THE TIMARU OMNIBUS SERVICE.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 2 June 1926, Page 7

THE TIMARU OMNIBUS SERVICE.

To Hie Editor of the “Timaru Herald.” Sir. —The decision of the ratepayers to furnish furiliei capita! lor the local bus snrvic'-v raised the cpiestion ol Lbo suitability or otherwise of the type of vehicle now being used. A bus that jv.vo satiskietor.v luochun.cal icsuits for long distance running, or on fiat roads, is not necessarily the most elficient for a hil’y town or for the frequent stopping and starting; of an urban service. In recent years, the specialised study of automotive transportation lias leaned to tlie opinion that a ’bus should be designed lor its own particular local work : the doubledock buses used here on the not inconsiderable grades of the finutiu streets, are a' copy of the London General Omnibus Co.’s vehicles which were designed to travel on a dead level bituminous surfaced road. 'They were successful under the conditions for which they were intended, but are 1111laitinfactory in Tiinnni. Tluj objections to the usual type of internalcombustion petrol vehicle for a ’bus service' in a hilly town .are (a), the large percentage of low-gear work in starting and hill climbing; 0>) the jerking and discomfort of gear changing; \c) , tbo loss of time in getting uji speed front the low gear: (d) heavy petrol consumption caused by frequent use ol the engine across its least efficient or lowgear periods. It is true that the ordinary vehicle used lor a 'bus service has i’ll some instances given comfortable transportation to travellers, and fairly satisfactory financial results, but tliev have been usually over comparatively long distance routes where the objectionable mechanical features of ,a. town service do not obtain. When m America, three rears ego, L saw the modern gas-eleefrie buses 111 operation where they were making their first appoaranoe 011 the roads. It seemed to 1111 c that they contained certain mechanical principles which are necessary for successful auto-bus transportation under conditions such as exist in outtown. The gas-electric or oil-elcctne bus mav be described as a. vehicle vv 1 til an intermil-comlnision. engine direct coupled to an e'ectrie. generator; the rlectric energy is transmitted by a. short cable to, an electric motor (or motors) situated at and operating directly'on the hack driving axle. .In effect it is an electrically driven car, but instead of the electricity being supplied from a battery or aeeumii a tor, it is generated as required by its own petrol engine as it travels along, the advantages of this type of machine arc (1) no gears; (21 110 steel power transmission ; G!) fast acceleration at startines: (I) faster bill rhmbmg; (o) .simple control by the driver; and (ti) smoother and more silent running. In traverse the whole of the mechanical features of the linaeliiiie 1 have described would raise a mere text book discussion, but I suggest that the practical and business possibilities are worth inquiry. The Borough Council have ail electrical engineer quite qualified to offer an expert opinion and a report, from Hi 111 would have appreciable teclinica! interest.-! jj AIjL Tekapo Buildings, June I, 1926.

To the Editor of “The Timaru Horan! Kir—-Oil dear, I feel like the man rvho sat down on the Ant Hill to mst, wish 1 had not. 31. v grievance is, that 1 arrive at the Bank two or three minutes before the nus time, the bus tunis up some lire to fifteen minutes .ate and it is a cold tinv. The driver pits oh a"d lights up, the rebel, still has a few draws on his cigarette, they meet at flic front of the Bus and talk■ foi another two or three minutes lli.it is when' the smoking gets me. J. like .. smoke and take mine on top ot the double decker or not at alh As drivers 1 have always ioiind tla m a verv civil and obliging <?/• ll f oooos-ithm done them, good . J Mel, dio> an. keeping better time and, ll tfu-.t see a passenger running to eaten me bus they give him a chance now, but in similar circuinstuncji bid me the opposition f hey went, on their way ac-cmi-fliiiK tn nili: :»nd quite upM hi as Bus Rul<»s are concerned. Wnv u no cpiarrei with the men, 1 nt cm,. l tn powers that be, who do not appeal to be able to manage the .Buis bus,lies.,. Take lor instance the present system of running a Ims m I rone oj 1 “I’W'r ition and anotehr bus behind him , if thev do this they can also give us a, twenty minute service. ihls . m;l " '' sixpence- return, apparently it 1 H--I,iui He is also catering lor the 0 eniti SO- vice, f.leu-iti residents can mm go to the pictures and he taken Imm to olen-iti wh.cn the ,nctrres dose Ihe not showing ,!ic Bus (annm ttec what can lie done-' Am with u....ud to the pictures. Tlie High!,eld bus leaves at 7-7 mm. and another 'at ,-d-l P-m. hut there has been but mm bus to taU mmple homo at, 10 p.iu. ■ the consequence ? The is siinpb c . i-c-l and i e -; '•""" ■ / \ J'S '“V;.- n ,ii;»;.ik,.:j..™note of the number ot p-sem-rs c- - ing to town on these buses they would luiow approximately how many wen. illuming b>.* the 10 P-m. With t.m quant itv of buses now ,11 use, and to be added to, it is time there, was i manager or inspector oil the job lie present manager must bare his hands 'll II at the garage to keep all these old ,-il.lle traps ill order. H-stordny I. met a ladv getting off at Highfield, she had come' from near the Bardens and h understood her to say .hat she had missed the connection at the Bank nn.i ],. u l to wait half an hour for the next bus Why cannot the buses be arranged

so that one can change at the Bank without waiting half an hour. ■ “ Eairpluy” is annoyed at the Fisher bus and cannot sec any good in it. He is of the stulf that martyrs are made of, quite satisfied to ride in the old rattle traps because they arc- a conservative institution. It may enlighten him. if 1 tell him that so far 1 have had. three rales in the “fisher ' and found it an improvement in both comfort and speed compared with our .service. Wo have to learn and always somebody lias to pay for it. If the bus committee con'd only bear what is said, by visitors to Timaru they would not' be able to sleep until alterations were made. I overheard a lady, evidently from Dunedin, speaking to her friend; alter commenting 011 the muses in the bus and its insanitary condition, she remarked: “Is it not strange that Timaru builds the buses for use at the Exhibition and they don’t have them here.” AVitli regard to the 2-36 p.m. and the 3-7 p.m. round trip"- these trips ought to be specially pointed out to visitors; it would cost littlo to have a framed time-table fixed in each hotel and boarding-house and a special notice 'calling attention to these runs for the benefit of visitors. There nppears to me to be ample room for a.n inspector who wou'd see to t.lfe buses starting to time, also to see that, they are. kept reasonably clean, ami il he took an occasional trip on each bus he could get ideas as to where and when route could lie improved also power to run an extra bus if necessary. I notice ' '['’airplay” mentions broadmindedness., I think it would be broadminded if lie would just take on trip in the: “Fislier”. A broadminded man nlwn.vs tries to see bis opponent’s view and tries to see his good points. AVitli regard to myself, there is a matter of £25 per year or more paid from my house yearly in bus fares and T am a ratepayer. I would like to see tlie Timaru buses leading all other towns —I air. etc., “TIMARU.”