TRANSPORT PROBLEMS

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 108, 2 November 1940, Page 7

TRANSPORT PROBLEMS

LONDON SERVICES

VAST TASK IN WAR CONDITIONS

LONDON, October 31

The London Passenger Transport Board is vigorously tackling the problem of transporting 3,750,000 workers to and from work daily throughout the winter. Meanwhile, the existing transport position has excited the criticism of two morning newspapers. The "Daily Telegraph" urges improved staff work and the "Daily .Mail" alleges that the public are disgusted with the railway food services.

The Transport Board's plans include more express buses, the restoration of all coach routes ■in the outer areas, and also new bus services parallel with the interrupted railway routes, an earlier peak hour for bus and tube services, and more stations open during raids.

The staff shortage is the board's principal problem. Nearly a thousand London conductors have oeen trained as drivers and women were ?nrolled as conductorettes, but when 350 women were called up only 20 replied., Passengers are unlikely to require r^ i vehicles after. 10 or 11 p.m., and therefore it is not intended to run scheduled journeys after those hours. Special

buses will be running for late, workers, and the tubes will run later.

An appeal has been made < for a thousand bus conductors, male, and female. Nine hundred buses which were taken off the roads when ; petrol rationing. was introduced will be put in service, and the plans also include the introduction of express buses on twenty routes and of 400 buses from the provinces supplied by between 40 and 50 undertakings. ' ; .; ■

The general manager (operations) of the London Passenger Transpprt Board, Mr. T. E. Thomas, Outlining the plans; pointed out the vast nature, of the task of taking workers to and from home, supplementing thel main; liije rail services, evacuating- women and children, working' . express . and emergency schedules, planning routes for diversions, and ■ repairing damage.

Regarding this last-mentioned- task, Mr. Thomas gave two instances recently of the rapid repair of: serious damage. A high-explosive bomb struck a station platform in the open, derailed a train, made the station roof dangerous, and wrecked, a • signal gantry, and made the railway unsafe. Restricted services, were running 7 next day. In the second case. a bomb fell behind a signal cabin, damaging it severely and making it unsafe ." and throwing one truck bodily on.another. The services were restored two and a half days later.

Other improvements include the opening, in conjunction with' the main line railways, of information bxireaux in the city . • . . , .

Happier aspects of Britain's home front are provided by the announcement that the transport board will supply . twopenny meals , for shelters at eighty tube stations, and also 7 that there have been fewer serious; crimes