ACROSS THE SAHARA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22777, 10 July 1937, Page 14 (Supplement)

ACROSS THE SAHARA

MOTOR SERVICE STARTED FROM ALGIERS TO KANO An interesting development in road transport is tlio rocont inauguration in Algeria of a now service of motor vehicles equipped for running on either petrol or producer-gas, which will operate between Algiers and Kano, and provide a regular road service across the Sahara Desert. The vehicles employed are of a wellknown French make, with bodywork designed for both passenger and goods transport. In view of tho possibility of encountering sandstorms, both tho front and back of the passenger bodywork are sloped so that wind and sand will pass over them easily. As the vehicle's can bo operated on either petrol or producer-gas the danger of being stopped by lack of fuel is avoided. In tho case of passenger vehicles and certain types of goods carriers intended for tho transport of relatively small or fragilo packages, the gas-producer is included in tho bodywork and is completely covered. On some of the larger types of goods vehicle, for which a moro usual type of bodywork is used, tho producer gas apparatus is exposed in the normal position. The passenger vehicles will provide a regular twice-monthly service which will occupy 13 days, including stoppages en route amounting to five days. The goods vehicles will cover the distance in about a week. At the southern end of the route branch services will operate during the winter months only, from December to May. One of these runs to Niamey and another to Fort Lamy. If tbese prove successful, and it is considered almost certain that they will, further extensions of the branch lines as far as Bamako in the west aro expected. A road service from Iniker to Tripoli and one from Tamanrasset to Gao are also being considered. Tho new services run through country which would be impossible for a railway, but, by providing complete travelling comfort, they are demonstrating the possibilities of the road vehicle. In the Southern Sahara regions these services aro boginning to compete with the LagosKano Railway, which hitherto nas served the country almost exclusively.