BUS RESULTS IN THE GERMAN CAPITAL.
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Details of the Operations of the Berlin General Omnibus Co. in the Year 1927.
QOME interesting facts and figures Kt are contained in the recently issued report for 1927 of the Berlin General Omnibus Co., Which operates the motorbus system in the German capital. The company's fleet of motorbuses was in creased during the year from 450 to 561. vehicles, the majority having a
carrying capacity for 54 persons. The vehicles are now running over 154 miles of city routes, 36 miles of suburban routes, and on an express service over a 61-mile route.
The. number of passengers carried by the buses during last year was 1541,700,000 as against 112,800,000 in 1926. • Although this is an increase of nearly 40 per cent., it represents only 9.8 per cent, of the. total bus, tram and
elevated electric-railway traffic in Berlin. The number of bus-miles run during the 12 months amounted to 17,812,500, as contrasted with 13,662,600 in 1926, an increase of over B1 per cent. The number of passengers per bus-mile averaged 8.8.
It is interesting to note that taking the full week's bus traffic as 100, 14.3 per cent, is carried On Mondays, 14.4 per cent, each on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 14.6 per cent. on Thursdays, 347 per cent. on Fridays, 15.9 per cent. on Saturdays and 11.7 per rent. on Sundays. The low proportion for Simdays is largely attributable to. the " week-ending" habit, which has become very popular in the German capital in 'recent years. The average speed of the buses, including stops and starts, is given as 9.06 m.p.h.
The receipts during the 12 months amounted to approximately 11,375,000, as against £1,050,000 a year earlier, an increase of nearly 31 per cent. On the other hand, the expenditure showed an advance of over 36 per cent., it having amounted to /1,190,000 as against 870,000, the higher operating costs being attributed to the increased wages and shorter working hours, the latter necessitating an increase in the staff. As a matter of fact, the company is now giving employment to 2,023 drivers and conductors, 787 mechanics and garage hands and 383 officials, a total of 3,193 persons.
The company has for some years adopted the policy of allotting large sums for the depreciation of the value of the rolling stock. In 1926 1158,600 was allotted in this way, and last year /156,000, the latter figure being more than 45 per cent, of the sum appearing in the books as the value of the stock.
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The net profit on the year's working amounted to 144,521, as against 145,351, out of which a dividend of 6 per cent. has been paid on the 1360,000 prefer'
enee share capital and 10 per cent. on the /60,000 in ordinary shares.
At the annual meeting of the corn.. pany one of the directors gave some interesting technical details of the running of the -fleet of buses. The fitting of governors to the engines, which limits the speed to 1,000 r.p.m. resulted in a marked economy in fuel consumption. Separate engines and gearboxes were now being preferred to unit construction of these components, whilst experiments are being made with road wheels made of a light but strong alloy known as Elektron. It is stated that new buses to be acquired by the company will be largely of the six-cylinder, six-wheeled type.
The following comparative table showing the number of passengers carried by motorbuses in the three principal capitals of Europe during the past two years may be of interest :
no Di bus passeIrMrs T.ipe.s.
Iondon {L.G.O. Co.) ... 1,323.5
1,249.5
Paris IP.LC.P.I 329.4 332.4 Berlin (Abnag) ... 156.7 112.5