EXPERTS REPORT

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7852, 14 July 1911, Page 8

EXPERTS REPORT

INCREASED COST INVOLVED. MR I’ IdIARDSON J S ADVICE TO THE COUNCIL. The following is the report submitted by Mr Stuart Richardson, tramways engineer and manager, to the tramways committee of the City Council in. reference to the draft regulations sent by the Public Worts Department:— Further to my preliminary report _ on those rcgakuiocu, I now no? to submit a report dealing: with each clause in seriatim. , . According to the opening clause, it is intended to bring these regulations into force on the day of their publication in the "Gazette." As the carrying capacity of tho system will bo greatly curtailed and the construction of additional rolling stock necessitated, it is imperative that sufficient time should be grafted before enforcing the regulations to allow of new oars being oanstiucted. . There are also other matters which reel nire some little time to enable compliance with the regulations. Clause 1 contains the interpretation. Clauses 2, 3 and 4 deal with the inspection of cars, and stipulate that every assistance shall be given to tho inspector appointed by the Minister to inspect and test cars. No objection. I think, can be taken by the local authority to these clauses. , „ , , . , _ Glauses 5 to 12 (inclusive) deal with the licensing of cars. Application must be made to the Minister not later than November 35th. 19U, for a license for every car, and if the cars arc approved by the inspector licenses will bo issued to date from January Ist. 1912. V/hcn tho licenses are received they are to be placed in glazed frames and hied in a prominent place inside tho care. Tho clauses are framed to give effect to the provision made in the Tramways Amendment Act, ot 1910. clause 5 (subsection b), and , the effect is to take away from the _ local authority the powers they have hitherto enjoyed of licensing tram cars, and to place these powers in tho hands of tho Minister. Clauses 13 to 19 deal with the carnage of pa-wengers. These clauses are very drastic In their operation, and greatly reduce the number of passengers who may bo carried on most of tho cars. Clause 13, section 1. subsection (a), gives to the Government inspector power to limit passengers both inskic a car and on the top deck to such number as in his opinion there is reasonable seating accommodation for. Subsection (b) gives tho Government inspector power to allow an additional number of standing passengers inside the car, and tho maximum is sot down at 75 per cent, of the number of passengers for whom seating accommodation is provided iiu-ide tho car. This maximum is, however, qualified by later clauses, which I will deal with in tho order of their priority. , _ , Section 2, subsection \c), provides that no passengers are allowed to stand on tho top docks of cars, platforms, or steps. This seriously diminishes the carrying capacity of all double-dock cans, and to enforce*the regulation so far as tho top clocks arc concerned will mean an extra conductor on each top deck car. Subjection (d) deals with cable cars only. Section 3: This clause provides that standing passengers may bo allowed on condition that they do not unduly inconvenience other paisengers or impede the conductor in the carrying out of his duty. This clause, if strictly administered, may bo held to block standing passengers on any car, and seemingly gives any conductor arbitrary power, as tho stranding of even one passenger may be holu to be an impedance to his duties being carried out. Clause 14: This provides for sixteen inches seating space to each passenger. No objection can reasonably bo taken to this.

CUauso 15, section 1; This clause prohibits intending passengers from boarding oars which already contain the maximum number of passengers for which they are licensed- It further provides that children under three years of ago and in arms shall not be counted as passengers; children over three and under twelve years of a-gc to bo counted as half a passenger. This will practically prohibit the Corporation continuing to carry children up to fourteen years at half rates. Section 2 provides that the tramway authorities must prevent the carriage of passengers over and above the licensed number, and arrange for tho accommodation of intending passengers at stopping places in order of priority. This will mean that an inspector must bo placed at each important stopping place to attend to the formation of queues, about half a dozen of which would be wanted at say Courtenay place, as caoh route would require a separate queue. This system would bo cumbersome and irritating to tho public with, sav a fairly frequent ser-

vice, and it would probably debar the residents of Miramar and Seatoun (whore a forty minutes’ rervlce prevail?) from using the cars. Strong exception should be taken by the council to this section. Section Z limits the right to the manager or other tramway employee or police coKritalde to ride on any part of the car if his duty requires it.

Clause 16, section (a) provides for the number of passengers who are allowed to stand in a car with longitudinal beat©, and undoubtedly will limit the number of standing passengers to less than tho 75 per cent, provided, for in clause 13, subclause (b). Section (b) limits the number of standing passengers in compartments of such as palace cars to four, and prohibits any standing passengers in cars with reversible seats, such ha the open parts of combination cars, and the whole of Hongkong cars. Tins, in my opinion, is most unreasonable, and will greatly decrease the UK-efnlnefis of a very popular typo of car. Clause 17 provides that a hanging strap shall be available for each standing paseonger.

