BUS AND TRAM.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18676, 27 April 1926, Page 6

BUS AND TRAM.

THE COLLISION CASE. | STANMORE ROAD ACCIDENT. The case, in which the Inter-City Motor Service, Ltd., claimed £l6l 16s from the Christchurch Tramway Board, and the' Board counter-claimed for £37 ;7s, waß continued in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr H. T. Widdowson, S.M. Plaintiff's case was heard on, IJriday, and yesterday the defendant's case was heard. The accident from which the case arose occurred at- thq intersection of Stanmore road :anct Worcester street on September Bth last. ■ Mr C. S. Thomas appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr : J. D. Hutchinson for tho defendant. . Opening for the defence, Mr Hutiiiinson said that when the niotorman reached the point where, lie obtained a clear view down; Worcester street, the bus was close to him. The bus must have been travelling at a greater speed than was stated. Either the bus was travelling too quickly, or if going slowly, it was. the bus driver's .duty to'stop. Tho tram and trailer weighed about 26 tons, and the bus about 5 tons. On the provious evening the bus was standing on the corner when the non-stop trani fluent through. Also, lie had been on the run for sis months. The express tram from the City was running at its normal spied, and it was daylight. The fact of the bus driving on to the crossing without keeping an unusual lookout, was, under the circumstances, proof of negligent driviug. Motorman's Evidence. Arthur Ferguson, motorman, who, ou the date of the accident, was driving the 5.0 p.m. express tram from the Square to. A'ort'u Beach, said that tho car weighed .15 tons and the trailer f> toils/ There car, and the Bame number in the trailor. The total weight of ( the passengers amounted to about 6 tons. His first stop on the run, after leaving Manchester street, was at Burwood. After passing Hereford street, lie built up the power to ''series" until about half a chain from Worcester street, where he shut off again. From Cashcl street to Worcester street —the worst piece of road on the journey—he did not- exceed about nine miles an hour. Immediately on shutting off, he applied the brakes gently, and coming on to the Worcester street intersection, the speed would be about 6 to 7 miles an hour. The gong on. the tram was a good one, and lie sounded it when coming to the intersection of Stanmore road and Worcester street. Ho looked in both directions along Worcester street, and sawthat all was clear. - Then, when two or three yards from the Worcester street line, he noticed the Inter-City bus, and applied the emergency brake. But before it had time to act, he had hit the bus, which was pushed from about 10ft 6in< to lift. The previous night, the bus was standing at the corner waiting for the tram to go through. The Intercity bus was doing from 18 to 20 miles an hour, and witness had no chance of avoiding an accident. Brake Takes Three Seconds to Act. Mr Thomas: The evidence given in this Court must have astounded you. Witness: Too right it has. Witness continued that he had been driviug a tram for about three years.

Ho was a relieving officer, and had been on all the City routes. Travelling at from 6 to 7 miles an hour, he could pull the tram up in five or six yards. Mr Thomas: At what speed do you ride your bicycle to work?—At about four or five miles an hour. Mr Thomas: You'll be a' great success on a "go-slow" policy! Witness continued that a boy who cycled alongside his car spoke to him, remarking that he was travelling at an unusually slow speed. Tho boy caught hold of the hand-rail, and witness told him to keep off. The boy did not distract his attention at all. If the bus had been behind the tree opposite the Linwood Library, he would have seenit, but there was nothing on tlie road at all. The first lie saw of tho bus was when, it was'about five yards off the crossing. The emergency brake ..usually' took two or three seconds to operate. • ■, "Some Awful Risks." Mr/ Thomas: Then you arc running some awful, risks! You think that because you ; ring that bell you have the right 'of tho road? —Oh,'no. ■ "If your evidence is correct, then those, emergency brakes are not a great deal of use," commented Mr Thomas. Another motorman said, in reply to Mr Thomas, that from the time of applicatidn of tlie emergency brake, until there was a proper grip on the wheels, six or seven seconds would elapse. Going an 15 miles an hour it would take SOft to 100 ft to pull up a tram. From eight to ten miles an hour, about 23ft would be needed. Arthur Blakeway, motorman, said that ho was driving the 5.5 p.m. car to Dallington on September Bth. His tram was standing at the corner of Stanmore road and Worcester street, when tlie North Beach tram came into view. It was travelling at six or eight miles an hour. He heard a gong sounded. John L. Scott, an apprentice, who was a passenger in tho "North Beach car, estimated the speed of the tram at eight;. miles per hour. Tlie motorman sounded the gong long and loudly. He did not hear the siren of the bus. The bus moved across the front of the tram, witness having ;jumped,up when lie felt the tram brakes applied. The speed of the bus was greater than that ol' the tram. "Forty Miles—As a Joke." Mr Thomas: Did you tell vour father what speed tho bus travelling at?—Yeß. J said 40 miles an hour. But I only said that as- a joke. 'Mr Thomas: Why, did you go round collecting evidence for tln» Tramway Board?— Because I like to see the Board get a fair hearing. v Myrtle C. Kowse, a passenger in the tram, said that as it neared Worcester street, its speed was slow enough to allow a person to board the car. An engineer, called on the question of emergency brakes and the time they took to act, said that the two motor.men apparently did not know. It would take about one second for tho emergency brake to act. The Board's assistant engiueer, questioned on the subject, said that it would take one second for the emergency brake to be applied. The case was adjourned until to-day.