Dual Brakes May Soon Be Advised

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30962, 19 January 1966, Page 18

Dual Brakes May Soon Be Advised

(from Our Own Reporter> WELLINGTON, January 18. The Transport Department is expected soon to recommend to the Government that all passengerservice vehicles be equipped with dual braking systems. All new passenger-service vehicles coming on to New Zealand roads from April 1 of last year were required to have such systems but no action was taken regarding vehicles with a single system which were already in use.

The definition of passenger-service vehicles covers buses, trolley buses, service coaches, service cars, charter vehicles, passenger trucks, school buses, taxis, rental cars, rental motorcycles and ambulances.

The chief automotive engineer of the Transport Department, Mr A. W. Keyes, said yesterday the report of the committee of inquiry into the Brynderwyn Hill bus accident in 1963 recommended that all new buses be fitted with a dual system, but did not seek the installation of such a system in existing buses.

“The installation of such systems in existing buses was not recommended by the committee because past experience showed no grave risk attached to single systems. There had been only one bus accident in 30 years in which a single system had proved insufficient,” he said.

Proved Insufficient “But now a single system has been proved insufficient a second time, in the Rata accident. We feel that we should fix up these old buses.” The committee of inquiry' Into the Rata accident recommended that “all” passengerservice vehicles equipped with cardan shaft hand brakes be also fitted with tandem master cylinders so that either front or rear brake systems may be operated independently in the event of the failure of either one. Mr Keyes said officials at district offices of the department had been requested to obtain details of the number of buses in their districts equipped with cardan shaft hand brakes. New Logbook A second recommendation’ made by the committee of inquiry into the Rata accident!

sought the issuing of a standardised form of logbook by the department in which operators would keep a record of repairs and maintenance work done on their services. Mr Keyes said that since July 1 operators had been required by regulation to keep logbooks in which full details of work done, and the person or firm doing the work, were to be carried. The department would now examine further the possibility of issuing standard logbooks. The committee of inquiry into the Brynderwyn bus smash sought to have all passenger - service vehicles required to have metal frame bodies. The Government decided that this recommendation should be put into effect on April 1 this year. Wooden Frames

Mr Keyes said that at present 1082, or 22.9 per cent, of the 4714 passenger vehicles used on New Zealand roads had wooden frames. There were 1087 school buses and 287, or 26.4 per cent, had wooden frames.

The percentage reached 45.5 among charter vehicles, 217 out of 476 having wooden frames.

Forty-one of the 323 trolley buses had wooden frames and 95 of the 444 service coaches also had them.

Figures given by Mr Keyes showed that 162 of the wooden-framed common useage buses were between 11 and 15 years old and 134 were between 16 and 20 years old. A total of 117 school buses with wooden frames were between 16 and 20 years old and 107 charter vehicles were in the same category.

Age Figures Other age figures for wood-en-framed vehicles. —Buses: 22 under five years, 58 six to 10 years, 29 21 to 25 years, 37 more than 25 years. Trolley buses: four under five years, 15 six to 10 years, five 11 to 15 years, 13 16 to 20 years, none 20 to 25 years, four more than 25 years. Service coaches: one under five years old, 12 six to 10 years, 19 11 to 15 years, 47 16 to 20 years, 10 21 to 25 years, six over 25 years. Charter vehicles: seven under five years, 17 six to 10 years, 46 11 to 15 years, 22 21 to 25 years, 18 more than 25 years., School buses: 12 under five years, 32 six to 10 years, 27 21 to 25 years. 31 more than 25 years. Mr Keyes said detailed figures of the ages of all buses on New Zealand roads were not immediately available.