Clause 18 provides that the Minister may refuse to allow the carriage of standing passengers on steep grades. Clause 19, ejection 1 provides for exhibiting on the dash hoards of cars tne number of passengers such cars are l»'*o:'sed to carry, the lettering to he IMn high, and will be from its position expensive to maintain, a disfigurement to the oars, illegible at night, and will serve no useful purpose. In some coses four or five rows of lettering would bo re* quirod. Section 2 provides for a similar notice inside the cars. This clause should be strongly opposed. Clause 20 provides for the numbering of each tramway carriage.

Clause 21 provides that the Minister shall bo provided with a description of every car in use.

Clause 22 provides for such appliances and furnishing as will be in the opinion of tho Minister sufficient to ensure safety of passengers, etc. Section (a) : Oars shall bo provided with efficient brakes.

Section (b): Cars shall have steps so that passengers may easily alight or enter. aud a movable step placed In position by the conductor when ordinary step Is over 14 inches from the ground. This means increased delay at stopping places, and will bo found impracticable in service.

Section (c) provides for a portion of the platform at each end of a ear to be reserved for the solo use of the motorman and conductor. To carry out this regulation will necessitate radical alterations bo nineteen combination cars, fifteen small double-deck oars, and four box cars, and will render them practically valueless for traffic, as the alterations will bo very costly and the passenger accommodation diminished

Section (d) provides for effective doors and bars on the off side of car.

Section (e) provides for suitable griphandles and hanging straps. Section (f) provides for an automatic life-guard at. each end of car, approved by tho Minister. The words "having regard to standard English practice” should be added at the end of this section.

Section, (g) provides for a movable seat or rest for the motorman.

Section (h) provides for a loud-sounding gong at each end of the car. Section (i) provides for bells for ufo of passengers.

Section (j) provides that cars shall be fitted with four sand boxes. Ihe Wellington cans are fitted with four sand boxes, but to comply with further requirements of this section will necessitate radical alterations to tho sand gear of 22 cars in making tho lid watertight, which is quite unnecessary, as the sand boxes are inside the cars.

It is not possible to Cxarry out to ths’ strict letter of this section ol the regulations In the case of any of the Wellington cars, nor as a matter or fact in the case of any bogle truck cars.

Section (k) provides that the handles of the brakes shall be arranged, at the right hand of tho motorman, and the controller on the left hand.

Section (1) provides that a movable weight is affixed to the trolley rope to avoid slack in the rope. Section (m) provides that trolley poles bo long enough to project over tho end of tho carriage, and, if necessary, for two trolley poles to be provided on each long car. It is quite unnecessary that the trolley pole should project beyond the car. The trolley-head can be seen by the conductor from tiie side of tho car. To have a long trolley polo with the head projecting from the car lends to make the trolley head leave tho wire.

Section (n) provides for head and tail lights.

Section (o) provides for oil, acetylene, or other lamp being carried inside each car, properly lighted after sunset.

This is quite unnecessary, and introduces a possibility of damage through the oil or acetylene. This will also bo expensive to maintain.

Section (p) provides for proper illumination of the interior of a car aud exterior platforms and stops. Section (qj provides for a switch at each end of tho car under tho canopy so that the motorman can switch off the' current from the motors.

Section (r) provides for red lamp under canopy of top deck cars to indicate leakage of current.

Section'(s) provides that each car must have a fuse cut-out. This would necessitate tho rewiring of more than half of tho city oars at a largo expense. Fuses have been found unsatisfactory and a cause of great delay to cans; they have long been dispensed with on now cars, the circuiubreaker or breakers provided on each car proving amply sufficient to protect the car. Modern practice tends to tho discarding of fuses in electrical power work generally. Section (t) provides for lightning-arrester and coil to bo affixed to each car. All tho Wellington oars are provided with lightning-arresters placed under tho cal's, but the choke coils in many instances aro placed behind tho panels in the ends of cars.

Clause 22: It would he ex pensive to move those to the bottoms of the cars as requested by tho regulations. Section fu) provide? for the interlocking of th© power and reversing shafts. Section (v) provides for non-slipping treads for steps.

