MOTORING
SUPPLEMENT
OF
THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH
2
SATURDAY, 7th DECEMBER, 1929.
Being The Official Organ of
THE HONGKONG AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION.
HONGKONG MOTOR ACCESSORY COMPANY
persalines
ie at Hanes it
ACCESSORIES
11.
BPARE PARTS
Electric horas. Body polish Brakellning. "Hand jacks Lamp bulbs
Foot pumps
"Tire patches. Wrenches
fc.. .. &... e."
"GORMAN "
***LUGAS"
storage batteries
"i
uitable for all furcare, cscles
"
sand andink.
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Bank of Canton Bulg. Tel.. C, 877.
SERVICE
-REAL SERVICE!
Latest Machinery Expert Mechanics European Supervision
MAY WE SERVICE
YOUR CAR?
NO JOB TOO SMALL NO PROBLEM TOO INTRICATE.
MAIN SERVICE STATION 10 CROSS LANE C.3193
WANCHAI
KOWLOON K.1624
CAMERON RD.
THE PEAK PEAK GARAGE
P.208
IN CASE OF
EMERGENCY
C. 3193
Lane, Crawford, Ltd.
MODERN MOTOR SERVICE.
PRATT & LAMBERT EFFECTO AUTO FINISHESİ
"ALL COLOURS KEPT IN STOCK
AS WELL AS THE NEW, FORD SHADES:
Arabian Sand, Dawn Grey, Niagara Blue and Gun Metal Blue.
N; S, MOSES & CO., LTD.,
Bole Agents.
A POPULAR BRANCH OF THE HONG KONG VOLUNTEER DEFENCE CORPS AT CAMP LAST WEEK.
The above picture taken at Fanling last week-end, shows some of the members of the Armoured Car Company and Motor Cycle Section of the H.K.V.D.C. "These branches of the Corps are gaining an excellent reputation for efficiency and keenness. (Photo: Ming Yuên),
Garden Rond Widening
CURRENT
COMMENT
should be notified either" verbully Int the time of the alleged offence, or by post within a few days of the occurrence.
offence Was committed, with details of the occurrence which the charge is based.”
upon
In the opinion of the. Asнocia Lion this definition la a consider- able Improvement, and it record- ingly supports the recommenda-
tion of the Royal Commission on Transport that-this wording should be adopted in future legislation fand made applleable to all classes. of vehicles, mechanfeally pro- pelled, or otherwise. Jay-Riding.
JF
The work at present, in progress in connexion with widening the lower end of Garden Rond will (b) In the absence of notifien-
"It should be a definite offence ultimately effect a most needed tion at the time, the formal noli- punishable by heavy penalties for improvement, although, unless the fication through the post should any person to drive or tamper with acheme la carried past the tram be accompanied by a statement any vehicle without the authority station, the roadway outside that showing when and where the of the owner." building will become more of bottle-neck route than ever. should be possible to do away with the pathway outside the station, and provide both entrance and exit at the lower end, by the present entrance for coolies. This would indeed improve the rond to a very considerable degree, and it is to be hoved that some such scheme will he evolved. Adverting to the widening at the foot of Garden Rond, it will be regretted if the opposite corner, where the -unsightly latrine is situated, is not also brought under the scheme. As a matter of fast, it is about time that this structure should be razed, for not only is it extremely unpleasant for pedestrians who may be compelled to wait on the corner for a moment or two while truffle passes, but it obseures the view of motorists turning left into
Incapability of control- Queen's Rond. While we agree whether due to drink or drugs- that some landmarks might well be when in charge of any type of preserved from the historical point vehicle should be subject to heavy of view, the particular locality would be all the better for the immediate removal of this decided. ly ugly landmark,
Traffle Legislation.
The new traffic legislation sug- gestions in England are not with- out their interest here, for natural- "ly the majority of the revisions can equally be applied in Hongkong. We have received a detalled Report from the Headquarters of the A.A., London, from which the following extracts are wiven, together with criticisms and recommendations by the Association.---- Speed Limits.
"Speed limits for private motor cars and motor eyeles make no contribution to public safety and should be repealed without further delay."
The Association has front the earliest days consistently opposed the principle of speed. limita for private motor cars and motor evcles, and has re- peatedly urged successive Governments to abolish them. As a means of securing or adding to the safety of the public, fixed speed limits have not only falled to attain the bave object desired, but afforded abundant opportunj- ties for the prosecution of motorista for purely technieni infringements.
