On This Day, 21 March 1917

Birmingham Daily Post                 

Wednesday 21 March 1917

“BELL BOYS” ON TRAMCARS.

BOY SCOUTS TO HELP CONDUCTRESSES.

The experiment of employing a number of Boy Scouts as ‘’bell boys” on the platforms of the tramcars on the Dudley Road route has been so successful that the Birmingham Tramways Committee have decided to extend it to every route in the city. The scheme has been taken up enthusiastically by nearly all the Divisional Scout Masters, and it is proposed to organise a detachment of 250 Scouts, who will be on duty at the various tramway termini every evening between six and nine o’clock, and from 12.45 p-m. until 2.30 p.m. on Saturdays. There will be sufficient boys to render assistance to every conductress, and as they will wear distinctive armlets their authority will easily be recognised by the passengers. At each terminus a boy will board each outward bound full car, and take charge while the conductress collects the fares. He will be responsible for stopping and restarting the car at the specified places, and when the conductress has finished collecting the fares he will return to the city terminus by another car, ready for boarding the next outgoing car. During the busy periods of the day, when the cars have been crowded, the services of these lads on the Dudley Road route have been invaluable, and the Tramways Committee feel that they will be equally useful all the routes. In order to encourage the lads each will be given a ration allowance of 6d. per day to meet his incidental expenses. Next Tuesday the 250 Boy Scouts who have volunteered for service will, with their Scout Masters, attend at the Tramways Department to receive instruction in their work from the traffic manager, and a day or two later they will commence their duties.