BRAKES ON BUSES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19736, 8 September 1927, Page 15

BRAKES ON BUSES.

EFFECT OF REGULATIONS. "DANGER TO THE PUBLIC." COMMENT BY MAGISTRATE. "The Public Works Department seems to me to be creating a source of danger to the public," said Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday during the hearing of three charges against (he Passenger Transport Company, Ltd. (Mr. Goulding), of owning buses with defective brakes.

Evidence was given by traffic inspectors that on one morning two buses were found with the hand-brakes defective, and one with the foot-brake defective. The latter bus was ordered off the road until repairs were effected. For the defence it was stated the company's vehicles, and particularly the brakes, were inspected daily. Only minor defects were found in the brakes complained of. The foot-brake was defective owing to grease on the brake-band. The vehicles had originally been fitted with foot and hand-brakes acting on the same drum, but the Public Works Department's regulations required the two brakes to be entirely independent. The hand-brakes were,therefore altered to act on the carbon shaft. This made a very severe brake and a suddent application might ruin the brake.

Owing to the difficulties experienced by bus-proprietors in Auckland in connection with these brakes, a conference with officers of the Public Works Department was held last May, and the department's officers agreed to require the carbon shaft brake merely to hold the vehicle when stationary and not to stop it. The company was spending about £6O a month in brake-linings. The magistrate said it seemed an extraordinary thing that the department should require this type of braking system on a vehicle not designed for it. He was satisfied the company was making an attempt to comply with the regulations, and he would not impose a heavy penalty. On two charges defendants were convicted and ordered to pay costs, and on the charge relating to the foot-brake were fined £l.