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Vehicle No. 1 (Table 1)-namely, the Crossley Sickness and Accident Ambulance-has now
run nearly 100,000 miles, and will have completed its tenth year of service at the end of the current
financial year. Arrangements have been made to replace this ambulance, which is now no longer
reliable, before April, 1934.
Vehicle No. 3 (Table 1)-namely, the Berliet car-which does miscellaneous work, was
purchased over 8 years ago. Its frame was fractured in 1928, and was repaired at the time. More
recently, in August, 1933, the car had an accident and the Insurance Company offer £26 towards
the repair of the car. Having regard to the present value of the car, it does not appear to be worth
while to have it repaired, and I would recommend the Council to accept the £26 for repairs, and
obtain a new light car to carry out the miscellaneous work which this car is now doing. A fourseater
saloon, costing £150-£200, would be quite suitable for this work.
During the financial year 1934-35 it will not be necessary to continue the scheme of replacement
inaugurated by the Council as the next vehicle to be replaced, namely Vehicle No. 2 (Table 1),
the Crossley School 'bus, is likely to remain serviceable throughout the year.
During the year under review the chief work done by the service has been-
(1) The conveyance of physically and mentally defective and blind and stammering children
to and from school. There are in all 306 such children on the list for conveyance, and
on the average 255 are conveyed daily along 13 different routes.
(2) The conveyance of cases of sickness, accident, maternity and infectious disease to
hospitals. 4,700 such cases were removed in 1932-33.
(3) The transport of laundry to Kingsbury Hospital, Health Centres, Special Schools and
Mortuary.
(4) Conveyance of meals from the Feeding Centres to the Physically and Mentally Defective
Schools.
(5) Certain works for other departments.
Staff.-'The staff consists of a Mechanic Superintendent and Engineer, who is also Engineer
to the Hospital; one assistant engineer; one fitter's mate; and 14 motor drivers.
There are thus 15 vehicles to be manned and a night service to be maintained with only 14
drivers.
Of the 14 motor drivers two are wholly employed on Vehicles Nos. 6 and 8 (Table 1), 6 are
allocated to 6 school 'buses and Vehicle No. 2 (Table 1)-namely, the Crossley school 'bus, which is
used as a relief school 'bus and also does work in respect of the conveyance of school meals, and
1 driver is on the Disinfection Van. This leaves 5 men to man 4 ambulances and do the miscellaneous
work done by Vehicle No. 3 (Table 1)-namely, the Berliet car. The work of these 5 men is supplemented
by the spare time of the 6 men on the school 'buses, but when it is remembered that many
of the ambulance calls require two men, and that it takes more than 3½ men to keep one man on
24 hours per day, it will be understood that although the workshop staff and even the hospital
porters occasionally are used to assist the Service, that nevertheless some calls have to be refused
or kept waiting because staff is not available. It should also be noted that each member of the
staff gets 14 days annual leave, and that it is only exceptionally that any man is employed as a
holiday relief.