SAFETY FIRST

Waikato Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 2644, 6 July 1926, Page 2

SAFETY FIRST

BRITISH MOTOR. BUSES. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS. His Majesty's Trade Commissioner (Mr L. B. Beale) has received from the Department of Overseas Trade, London, the attached interesting" review of the latest developments in the British Motor Omnibus Industry. Ho has also received a collection of catalogucs and other detailed literature illustrating the principal lines along which advance has'been made. These catalogues he will be pleased to send on loan to municipalities ' and other bodies upon application. The modern development of the motor passenger transport vehicle has included no more important and interesting phase than that of the "low load" or safety motor coach. Previous designs included the type of motor bus which has in the past been considered normal and which, developed in the streets of London, the largest urban area in the, world, set the fashion for other countries. The British type of urban bus has no superior anywhere and has been widely copied by foreign motor bus manufacturers, who ' have in many cases,engaged members of the personnel of the London bus system in order to secure as many advantages from the originators as possible. The firms producing the London omnibus have not, however, stood still and, their latest designs, as well as those of other British bus builders, are still in advance of their foreign competitors. ' - :

For sight-seeing purposes and for touring, in more open country a different typo of .vehicle was evolved, and the motor charabanc or bus came into being. In this vehicle,2s to 40 persons can be seated, usually in tiers rising backwards. The vehicle is open in fine weather-but provided for showery conditions with hood and side curtains of the type used on private vehicles. The vehicle is essentially a single decker. These vehicles arc usually run aj: speeds much higher than those adopted for ordinary work, and they have, therefore, a. more, powerful engine. The suspension has received special study in order to obtain the greatest luxury of springing. The six wheel type,of construction has been adopted in some designs, but with features superior to those found in earlier six wheel types. Pneumatic tyres are practically universal for this motor, the twin or giant, forms generally being fitted. Where cost is of primary importance British manufacturers are able to advise passenger transport companies regarding equipment so as to reduce the price without sacrificing the essential characteristics of safety and comfort. It is necessary to mention this, because it is often represented that British manufacturers arc unable to compete in price with their .rivals, whereas the higher price of the British vehicle, where it exists, will be found to be due to the fact that the goods arc different in quality and lavishness of equipment from those with which they have been compared. Some of the examples of coach work seen at the- last Commercial -Motor Show in London' were without equal for sheer luxury and comfort even when price was disregarded, and could justly claim to be some of the finest embodiments of the eoachbuildcr's art. \

-Apart from the increased comfort which is the, chief reason for the production of this new class of vehicle, the question of .safety is paramount. Indeed if increased speed.and comfort were to be purchased only at the cost of reduced safety it is improbable that any British firm could be found to interest itself in this type of coach. Britain is above all-things the land of safeyand sane travel. All statistical evidence demonstrates that the record for freedom from accident in the United Kingdom is tinapproachcd by any country in the world, in proportion to the number of passengers carried. The unsatisfactory position of certain other countries in this respect is notorious, and such a record of death and accident by road vehicles as they possess could not possibly bo tolerated in England. It may therefore be regarded as axiomatic that the safety of passengers is well provided for by the British vehicle.

In this respect the'.British Ministry of Transport has taken a hand. In conjunction with the trade a set of recommendations oji points of design were prepared for common use. In this way the ideas of" the various trade designers were directed along approved, channels, and although they were free to discard such influence if they felt inclined and to evolve a type of vehicle whieli in their opinion offered greater advantages, it so happened that the general points recommended by the Ministry of Transport were embodied in their designs. It may, therefore, be claimed that the British Motor Coach' designs is based upon a much wider experience than, any single firm could possibly gain.. So successful has this policy 'been in practice that although the structural requirements recommended by the Committee of the Ministry of Transport have no statu-