BUSES TO REPLACE RAILLESS VEHICLES.
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THE manager of York Corporation Tramways, with regard to the suggestion to susbtitute petrol buses for railless vehicles reports that the following figures indicate the total loss to be met by the withdrawal of the railless vehicles :—Vehicles, £4,320; electrical equipment of line, £4,532; cost of removing standards and overhead equipment, £175; City engineer's estimate of making good the footpath after the removal of poles, £52; total, £9,079.
To operate the existing railless route with buses they would require not fewer than two additional machines at a total estimated cost of £2,420. The operating costs, based on present bus costs, would be approximately thl. per mile, interest and sinking fund, charges approximately 2d. per mile, giving a total cost of 11d, per mile run.
The annual mileage, based on the existing mileage of the railless vehicles, would be about 130,000. The estimated total cost per annum, therefore, would be about 15,958. The income, again based on the income of the railless vehicles, he estimates would be 13d. per mile operated, and would thus total £7.042, showing an estimated profit of £1,083 per annum.
He has not taken into account the value of the vehicles or the overhead equipment. He does not think they would be able to sell the vehicles except at practically scrap values. The poles may be sold 'to some undertaking contemplating tramway or railless extensions. Overhead fittings and trolley wire they should retain for use on their own tramway routes.
Should the Council decide to sub, etitute petrol omnibuses for its existing railless vehicles, it will have to be decided how the loss of slightly over £9,000 is to be met and authority will have to be obtained from the Ministry of Transport for the withdrawal of the railless system.
If the Council agrees to substitute petrol buses for the railless vehicles, he should certainly recommend the service
to be extended to the railway station, and if necessary beyond this point. This would give an opportunity of through running on to other bus routes, and may be the means for reducing operating costs, in addition to giving better facilities to the public, the provision of which will encourage traffic.
Buses will certainly enable him to give far better transport facilities to the residents of the Pang Hall Estate than at present exist with the railless vehicles, because the centre of the estate can then be reached without difficulty; in addition to which the transport needs of the expanding area of Stockton Lane can be more adequately met by extending the terminus to the junction of Stockton Lane with Hempland Lane.
Having considered this report, the tramways committee recommended • the Council to approve of the substitution of petrol buses for railless vehicles and authorized the necessary steps to be taken for the carrying out of the recom
mendation. 113i