CARDIFF Transport Chang(
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WHEN, on October 9, 1952, Cardiff Transport Department celebrated its golden jubilee, the occasion marked Rot only thesuccessful completion of 50 years' service to the population of the largest city in Wales, but also the attainment, after many years of difficulties, of financial and operational stability. Few large undertakings have seen So much change. Even fewer can claim to be on a sounder financial basis today.
The present satisfactory state of affairs undoubtedly owes much to the harmonious relations existing throughout the undertaking and the close co-operation between. the transport committee under their chairman, ClIr. Arthur Manley, himself an old transport man, the general manager, Mr. J. F. Siddall, M.Inst.T., and the executive staff, Mr. F. J. Cunuder, A.M.I.E.E., A.M.Inst.T., engineer and rolling stock superintendent, Mr. G. M. Morgan, A.M.Inst.T., traffic superintendent, and Mr. R. McKinnon, commercial assistant. Whilst this may be considered a normal situation, there were times in the history of the undertaking when it represented an unattainable ideal. It is to the credit of the general manager and his staff that this has been achieved.
The fact that managerial policy varied so greatly and so frequently in the past 50 years is not entirely surprising. Cardiff itself is a city which has seen tremendous changes. Only 150 years ago it was a rural community clustered around the walls of the Norman castle. Its population was 1,800. Fifty years later it was becoming a busy, cosmopolitan port. By 1900 it had a population of 160,000. Today it approaches 250,000.
Two small cafés in Cardiff to this day recall the pioneer passenger transport services in the city, for each bears the name "S. Andrews "—the same Solomon Andrews whose horsed-buses were a feature of urban transport in many cities before the turn of the 19th century. In 1872, competition appeared on the scene in the form of horsed-trams operated by the Cardiff Tramways Cm, Ltd., and the Cardiff District and Penarth Harbour Tramways Co:, Ltd. Services were run between the docks and residential area's to the east.
where dock workers lived. In 1888, the horsed-bus services run by Solomon Andrews were acquired by, Cardiff Tramways.
Ten years later, the corporation obtained their own 7
powers to construct and run tramways, including those already in operation. Negotiations were started with the two operating companies, culminating on December 31, 1901, with the acquisition of the tramway assets of the Cardiff Tramways Co. On May 2, 1902, the first electric tram to be operated in Cardiff ran from the City Road to the Docks, via Wood Street. By October 17, all the existing routes had been converted to electric traction. A new depot was built at Roath to accommodate the tram fleet, which by 1904 totalled 131.
By March 31, 1903, the trams had carried 18m. passengers and had covered 1.8m. miles over 12 routes.
All but 30 of the trams were open double-deckers, later to be replaced by low-height enclosed double-deckers which remained in service from 1923 until 1950.
Meanwhile, Cardiff was growing rapidly in importance and prosperity. In 1920, powers were obtained for the operation of motorbus services within the city boundaries, and on December 24, 1920, six Tilling-Stevens petrol-electric singledeckers went into service.
Like the city itself, this section of the undertaking expanded with extraordinary rapidity. By 1930, the number of motorbuses required to maintain services was 97; the tram system was already beginning to decline in importance, and the same number of trams was in day-to-day service. The whole fleet was required only at weekends, because Cardiff had for some time been the, recreational and shopping centre of an area with a population of i frn. The city itself contributed some 230,000 to this figure. It was in 1930, too, that the .first tram route was converted to bus working, with immediate benefit, revenue on the
service increasing by 29 per cent. and passengers carried by 22 per gent.
In 1922, powers had been obtained for operation outside the city boundaries, and for a nuinber, of years, managerial policy was to eush out routes to link the city with nearby towns. In 1924, a service to Newport12 miles away—was started. A service to Caerphilly was inaugurated in 1929 and one to Merthyr in 1930. Co-ordination arrangements were made with other transport-operating undertakings in the vicinity, so that Cardiff became the hub of a developing municipal transport area.
Other indications of the vigour with which these policies were implemented were the acquisition in 1922 of the remaining Cardiff Tramways service, operated with motorbuses, between Cardiff and WhItchurch and by the purchase in 1924 of the vehicles of Mr. Vernon Jones. In 1926, the businesses of Messrs. Worrell Bros. and of Mr. J. Rich were also taken over.
By 1932, the corporation had made co-ordination agreements with every operator on every route running out of Cardiff except in the direction of Swansea. In this case, the corporation ran 31 miles out of the city centre towards Swansea, and operators from this direction had to stop their services at that point.
