Municipal Bus Results
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ANOTHER GOOD YEAR AT LEIGH.
LEtG4-1 Corporation's transpOrt mana, ger, Mr. • J. Atherton, A.M.Inst.T., successfully piloted the undertaking through the past municipal year, when a net profit of 23,213 was earned, as compared with 24,277 in the previous year. As the figure set aside for de: preciation and renewals has been increased by 2960, the net decrease on the' previous year was only 274.
The total revenue amounted to 250,564. 110.79tt per bus-mile), against 217,091 (11.18d. per bus-mile) in 1933-34. The gross expenditure amounted to 241,339; as against 237,816 a year earlier, these figures representing 8.82d. and 8.98d. respectively per vehicle-mile. Of the gross expenditure; operating costs accounted for 239,648, the figure for 1933-34 being 235-,847.
The corporation operated 32 buses over 28 licensed routes, with a total. mileage of 190, the II-umber of miles run being 1,125,039 and the passengers carried 6,577,473. Thepetrol-engined vehiclesyieldeda fuel-consumption return of 5.78 m.p.g. and the oilers 11.14 m.p.g.
Mr. Atherton comments in his report that the increasing use of bicycles played a prominent part in the reduction of the number of Workpeople's tickets sold, but that there was a general increase in the number of '`ordinary”passengers carried. He adds that there is nothing to gain by merging with any other body.
USEFUL PROFIT AT BURTON.
I-WRING the past municipal year, L./Barton Corporation's transport undertaking worked at a net profit of 22,713. The traffic revenue. reprei sented 10-.21d. and the total working expenses 8,32d. per vehicle-mile. The balance of income over expenses totalled 28,306, before making provision for bank interest, repayment Of debt and interest charges, ett. The number of passengers carried increased by183,941 to 3,749,201, whilst the buses covered 1,014,35a miles.
CARDIFF'S LOSSES TURN TO CARDIFF Corporation's transport
undertaking, last year, experienced better trading, and the buses worked at a net profit of 2220, against the deficit of 21,144 in 1933-34. The traffic receipts increased by 2288 to 2180,009. The tramways earned a profit of 12,434, contrasted with a loss of 21,996 a year earlier.
Mr. William Forbes, the general manager, was authorized to apply to the Traffic Commissioners for sanction to continue a service which would involve the purchase of four new buses.
YARMOUTH'S SUCCESSFUL YEAR.
AST year, Great Yarmouth Cor
poration's busundertaking 'earned a net profit of 2419, the working expenses, at 240,327, comparing With a
total revenue of 235,417. Loan interest and sinking-fund contributions absorbed 22;805 and 210,946 respectively. The trading profit amounted to 27,510. , The buses carried 6;722,983 passengers over 1,168680 miles, whilst the corporation's A.E.C. oilers averaged 12.18 m.p.g., and the petrol vehicles 5.85 m.p.g.
WEST HARTLEPOOL'S LOSS.
riLTRING the year ended March 31 1-Jlast, the transport services of West Hartlepool Corporation showed a loss of 21,211, comprising 2435 on the petrol buses and 2776 on the trolley buses. Usually, the petrol buses have shown a surplus, but the deficit this year is stated to be due to spending 22,700 on the reconditioning of six buses. The petrol vehicles ran 22,000 more miles, but the revenue increased by only 2190.
WOLVERHAMPTON BUSES EARN £15,700 PROFIT.
yyjoLVERHANPTON Corporation's inf transport committee reports a net surplus of £15,768 for the past year on the transport undertaking and, of this sum, 25,000 has been allocated to rate relief. The department has 1/8 trolleybusesand 50 motorbuses.
SALFORD'S £ 11,000 SURPLUS.
IT is reported that 'Salford Corpora tion's transport undertaking shows a. profit of about 241,000 on the past year's working, as compared with 220341 in the previous year.
BIG SURPLUS-AT WARRINGTON.
WARRINGTON Corporation's accounts show a net profit,. for the past year, of 26,891 on the tramways, as against 23,512 in the previous year, and a net profit of 212,852 on The motorbuses, contrasted with 213,071.
M.T. COMPANIES' 15,800,000 REVENUE
THE importance of the roatt;•
passenger-transport industry was emphasized by statistics quoted by Mr. J. S. Austen, the chairman, at the ordinary general meeting of the British Electric Traction Co., Ltd., last Friday. He pointed out that, although the company's business was that of an investment trust, it also participated actively in the management of 54 hire and tramcompanies-, with fleets ranging from four to 1,000 buses.
I.ast year, these companies collected in fares 215,806,000, a figure that is greater than the passenger receipts of any of the four main-line railway companies, except the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Co., and is equal to more than 311 per cent, of the passenger receipts of the four railways combined.
