TRAMWAYS CONTROL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2411, 17 March 1915, Page 7

TRAMWAYS CONTROL

IP GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS

C'F INTEREST TO THE PUBLIC \ - TKe proposed Government regulations •for .the control of electric tramways made under the Tramways Amendment Act of 1910 are calculated to give murii- ( cipalities with electric car systems much ■ ' food for thought. The regulations pro: vide for the inspection of every car by an .'lnspector or other person authorised by the Minister of Public Works, such J inspection^-take place at least once a t year. Provision; is also made for testing' J the efficiency of-motors, brakes, etc., * by a Government Inspector. ' ? Clause s_reads:5_reads: "In the event of a } ; carriage being involved in" a serious ac- 1 cident the carriage shall be taken direct 1 to the shed and there'remain uri- J touched until/examined, and, if neces- 1 sary, tested by the Inspector in the . presence of the mo'torman, or .if t he , is c incapacitated, in the presence of "some I other ijnotorman on his behalf and an J official of" the Tramway , Employees' ' Union. The motorman; or any person c on'.his beEalf, shall have the; right'to I stand by ; the car-until such examination; t is made.'-In addition,, ajmotorman shall f have the right to demand examination: t • of a car'by these officials at' any time , if he claims that the car is Unsafe,, and i euoh examination shall be made as soon c as practicable thereafter." < No.car shall/be used unless it is li- 1 censed,, and the form of license, is to; , , be placed in a prominent position in the i carriage 'to which it relates. If. at. any , • time during the currency of a' license the Inspector has reason to believe that any carriage is not fit or safe for use, the Inspector may, by notice in writing- to that effect sent, to the manager, forthwith suspend the license for that carriage; ana if the manager fails, ' within such reasonable time as the Min- . ister determines, to make the carriage fit and safe.for use,v the Minister may, thereupon by like notice cancel the li- j sense.. ( , As to Passengers. t The regulations concerning passen- j • . gOrs: are; of immediate interest to the. r public as- they are directly concerned in i the; carrying out of'the .same; These aro as follow:— .. , Clause 15 (1) A license; under these , . regulations may. authorise the carriage 1 ofpassengers .as hereinafter specified, J namely:— (a). A : number for which seat- j . ing accommodation is provided (i) inside . the carriage, (ii) on the top or' upper deck of the and (iii). in the 1 c'ass of oars in existence'at the date of these regulations, ■ on ' the "conductor's 1 ; platform .if permanent seats are already 1 . provided for passengers thereon; (b) ! additional number for ; which)-in the" opinion of the Inspector, and subject to 1 the provisions of Clause No. 16 of these j • regulations, can be safely carried inside \ the carriage; not exceeding 50 per cent- ■ ' um of the number of passengers for ; ■ . whom, seating accommodation ' is ' pro- 1 vided inside the .carriage. '' Provided j ■ that in the case of the converted carriages on the Wellington City Corpora- i • tion'Tramways,, having'a central, space : provided for standing passengers, a fur- • ther number not exceeding .eight pas-; v sengere* may he accommodated' in that space ; (o) No passenger 6hall be allowed ' to stand on the upper deck; of any carriage:' " ' ■' ;• (2) In no case shall authority be given - under a license for the carriage of a greater number of-passengere than here- ... " inbefore provided, /nor:-shall ; authority be any case for-the carriage of ' standing passengers unless theycan bo so. carried! without unduly incohvenienc- ' ing other passengers or without imped- ; ing the conductor in. the carrying-out of 1 his. duties'.;' 1 The. Seating-Capacity of a Garrlager /Clause 16 (1) In determining ths seat? , ing capacity, of any • carriage hot" more ' than ,one passenger-, allowed: for >eaoh.-. complete, 16. inches,'of the .longi-. tudinal'measurement of' eacS. : seat, ex- . ;cept in the case of carriages where the' Mulister haa already agreed; to' a lesser ' ■ width. - '■ -.' , , "(2) For .the purpose of these regulations a. child .under' the. age of three years and in arms shall not be counted •as a pasisenger,. a child or 'young'per- : '.son between the . ages of ; three' and < -twelve shall. be counted as half a passenger, and any person; over the age of twelve . shall be counted'.'as a passenger. In tie case of the Dunedin City .Corporation electric tramways a; child under the age of,five years and' in arms' shall not bo counted as a passenger, a child or young person between the ages of five.. and fourteen shall counted as hsili a. passenger, and any person over Ithe ago of fourteen shall be'eounted as passenger.' . '".Clause 17. (1) No person, shall enter ior attempt to enter any carriage as a passenger if that carriage already contains the'maximum number of passeng- t 'era which it is licensed to'carry. ' : "(2) The. manager and promoter shall 'take such steps as. may be necessary to, . prevent the carriago of passengers oui any. carriage beyond the number which at'is licensed to'carry.' . , "(3) Nothing ' in, these regulations shall affect the right of the manager or ■other tramway employee duly authorised by him, or of the inspector or, other (officer authorised by him, to ride on- any •portion of the carriage if his'duty requires him so to ,do. " ' ' '(4) No person shall enter or leave, «r attempt to enter or leave, any'cartridge as a passenger while it is N in mo- - tion, or " .'enter rat .any ' stopping-place-when it is at rest until the passengers desiring .to -alight at that place, have done so. - '. (5) Where two Or more carriages used for the conveyance of passengers are coupled and run' as a tram, no employee or passenger shall pass'while the train is in motion from one carriage to the other, : save and except by a, gangway to be constructed to the satisfaction of the Minister. "(2) The manager shall have notices displayed in such positions as shall be -required by the inspector of' the'numbtr':of the seating and standing pas.sengers respectively that may be carried by. each carriage: ' Brake Power. In ,the, regulations dealing with the .equipment of.cars brakes are to be provided sufficient to pull up a car going jit, a certain, speed-on . a certain grade ! wiihin a specified distance. .'For. es-j ampH, a car proceeding along the level ut tei miles an hour-should have brakes powerful enough to pull the car up in 22ft.',\but travelling at 20 miles per hour ilorig the level, a distance of '/3ft; isallowed in which to pull the car up. Or. a grade, say, of one in twelve sharpest of our Wellington grados) i car travelling at ton miles is given, 301 ft." in which to pull up, and 106fV if travelling. at 20 miles au iboiir. ; Other regulations provide for a •lijihtnitig ioil and kicking coil for each car; steps if a kind to prevent slipping, and no roif. to a double-decker car. Two efficieit jacks aiid all other necc-s----sary appliaices, and a guard's handlamp is to ie kept at places not fort> chains apari, and i tuition in the use of jicks shall be given by die manager to liotormen and conductors. In the eveit of any dispute arising "between tie nanager aiid inspector, the same shall bo submitted to the Minister for settleneni, and his decision shall be final, j - ' | Penalties. If any jsrsyn to whom any part of - these. reglatioas refors docs any act or thing ;jiat. is thereby prohibited to be done; c fails or neglects to do any *ot ,!or thig th»t is thereby directed lto bi dont such ?aot or thing so done,

or such failure or neglect to perform ( such act or thing, shall respectively bo deemed to be a breach of the regulation to which it has reference, and such person shall be liable to a. fine not exceeding twenty pounds oil summary conviction for each such breach, rs the Court shall in its discretion determine, but such line shall not ho imposed oxcept by a Magistrate.