Dangerous Driving,
"(a) A person who, is to be charged with dangerous driving
It is recognised that, with the passing of the speed limit, there should remain no loon. hole by which the dangerous driver can escape punishment. Tor this most serious offence. The penalties should undoubt- edly be severe and Magistrates be given entire discrullon to suspend the driving licence, subject of course to the right of appeal. With the tighten- ing of the law, however, IL IN of the atmost importance that the motorist should be adequately safeguarded gainst all possibility of injustice.
Drunk in Charge.
penalties."
Lo
The present law us drunkennesu when in charge of a motor vehicle, is contain- ed in Section 40 of the Criminal Justice Act. 1925, which provides that a person convicted of this offence shull be liable to imprisonment for a period not exceeding four months, or to a fine nat exceeding £50, or to both
· imprisonment and fine. Sun- pension of the
driving licence for at least 12 months automatically follows the con- viction. The Association is substantially in agreement with the luw as it standa to-day, but is impressed with the view taken by the Roval Commission on Transport as to the difficulties which fre quently arise from the uncer- tainty of the meaning of the word "drunk." A few months ao this point, arose in the House of Lords' during the course of a Debate on Lord Cecil's Road Vehicles Regula- tion Bill, and the sugges tion then mude by Lord Buckmaster was that the apecific offence of being drunk in charge of a car should be superseded by the followin 'Any person found when. driving or attempting to drive. a mechanically · propelled vehicle to be so under the influence of drink or drugs né to be incapable of having proper control of such vehicle, shall be liable on summary conviction, etc., etc.'
The law of lo-day is quite Inadequate to deal with those who steal the use' of cars. Cases are frequently reported to the Association in which cara have been taken away without the permission of the owners and sometimes badly damaged. Moreover, those who offend in this way are often the very persons in whose hands the motor car ear become a
dan- musl gerous instrument. For years the Association has urged and the Parliament Government Department con- cerneil the Песенніу for strengthening the hands of Magistrates in dealing with this offence, and recently the Association Kave
evidence before the Royal Commission on Transport, suggesting that clause on the following lines, should be embodied in any new legislation:-
unon
*Any person who drives a motor vehicle of which he is not himself the owner without the knowledge and consent of the owner of such motor vehicle, shall be guilty under the Act. For the purpose of this clause, the word "owner' shall include any person to whom the motor vehicle has been lent by the owner, who, for the time being, hus otherwise the permission to use such vehicle for his own "purpose.".
Other Pointe,
O
The Report deals with many! other points of Interest, such as ja minimum auge. for drivers, testsj for drivers, pillion driving, lights on animals, etc. It may be men tioned that pillion driving is not] considered dangerous.
Of Interest.
SIX-WHEELERS.
Portsmouth Adopts "Thornycrofts."
EXCELLENT BUSES.
The City of Portsmouth is the test Municipal authority to put into service a fleet of Thornycroft six-wheeled motor omnibuses, thus following the example of their nour neighours, the Southampton Corporation and also. the Liverpool Corpopration, who have been operating these for some months with excellent results.
It will be remembered · that Thornycrofts were one of the planeera of rigid six-wheeled motor chrusts concentrating on the smaller 2/3-ton type, principally for service oversens, where Its capabilities of travelling across. country rendered it invaluable.
Some hundreds of these Thorny- croft vehicles are now running in Empire countries, and John I. Thornycroft & Co., Ltd., sub- sequently gave their attention to the larger types of six-wheeled chassis, cluminating in their type "HC" six-wheeled Bix-cylinder vehicle for double-deck omnibuses, seating up to 68 passengers.
.
Now that these are available, municipal engineers have been quick to recognise their advan- Lages, chief among which, and an exclusive feature, is that the Thornycroft design allows full. movement of the rear driving axles without any
distortion of the springs.
CANADA BREAKS RECORD..
By producing 242,054 automo- tive units last year, Canada esta- blished a new high record. The value of the production was more than $162,807,000,
GETTING BAD BREAKS..
According to a recent survey taken in Indiana, U.S.A., one out of every 14 cars in that state has.. faulty brakes.
Talking in Millions.
It will be of interest to the motor- ling community to hear that Messrs. The British Automobile Associa Alex, Rosa & Co. (China) Ltd., the tion has now issued over a million proprictors of the Garage in Salis badges. The number of miles bury Road near the Star Ferry have covered by A.A. road patrols completed arrangements for the during the last year was 20,000,- extension of the Garage, by the 000. During the same period addition of further show room space. itineraries were issued covering. The building operations will com- 284,000,000. miles.
mence immediately. This Cam-The Association's Income from pany also opened, on the 1st inst., subscription and entrance fees was a new garage situated in Ashley only just short of three-quarters Road, thereby providing additional of a million pounds and with a assembly and storage space for the membership of already well over- convenience of "their increasing 400,000, it. will not be long before jclientele.
It reaches the half-million mark.
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