Section (w) provides that no double-deck oar shall have a roof or covering whatever on the double deck. This does not affect the Wellington cars, but it is interesting to note that the London County Council and the Manchester and Glasgow Corpora lions have placed roofs on practically aJi their cars.

Section fx) provides that cars 'shall he fitted with route and destination indicators at sides and ends of car.

This section makes it imperative to pro vide route and destination indicators, which have to he lighted at night, on the sides of all the city cars. This means an out lay of at least £IBOO to comply with the regulation.

Section (y) provides for appliances and furnishings generally used on tramways This clause gives unknown power to the Minister. Clause 23 deals with limits of speed on down grades. This dans© reduces the maximum speed .allowed under our present Order-in-Coun-cil very considerably. To run at the speeds stipulated will necessitate an increase in the number of cars required to run tho present service at the Tranced speeds allowed. Anything tending to make tho service slower is, in my opinion, a retrograde step—harassing to the public and expensive to the Corporation. The maximum speed allowed in the city is reduced from fifteen miles per hour under the original Order-in-Couucil, to twelve males per hour. (Note.—ln view of this it. is interesting to observe in the last number of the “Tramway World" v May, 3911), that the Board of Trade has intimated to the Islington Council (Lon, don) lhat it does not see any adequate reason for reducing the maximum limit of speed of sixteen miles per hour for cars in Ooawcdl road. This section also stipulates that the speed on grades such as Brooklyn, Wadestown, and Kilbtmic, shall not exceed six milos per hour, although on the Brooklyn and Wades town Lines 7i miles por hour is now allowed, and no speed restriction has been placed on tho Kilbimio lull grades.) Clause 24 provides for reducing the speed limits in narrow streets, and also for re dndng the speed of a car to four milca per hour on a road that is crowded with pedestrians or other traffic. The effect of this dame will bo that car* can only run at a walking pace through the main streets on a Saturday evening and it is questionable whether this reduced speed might not be insisted upon at 5 o'clock in the evenings. Under such con ditions it would be impossible to handle the traffic, and passengers wouia be great ly delayed in reaching thedr destinations. Clause 25 deals with cable tramway Sl Clau9es 26 to 30, inclusive, deal with the car report book, which is required to be kept for each car. Under these regulations six reports will be required each day for each straight «hift car.' making a total of over 300 reports a day to bo dealt with by this de-partment-extra. • Clerical assistance will have to be provided at the car shed and head office for

this work, the extent of which is quit© Ul Clau-e^ 3l provides penalties up to £2C for broaches of these regulations. GENERAL REMARKS. The restrictions proposed with regard to the carrying capacity and the speeds of tko cars imposes a most serious disability in this city. All the world over it is recognised that the seating accommodation of cars at ruAi hours (although regular services are supplemented large!}” by extra oars at these times) is inadequate to m»et the extraordinary demands by th* public who are anxious to reach their destinations with as little delay as possible. To reasonably oopo witn the present traffic it would lx? neecasary, under tho proposed regulations, to run about forty more cars at the busy hours of the clay This will mean, with extra car-«hed accommodation and power house plant, an extra outlay of nearly £75,000. with an annual capital charge of about £7SCO. I'hc average cost of operation per car is :uav £IIC'O per annum, so it would he ia-ir to compute the extra cost to the city under the proposed regulations at something over £40,000 per annum. To meet this extra expenditure it seems to me that as the present earning power would not be increased it would be necessary to increase the fares by about a) per cent-, which would seriously affect iho general public Taking the question of risk into consideration, under tho conditions hitherto prevailing with regard to the tramway traffic in Wellington, the very small percentage or accident* that have occurred, considering that over twenty-two million pas&engera are carried annually, shows that the er ' vice has boon very' safely run, and that the cars and equipment have been kept up to a high state of efficiency. lo my opinion there is no risk to speak of in allowing a reasonable amount of overloading, and if the public are to be debarred Irom standing on the top decks oi cars and platforms whilst the rush traffic is on, they will be very seriously delayed in getting to business or their homes. In the figures quoted as the probable extra cost which will bo, thrust upon the city under those regulations, I have uot token into account any expenditure uoces*arv in the alterations of existing rolling stock, which might be put down at some £5050. The whole of the foregoing expenditure is quite apart from the sixteen new oars now’ in hand, or to be built next year, required tor the natural growth of the traffic. In* conclusion, I would ask tho council to make a most searching investigation into the merits of these proposed regulations, and take united action with the oilier tramway authorities In the Dominion, with a view to the elimination ot modification of such clause© as will seriously affoct tlie working of tramways in their present form.