HOW MUNICIPAL SERVICES ARE FARING.
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Continuing Our Summarized Analysis of the Latest Available Passenger Transport Returns of the Most Prominent Municipal Authorities.
INthis alphabetical arrangement of municipalities operating various types of passenger-carrying vehicle, we have already given summarized details of the latest available results dealing with the services of the authorities at Aberdare, Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bradford, Burnler, Burton-on-Trent, Coventry, Eastbourne, Edinburgh, Douglas (Isle of Man), Glasgow, Great, Yarmouth, Huddersfield, Hull, Kilmarnock, Keighley and Leeds.
, LEICESTER CORPORATION.
T" authorities in this thriving Midland centre had -their first experience with motorbuses in July, 1924, when a small fleet of 32-seater single-deck vehicles was used on experimental service. In Octobel of the following year eight top-covered double-deckers. were brought into use, but they saw oidy a few weeks' service before the latest municipal year for which complete figures are available closed, i.e., l3ecember, 1925. It Will be interesting to note the influence that these vehicles have had on the development of the bus system when the statistics for 1926 are published,
In the year with which we are dealing the operations of the buses were much interrupted by alterations to routes, owing to road renewals and repairs, which adversely affected the takings. The reorganization of the bus department, however, has brought about an increase in receipts and a decrease in expenditure, and the hope is now held that, in the near future, this section of the corporation's transport activity will be placed on a sound fnancial basis.
The toted revenue from the buses for the year 1925 amounted to £11,853, and from the tramcars to /385,649. The buses carried 1,872,265 passengers and the trains 58,597,019 passengers, the mileage covered by the former being 225,986 and by the latter 4,527,856. The working expenses, including superannuation, were £14,767 for buses and £313,013 for trains, these amounts being increased to £14,898 and £325,027 respectively by the addition of certain special items of expenditure. Thus it will be seen that a deficit of 13,045 was shown on the working of the buses, whilst a gross profit was recorded on the trams of 160,622. After meeting interest and sinking fund charges (11,970), the total deficit on the buses was increased to 15,015, and the same allowances, phis income tax—a total of 155,544 made in respect of the tramways gave a net balance of £5,079. The average traffic revenue per vehicle-mile was 12.588d. for the buses and 20.168d. for the trams, the average working expenses per vehicle-mile being 15.821d. and 17.228d. respectively, the figure for trams including power costs_ The total borrowing powers sanctioned in respect of buses was 125,786 up to December, 1925, of which sum 115,786 was nnexhausted.
BOROUGH OF LYTHAM ST. ANNES.
TT was in Argust, 1923, that the municipal authorities at ...LLytham St. Armes commenced the operation of motorbuses, and at the end of March, 1926, they owned ten vehicles of this type, although in the year to the end of that month the report of Mr. H. W. Laing, M.inst.T., the general manager of the tramways undertaking, showed that an average of seven vehicles was in use during the twelve months. This small fleet of vehicles earned traffic revenue -to the xtent of £11,374, and, as the total working expenses amounted to 110,042, a gross profit of 11,332 was shown, although after meeting sinking fund and interest charges a loss of 1614 was shown on the year's working.
So far as tramcars are concerned the 50 vehicles in stock brought in total. traffic receipts of £63,180, of which £22,806 was received on the linea of the Blackpool Corporation, so that the net traffic revenue on the Le-thaw St. Armes lines was 140,374, this being increased to 140,901 by sundry receipts from other sources. The total working expenses (interest and debt redemption charges excepted) amounted to 111,407, of which £11,074 was received from the Blackpool Corporation for through-running costs, so that the net working costs totalled /30,333. It can thus be ascertained that the gross profit on the tramways wai £10,568. Sinking fund and interest charges, however, amounted to 111,895, so that a net loss of 11,327 was recorded.
The number of passengers carried on the buses in the year to March last was 1,561.118, and .61.1 the tramcars 6,344,569 (including through running), of whom 3,913,760 were carried on the Lytham St. Annes lines. The mileage covered by the bus fleet was 288,844, this being the aggregate return for vehicles in use on four routes of 5,27, 4,74, 1.17 and 1.12 miles length respectively.
In the accounts, which are applicable to both tramcars and buses, Mr. Laing tells us that the charges are made on a pro rata basis to receipts, or to the number of vehicles. For example, the ground rent on the hind on which both trams and buses are housed is divided in the proportion of the numbers of each type of vehicle which are housed. The authorities use 20-seater Guy buses.
MAIDSTONE CORPORATION.
JN April next the Maidstone Corporation will have had three years' experience with the operation of motorbuses, for it was in that month of 1924 that it first inaugurated a service with such vehicles. The buses are in use between London Road and Penenden Heath, and owing to the undulating character of the route and the frequent stopping and starting in congested streets the engines are taxed more severely than those vehicles running on long-distance routes. Furthermore, the buses have to turn sham corners continually and petrol consumption and tyre wear are heavier than usual.
At the end of March 31st last the corporation had five Tilling-Stevens buses in service (three 25-seaters and two 27-seaters) and in the 12 months to that date they carried 832,709 passengers and covered 101,051 miles, The total receipts from the buses was 14,960, whilst the working expenses absorbed £4,919. A gross .profit of 141 was thus shown, but after meeting interest charges a deficit of £1,365 resulted. The total income per bus-mile was 11.78d. and the working expenses per bus-mile 11.683d. The number of journeys made per bead of population was just over 104 per annum.
The traffic and miscellatteons revenue from the tremens in the same period amounted to 125,204. The gross profit on the tramways system was 110,023, which was disposed of as follows t—interest on loans. 12,058, repayment of loans, 12,036, meeting losses on buses, £1,36.5, and depreciation fund, 14,564. Mr. A. T. Lambert, the general manager and engineer. stresses in his report the fact that it LS gratifying to find the reserve and depreciation funds growing to a figure approaching a satisfactory amount that will pay off the outstanding loan balances when the time Comes for the conversion to trolley-buses.