At that date the fleet of 106 vehicles comprised 86 of Dennis manufacture—almost all doubledeckers. Experiments had been conducted with oil engines and the first vehicle. of this type was tried out in July, 1932. An attempt to develop a central bus station was being fostered.
Declining tramway revenue and the economy of the motorbus encouraged interest in the latter, and a new central workshop and garage were built at Sloper Road to accommodate 180 vehicles under cover. All the motorbuses, now numbering 170. arc maintained and housed there.
Although the passing of the Road Traffic Acts of 1930 and 1934 restricted the growth of a local co-ordinated municipal transport system. Cardiff continued to operate its services to Newport and Penarth, and lost no opportunity of further expansion to Caerphilly, Tredegar and along the Ely Valley to Pendoylan, thus becoming a major force in the passenger transport system of South Wales.
Electric Advantages
By 1939, it was becoming obvious that the trams would have to be replaced before long. Until that time. Cardiff had been developing as an administrative and commercial centre, and industrial development was slight. Industrial demands on electric current were small and the cost of current low. Electric traction therefore seemed to offer many advantages, and plans were laid to convert the 10 remaining tram routes to trolleybus working.
The outbreak of war delayed this scheme. It was not until 1942, When 10 A.E.C.-English Electric six-wheeled double-deck 70-seat trolleybuses with bodywork by Northern Counties were delivered, that a start could be made. Two routes were converted to trolleybus operation in that year.
Cardiff Transport Department was unusual at the time in that its managerial affairs were jointly controlled by
the traffic manager, Mr. J. W. Dunning, and the :thief engineer, Mr. W. J. Evans. In 1946, Mr. Dunning became general manager when Mr. Evans was appointed to a similar post at Reading.
With the advent of the first trolleybuses, far-reaching changes were made in the pattern of the undertaking.. Experiments were instituted with standard fares and the pay-as-you-enter collection system. The conductor was retained. The fare was 1 d.
War-time Traffic
Useful economies were made with this method of fare collection, especially as at the time, traffic was approaching a war-time peak, after a definite decline between 1930 and .1939. In 1932, the undertaking carried 54m. passengers, the annual mileage of the trams being 19m. and of the motorbuses, 3.9m. In 1937, 52m. passengers were carried, whilst the two sections of the undertaking recorded 2.6m. and 4.5m. miles respectively. Unfortunately, the central offices of the undertaking were destroyed by bombing in January, 1941, and many of the records from which a more detailed picture of its varied fortunes could be obtained'were irretrievably lost.
Early success with the P.A.Y.E. experiments encouraged an extension to embrace all tram and trolleybus services. Later, certain motorbus routes were also converted. Equally far-reaching was the decision to reorganize the tram services so that all journeys terminated at the centre, instead of crossing the city.
Much controversy surrounded both these measures, which were continued after the tram conversion programme was resumed in 1948. This was completed by February 18, 1950, and two days later the trams disappeared from the streets of Cardiff.
It was thus at a time of great change, when public attention was focused on the undertaking and when costs had begun the upward climb which was to make transport more than ever a subject of public discussion and even disgust, that the present general manager, Mr. Siddall, took office on the death of Mr. Dunning in 1948. Conversion to trolleybus operation occupied much of the department's effort for some time, but rising costs soon clamoured for attention. In June, 1949, the standdard fare became lid., without much improvement in the revenue position, so that permission to reintroduce stage fares was obtained in 1950. Ultimate ticketissuing machines were adopted for the new scheme.
A further change took place in June, 1951, when fares were rearranged on a mileage basis, the effect of which was largely to stabilize the finances of the department In the year ended March, 1951, the undertaking had incurred a loss of £56,800; a year later this had been translated into a profit of £27,423: Coincident with this change, basic alterations in the traffic structure were undertaken under the immediate supervision of the energetic traffic superintendent, Mr.
Morgan. Through services were introduced on all trolleybus routes and at the same time the motorbus routes to the housing estate at Ely were similarly reorganized.
This estate, although only some two miles from the heart of the city, had been somewhat cut off from the centre, having been built alongside-the A48 main road to the west, where previously there had been no demand for services. At a later date, the trolleybus services are to be extended to the edge of the Ely estate.
Complete Justification These satisfactory working results were, however, offset by heavy loan and other net-revenue charges. Nevertheless, the net surplus obtained represented a complete justification of the go-ahead policy pursued, and. in fact, Cardiff was one of the few municipal undertakings ending the year on the "right side."
