Phases of Passenger Travel
Page 63
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
BUS-WORKING RESULTS FROM SOUTH WALES.
Satisfactory Figures Obtained in Spite of Difficult Industrial Conditions.
A PRELIMINARY statement on the L. operation of the municipal bus services in the last completed year to March 31st, 1930, has been submitted to Caerphilly Urban District Council. This shows that a net profit of 1675 was made, a satisfactory recovery of the undertaking when unfavourable industrial conditions are borne in mind.
The profits would have been substantially greater but for losses incurred as follow :—(a) £1,000 on workmen's bus services; (b) 1645 on the Caerphilly-Cardiff inter-town service ; (e) 1100 on the running of school-children's bus services. The loss on the workmen's service was really more than £1,000, for, although running such a service meant employing extra garage hands, this item of expense has not been debited to workmen's services but to the services as a whole.
The running cost of the buses was 1.4d. per bus-mile. Capital charges of he undertaking have increased by £3,200, plus annual interest, for four new express buses bought during the year, the repayment loan being spread over five years.
Cardiff City Council motorhns services have also shown improvement in the completed year ended March 31st. Whereas, loss of /10,638 was incurred in 1928-29, the net loss during 1929-30 was only £4,871, which indicates a big stride towards the resumption of profityielding business.
Total revenue in the year was 1156,639 (traffic revenue £154,636), an increase of £15,754, or 11.18 per cent, on the previous year's figure. Working expenses increased by £8,977, or 6.68 per cent The increases are mainly due to the substitution during
the year of buses for trams on the Cathays route. Bus passengers increased during the 12 months by 1,524,888 to 12,036,303.
Capital expenditure on motorbuses during the year was £32,252, bringing the capital of the undertaking to £147,615. The council, on the recommendation of the bus-service manager (Mr. W. Forbes), has gone in for better transport facilities.
The mileage of the buses increased by 260,809 miles, or 9.7 per cent., there being a maximum of 94 buses in opera tion during the year The proportion of working expenses to receipts of the buses was 91.4 per cent., or a decrease of 3.50 per cent. Petrol used amounted to 534,936 gallons, the cost varying from 12190. to 13-0. per gallon.
The policy of replacing trams by buses on the Cathays route was more than justified. The number of bus passengers on this route increased by 34 per cent, on the tramcars' total, whilst traffic receipts of the buses have increased by more than 40 per cent, on the tramcar receipts for the route. A full year's benefit from this route has yet to be• obtained, for the bus system was founded only in January last, in the last quarter of the year.
The Cardiff tramways committee has congratulated Mr. Forbes on "his businesslike working of the bus services in very unfavourable eircumstances."