REGULAR MOTOR SERVICES IN JERSEY.
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Some Details of the Activities of a Company which Established the First Daily Services in the Largest of the Channel Islands.
pTtIOR to April, 1923, Jersey, the -Ilargest of the Channel Isles, was not provided with regular daily motoromnibus services, but on the 2nd of that month the Jersey Motor Transport Co., Ltd., Commenced operations, and since that time has gradually developed regular all-the-year-round passenger services to most parts of the island. Seven different services are operated, various slight alterations of route and improvements in the time-tables having been made since their inauguration, battle scope of the company's activities is naturally somewhat limited as the island is comparatively small.
The following table indicates the districts served, and gives the number of journeysRmatde per day on each run :—
Through Na. of Far s. Journeys
Most of the routes are slightly shorter during the winter, this being indicated on the map, the summer extensions being made to enable visitors to reach certain beauty spots. On Saturdays an extra late trip is operated on most of the services, and on Sundays the early journeys are not made. The fares average about 2d. per passeng:r per mile, which, in the circumstances, is not unreasonable.
The compauy is not operating any motor coaches and does not intend entering this side of the business. In its opinion, there are already more than enough vehicles of this type in the island, many of the boarding-house proprietors running their own, in addition to numerous small owners. The bad trade of last season told against some of them. and, as a matter sf fact, many coaches have been running on regular bus service.
Since 1924, competition has arisen on all but one of the J.M.T. routes, the exception being that having alternate roads to the, same place and a bus service on each.
The Jersey Light Railways and Tramways, Ltd., has certain Saurer vehicles in use, as well as a Daimler char-it-banes, and has recently added two id-seater Dennis buses. It is running in competition with the J.M.T. service over one of the routes, whilst the Eastern Railway bought up a, proprietor who was in competition with its rail service, and now runs hi a buses, but this does not directly affect the J.M.T. Co. Several one-man concerns are also working buses, but Mr. Whiting, the secretary of the company, does not find that the competition affects the services ef company to any great extent.
The present lleet of the Jersey Motor Transport Co., Ltd., consists of seven. 40 hp. Bristol 30-seaters, which were the company's first purchases, two 20seater Al-type Thornycrofts, delivered in May, 1926, and a 13-seater Napier saloon bus, which was purchased secondhand.
The company is very proud of the performances of the Bristol machines. Since April, 1923, they have covered many thousands of miles, at first on solid and later on pneumatic tyres, the conversion to the latter equipment commencing in September, 1925'. During nearly four years in which these Bristol buses have been working they have had a very hard time and have stood up to the work exceptionally well. Mr. Whiting informs 'us that they show no signs of weakness anywhere, and both body
work and chassis are still in perfectly good condition.
The first pneumatic tyres put on the Bristol machines are gradually being replaced by Dunlop s of 38-in. by 7-in. dimensions, thus making the buses and equipment . of British manufacture throughout. A slightly lower petrol consumption hasbeen noticed since pneu
matic-tyre equipment has been adopted, but the saving is not so great as was expected.
All the buses are garaged at St. Helier, where there are a petrol-storage installation, a repair shop and stores. The depot is only about half a mile from the starting point for all the services, RO that little dead mileage is incurred.
When first the comPany started, the roads of Jersey were not in to good a condition, but during the past three years there has been considerable imProvement in the methods adopted to keep up the :epairs. The chief roads in St. Roller itself are now covered with a bitumen compound and are standing up very well to the traffic.
The question of taxation is interesting, as the method employed is different from that adopted in England, and the charges are considerably less. The present tax is based on both weight and horse-power for all motor vehicles, and is £3 per annum for all vehicles up to 2 tons in weight and 20 h.p. or under, with an additional £1 for each 4-ton and 5s. for each extra h.p. The tax on the Bristol buses of the Jersey Motor Transport Co., Ltd., works out at £14 per bus, and at £6 5s. for the smaller buses.
There is, however, a proposition before the States (the island Parliament) to increase the tax on heavy vehicles, and under the suggested scheme the tax rol each of the 30-seater Bristol buses would be about £30. Possibly, petrol also may be taxed, but we are given to understand that this is not likely, as it already costs 2d. per gallon more than in London.