The central area of the city is intensively served by the trolleybuses running over the former tram routes. Traffic is heavy and the large capacity of the 50 B.U.T. double. -deckers added to the fleet from 1948 is invaluable. These vehicles are 67-seaters with bodywork by Bruce Coach. works, Ltd., Cardiff, built in association with East Lancashire Coachbuilders, Ltd. They have two entrances and staircases, with a power-operated door enclosing the front entrance. Passengers tend to use the door nearest to them when alighting, thus reducing the time spent at the stops. The vehicles arc boarded only at the rear.
Working, as they dd, in the congested central areas, the trolleybuses have a comparatively low average speed, but their revenue-earning capacity is extraordinary, as is their length of service between overhaul. In 19511952, the average passenger revenue on the motorbuses was 26.10d. per mile, compared with 34.4d. per mile on the trolleybuses. In December, 1952, the average had risen to 37d. per mile, whilst on some routes revenue per mile of 44d. was being recorded for the trolleybuses. Single-deckers return a lower figure.
Fleet Composition Low bridges on several routes are responsible for the retention of 10 single-deck trolleybuses and 11 single. deck motorbuses in the fleet. Five of the motorbuses are Leyland Royal Tigers. On the other hand, all but 10 of the 170 motorbuses are full-height types.
The fleet comprises 41 A.E.C. Regent Mk. I, 15 Guy and 18 Bristol double-deckers, three Leyland and three A.E.C. single-deckers which were acquired before and during the war. Since the war 20 A.E.C. Mk. II, nine Crossley, 10 Daimler, 20 Bristol, 20 A.E.C. Regent Mk. HI, six Guy Arab double-deckers and the Leyland Royal Tigers have been acquired.
Operating on outer and suburban services, the motorbuses cover a route mileage of 154.21 on 41 services. In 1951-1952 they ran 5.6m. miles and carried 51m. passengers at an average working cost per mile of 23.35d. Average traffic revenue was 26.1d. per mile, so that a gross surplus of £71,100 was recorded on this section of the undertaking. Fuel consumption over the year averaged 9.25 m.p.g.
The trolleybuses, covering 13.86 miles on 10 routes, carried 40m. passengers in the year, over 2.1m. miles at an average working cost per mile of 28.36d. Revenue averaged 34.45d. per mile, so that a gross profit of £58,408 was recorded.
Complete recasting of traffic organization is, however, not the only string to the undertaking's bow. Under the supervision of Mr. Cunuder, the engineering section has played a vital part in the success which has been achieved. The trolleybus fleet has always been standardized to a high degree, but the lack of suitable premises has split it up. Thus, 53 of the vehicles are housed at the depot at Clare Road and 12 at Roath.
Future Development The Roath depot is being completely rebuilt to house and maintain the 65 trolleybuses. Modern pits with sunken workshops and intelligently arranged body, electrical and other shops are being built, so that the trolleybuses and the motorbuses may derive benefit from efficient centralized workshops. It is intended in the future to carry out all chassis overhauls at the Roath depot.
Useful economies are also being made in other directions. Last year, radio telecommunication was introduced to link the central offices in Wood Street with the overhead-line repair wagons, thus ensuring efficient use of these two vehicles. Mr. Cunuder and his assistant developed and built themselves a remote indicator and control unit, which provides immediate visual and audible indication of tripped circuit breakers in the sub-stations. It also ensures remote control of the mercury-arc rectifier equipment. Delay in dealing with overhead line difficulties is reduced to a minimum by these items of equipment.
Other economies are derived from the small foundry maintained at Roath, where one operative turns out urgently required castings, varying from trolleyheads-designed by the engineering department—to bus-stop signs and radiator caps cast in aluminium, using scrap pistons as the raw materials. In the body shops, vehicle painting is speeded and money saved by the infra-red paint-drying lamps employed. These cut days off the time formerly necessary to repaint a body, and evidence of their value is provided by the great improvement in exterior appearance of the vehicles.
Recent Transformation This, however, is simply a superficial indication of the far-reaching transformation which the undertaking has undergone in the past few years. The general manager controls the undertaking on a business-like basis with the full confidence of the transport committee, who, as should be the case, play the role of an active board of directors.
Modern business methods are strongly in evidence in that important branch of the undertaking controlled by Mr. McKinnon, who is responsible for the commercial activities of the department. The Ultimate fare-collection system is employed on all services, and machine accountancy has recently been installed for waybill analysis work and for the preparation of statistics.
New motorbuses on order to replace the oldest doubledeckers will maintain the high standards which have been set. Cardiff's double-deckers are distinctive in appearance, with well-curved lines set off by the chocolate and cream livery. The new vehicles will be equally distinctive.
Thus, enterprise tempered with experience, and safeguarded by the municipal system, combine to make Cardiff Transport Department one of which Wales may be proud.