STATE-OWNED BUSES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 16 November 1929, Page 15

STATE-OWNED BUSES.

SAXONY’S EXPJiIHIMENT. Saxony, Germany, a Rustling industrial and commercial state of 5,000,000 persons, has solved an acute transportation problem by intensive and extensive use ol' motor ous lines. The efficiency with which a vast network of bus lines provides adequate intra-Saxony transportation, almost to the exclusion of all other forms, is shown in a recent report by Gelieimrat (Privy Councillor) Otto Koepcke, president of the board of directors or the State-owned bus and truck com pany. Tiie moist important of its bus line? is the Saxony Stage Company, which covers a huge network of routes and has given continuous passenger service since 1913. In spite of the rigours oi war, the trying reconstruction days, and the inflation catastrophe of 1923, the increase m passengers inns more than kept pace with the addition oi routes and equipment. Although Saxony has more cam in proportion to population than any other German state, there aie comparatively few privately owned vehicles and nearly everybody uses public conveyances.

The routes of the Stxony Stage Company alone total more than 2800, employing about 500 buses. There are a few routes 40 or 50 miles long, but the majority average around 10 miles, on which through connection is easily made for the benefit of long-distance travellers. Saxony is very hilly in the southern part, where most of the traffic is concentrated, which means very severe operation, especially in the winter months. To meet, this operation problem, the company keeps many service stations strategically located. In addition to seeing that they are. always in the best of condition, it also, exerts great -care in the selection and train-' ing of drivers to keep them so and to 1 protect the safety of its passengers. J Before a man is trusted with a bus he I must have worked two years in the I shops or in a similar service. During this time he receives school instruction In order to remain in the service he must pass a strict physical examination every two years. The wisdom of this policy is demonstrated by the accident statistics, which show- that nearly 6,500,000 miles were operated in 1928 without a single passenger .fatality. Only one person was injured for each 62,200 bus miles operated. Injuries to passengers averaged one for 252,200 passengers who paid their fares. One non-passenger was injured for each 84,000 bus miles of service. Fatalities among nonpassengers amounted to one for 915,000 bus miles. Hie total accidents reported were, on the whole, one for each 10,947 miles of operations. constructed buses are necessary for the heavy work of transporting business men. On certain routes a much larger vehicle than is now permitted on the highways would give more durable service, but for the most part the 20-foot roads are suitable for 14-passenger units, of which nearly 109 are operated in the rural districts. The largest buses in service are 40 feet long and carry 52 passengers.

On a few routes lending into- such, centres as Dresden and Chemnitz, peak loads of passengers and workers must be carried, and lor thus service an 80pas.senger single-deck hus is being developed. This will have eight wheels in two trucks and will be about 50 feet long. The governmental limit on length will have to be waived, and, if necessary, the highways widened, although that probably will only he necessary on curves. Some express runs are operated at schedule speeds averaging up to 25 miles an hour, such as the one round trip a day that is made between Leipzig and Chemnitz. This run is oO miles and is made in two hours.

On regular routes stops are made every four or live miles, and on the particularly short runs they may be as close together as half a mile. The average speed is 10' to 12 miles an hour.

Complete schedules for all bus systems are issued twice a year, in a carefully worked-out time-table. The schedules contain detailed information about connections to the lines of other bus companies as well as the railways.