BUS SAFETY DEVICES

Press, Volume C, Issue 29682, 28 November 1961, Page 18

BUS SAFETY DEVICES

Invention Of City Man

A safety device, which prevents a bus being moved off in gear if the rear exit doors are not closed, has been invented by a Christchurch Transport Board employee, Mr L. E. Roi. The board now has several of its buses fitted with the device and if the trials now in progress are successful all its vehicles will be fitted similarly. Another safety device on trial consists of sensitive edges fitted to each half of the exit doors, instead of to one side as at present. This modification will make the device much more sensitive. The doors will return to the open position should any object equivalent to the thickness to two fingers be caught on the doors when closing. When the trials with additional safety devices were reported at a meeting of the board yesterday. It was unanimously decided to ask the general manager (Mr J. F. Fardell) to thank Mr Ro.i on behalf of the board. A suggestion that board members and newspaper representatives be invited to the final trials of the safety devices was adopted. A tetter from the Canterbury Schools’ Association thanking the board for a demonstration of safety devices on buses was received. The letter congratulated the board on its efforts in the interest of safety. The board’s offer to send buses to schools for demonstration purposes has been accepted and referred to the headmasters’ association to make necessary arrangements.