BUSES IN BRITAIN

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 145, 23 June 1930, Page 11

BUSES IN BRITAIN

TRAFFIC EVOLUTION

MALCOLM CAMPBELL AND NEW ZEALAND'

After a short business visit to Eng-'----land, Mr. Duncan F. Baucliop, general manager for New Zealand of Leyland Motors, Ltd., returned to Wellington last week, accompanied by Mrs. Bauehop,, who, after a holiday in Australia, returned with her husband from Sydney. • ■ Most of Mr. Bauchop's time was spent :n Lancashire and Kingslon-on-Thamcs, where his firm's factories aro situated. However, recognising the important position which the passenger transport question must assume in Xciv Zealand very soon, he took the opportunity of discussing the subject in all its bearings with tho directing authorities of railway companies, managers of municipal organisations, and directors of the largest private passenger carrying companies. At present, a fairly stationary position has bcorfrcached, particularly with reference to the arrangements now in force between the railway companies and the large private groups; and practically all companies of any size are members of such combinations. This applies mainly to short-distance hauls. For long-distance work, a tremendous number of fast, luxurious, and wellorganised buses run over the ■ length r.iirt breadth of thc\ United Kingdom, and it w:is interesting on the Saturday, when Scotland met (and was defeated by) England for the Football Cup,' to sec hundreds of buses running through London, crowded with enthusiastic Scots in national garb. These buses had come from as far north as Aberdeen. Night coaches aro used to.a certain extent; but do not appear to bo rapidly increasing. The unanimous opinion was expressed by all those <with whom Mr. Bauchop discussed the question that in England and Scotland only most exceptional cir-cumstances-would evor call for fresh railway track building— ; th at tho natural expansion -would bo taken care of by expansion of bus routes, and this is fostered by the opening, all over the country, of new road after • now road, and by-passes • enable more and faster traffic to be carried. \ One thing by which Mr. Bauchop was forcibly struck, was the'very low percentage of accidents which resulted on the roads. When considering tho tremehdous week-end traffic over practieally,,all roads this is surprising, but it is mainly duo to tho greater uso of driving signals made by.tho drivers of all vehicle's, and the immediate response of every-driver to the request of an overtaking vehicle for road.. The courtesies of the road are observed to. a really remarkable extent., , Tho day beforo leaving- London Mr. Bauchop had a very interesting meeting ' with Captain Malcolm Campbell, the world-famous racing motorist, who was very interested in what ho-had been previously told as to New Zealand beaches from the point of- view of the possibilities of reaching, say, 250 miles per hour on them. Word had just, been received that Mr-. Kayo Don had been unsuccessful •in finding suitablo-beach conditions at Daytona, and Mr. Campbell was thus able to definitely decide as to the type of machine required. It was arranged that certain information, should be obtained and sent him at an early date,' and If this is satisfactory, there is every possibility that Mi\ Campbell will build a successor to his famous Bluebird, with which he created so many records, and bring it to.New Zealand in. an. attempt to .beat tho late Sir Henry Segrave's world's land speed record of 231 miles pcr1 hour. Such an event would have .the support of all interested in tho maintenance by Britain in the world of engineering design. . .