SiR HENRY CHAIR (Glasgow and Aberdeen Universities)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether expert opinion shows that deterioration of the machinery of motor omnibuses, such as produces excessive noise and vibration, occurs in a much shorter period than a year; what limit upon noise and vibration is adopted as the standard for licence; and what officers are entrusted with the duty of periodically making those reports upon motor omnibuses in consequence of which many of them have had to be ordered off the road.
§ MR. GLADSTONEThe machinery of a motor omnibus may deteriorate in less than a year owing to wear and tear, and neglect to remedy defects as they occur. In such cases, if noise and vibration result, the omnibus is reported by officers of the Public Carriage Staff, a department of the Metropolitan Police, and is removed front the streets until the 675 defects are remedied. In the absence of any scientific standard for noise and vibration caused by omnibuses the police have to be guided by common sense in deciding whether an omnibus is fit for licence in these respects. The cases are dealt with by a small committee, not selected from the Public Carriage Staff, which consists of an Assistant Commissioner, a chief constable, and a member of the Commissioner's staff.