because of the distances between the several factories. On that basis your charge must be £5 for the round journey; that is to say, at the rate of £2 to EL 10s, per ton according to the load carried. If you make a collection for the return journey that will increase the time to, say, 15 hours, instead of 10 hours, and the total, making allowance for extra mileage and the cost of staying away from home one night, will be EA 10s., say 12s. 6d. per ton for 4 tons carried (an average of 2 tons each way). I would point out to you, however, that experienced hauliers confirm that where the collection of a return load involves staying over to the next day, it is usually better policy to stick to only the outward load. If you base your charge on a one-way journey and obtain an occasional return load you must in equity charge a customer for the return load at the same rate as that charged to those for the outward journey. The shorter-distance hauls will involve a total charge of about £4 per journey, say £1 per ton if you are loaded with 2 tons in each direction.—S.T.R.J
Driving Hours on Buses.
The Editor, Tau COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[42041 Sir,—I should appreciate a reply to the following questions :—I am under the impression that a public-service vehicle driver cannot be worked for longer than 54 hours, and that then half an hour's rest break must be given before a continuation of the work up to a total of 11 hours. Is this correct and in legal accordance with the Road Traffic Act, 1930?
I am dubious concerning this matter because recently I have been informed that supplementary amendments have been made to the Act, permitting the management of a bus company to work the drivers for a duty of 8 hours 25 minutes, some of this time being for signing on and off.
Over 5 hours of this duty is continuous driving, and then a short spell is given before carrying on to completion of duty. Is this permissible?
If additions have been made respecting this matter in the Act, surely some notification should be posted up for drivers information. How is time reckoned?
For how much could a copy of Road Traffic Act, 1930 (with all added clauses to all sections to date) be posted to me? liouas. Brixton.
[The matter of driving hours was dealt with by Section 19 of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, which applies to all drivers of public-service vehicles, heavy and light locomotives, tractors and goods vehicles. The Section provided that a driver may not drive for any continuous period of more than 54 hours, or for continuous periods amounting in all to more than 11 hours. Any two or more periods of time are regarded as being continuous unless separated by an interval of not less than half an hour, in which the driver Is able to obtain rest and refreshment. The Section authorized the Minister of Transport, after consultation with various organizations, to make Orders varying the above hours. The Road Traffic Act, 1930 (Variation of Provisions of Section 19) (No. 2) Order, 1933, came into force on June 1, 1933. This Order, which replaced previous Orders, applies only to the drivers of public-service vehicles. The Order provides that in the case of the driver of a public-service vehicle where in any period of 24 hours one period of duty only is worked not exceeding 84 hours in length, a driver may work for a continuous period of 84 hours instead of the usual 54 hours. This is subject to the driver being allowed intervals of time for signing on and off, and for looking over the vehicle before it leaves and after it returns to the garage, and for layover to an extent which in the aggregate is not less than 45 minutes. If, however, the continuous period of duty does not exceed 8 hours the allowed intervals of time need not exceed 40 minutes. The Order also provides that in the case of a public-service vehicle where in any period of 24 hours not more than two periods of duty are worked the aggregate of which does not exceed 84 hours, the length of one period may be not more than 64 hours if the driver be allowed intervals for the purposes stated above which, when distributed over both periods of duty, amount in the aggregate to not less than 45 minutes. The driver who works these two periods must have at least 12 consecutive hours for rest in the period of 24 hours, calculated from the commencement of the first period of driving. This means that if a driver goes on duty at 9 a.m. he May continue on duty until 3.30 p.m., and he may work for a second period of 2 hours, but that second period must end not later than 9 p.m., so that during the 24 hours from the time lie first started he has 12 consecutive hours for rest. Time, for the purpose of Section 19 of the Act, and of the Order made by the Minister, does not necessarily mean driving time. The Act provides that any time spent by a driver on other work in connection with a vehicle or the load carried thereby, including, in the cage of a public-service vehicle, any time spent on a vehicle while on a journey in any other capacity than as a passenger, shall be reckoned as time spent in driving. A copy of the Road Traffic Act costs 2s., and can be obtained through any bookseller. The above-mentioned Order costs ld.—En.]