Mr. Austen mentioned that the company's profits, during thepast year, were the highest on record, being 229;000 better than at the peak year. Its investments, apart from other assets, were valued at £12;973,000.
The chairman suggested that drivers and conductors Of a certain standard should, have their names inscribed on a tablet fixed in some suitable position on the bus, in order to cultivate public interest in the men.
LEWIS CO. CLAIMS £65,000. ON Mon:da.y next, the London Pas-. senger Transport Arbitration Tribunal will resume the hearing of the compensation claim of the Lewis Omnibus Co., which was commenced last week. The company claimed over 276,629 for the transfer of its undertaking to London. Transport, but afterwards submitted a revised claim for stock valued at 265,112. The value of the profits and assets had, it was stated,' been agreed, the only point in dispute tieing' goodwill.
CONTROVERSY OVER MERSEY TOURS
BEFORE the North-Western Traffic Commissioners, an application was made by CroSville Motor Services, Ltd., to run excursions and tours through the Mersey Tunnel, between Liverpool and the Wirral. Liverpool, Bootle, Birkenhead and Wallasey Corporations, the Mersey Tunnel Committee and the Mersey Railway Co, objected.. Asking that the application be postponed, Mr. Maxwell Fyfe, K.C.; said that the corporations and the committee wished further, to consider the' co-ordination of the tunnel transport activities on Merseyside.. . Opposing the postponement, Mr: J. P. Elsden said the application was postponed in October and again in
December,' when the Commissioners imposed a time limit of six months (which had now expired) to enable the parties concerned to get together with a view to formulating a co-ordinated scheme. The Commissioners decided that the application should be continued and Mr. Elsdeu said the company desired licences to run excursions and tours from Liverpool, through the tunnel to West Kirby, kloylake, 13irkenhe.ad and Rock Ferry.
He did not understand the Tunnel Committee's objection, because from the date of the opening of the tunnel until last May, the company had paid tolls to the amount of £2,448. The objection of the Mersey Railway Co. was that the proposal would set up wasteful competition, yet Mr. Elsden pointed out, the railway was unable to take passengers through the tunnel, or from the other side of the river to the Cathedral or Childwall Abbey, as the Crosville concern proposed_ Another ground of objection related to protection for the Mersey Railway from competition with Liverpool local services, but, Mr. Elsden said, the required pro tection was given under the Tunnel Bill.
After some discussion, the parties agreed to a modification of the application, whereby the company sought licences for circular tours, on which passengers were not to leave the coaches until they returned to the starting point.
SOUTHDOWN BUS ORDERS FORESHADOWED.
PORTANT orders for chassis and
body manufacturers were foreshadowed by Mr. Sidney E. Garcke, A.M.I.Mech.E., chairman, at the annual general meeting of Southdown Motor Services, Ltd. He stated that, in the next two or three years, the company would have to purchase rather more new rolling stock than during the-past two or three years. He attributed the
increase of about £30,000 in the gross revenues of the company largely to the purchase of a number of small proprietors' businesses.
The retiring directors, Mr. A. E. Cannon and Mr. A. D. Mackenzie, were unanimously re-elected.
GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE FOR TRANSPORT.
I N the House of Commons, on Monday, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, when asked whether it was the intention of the Government to extend to Scotland, for the improvement and co-ordination of its transport services, any form of financial support similar to that announced for London Transport, statqd that the Government would be ready to consider any sound scheme of similar character which might require Exchequer assistance.
The A.E.C. Regent double-deck buses of the Cheltenham District Traction Co., illustrated in our issue dated June 7, should have been described as petrol-engined, and not oilers.
UNFAIR WAGES IN SCOTLAND ALLEGED
ALLEGATIONS that Dunoon bus operators were not paying fair wages to their drivers were made before the Southern Scotland. Traffic Commissioners, at Rothesay.
Mr. Arthur Gee, Scottish secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union. said the Union had recently approached Dunoon employers with a request for fair wages. A meeting had been held, when the matter was discussed with four employers representing all the coach and bus operators in the district. ' The Union officials were assured that their request was reasonable and would be attended to,
Drivers were to receive 80s. for a six-. day week and 62s. 6d. for a, seven-day week. There was also to be a week's holiday with pay. for drivers with a year's service or more. The agreement was drafted, signed by him and sent to the emploYers, who had; he said, not even acknowledged receipt. If, necessary, the Union would take the matter before an Industrial Court.
Mr. A. Henderson, chairman of Commissioners, said the 'matter would have to be reported. It was not the first time Mr. Gee had drawn. his attention to the " abominable " wages paid, in some places, to drivers. The Commissioners were loath to use their full powers in the matter and he would ask the parties to come together without the assistance of the Ministry of Labour.
WELSH 110,000 MERGER.
THE merger of the Llanelly-Burry Port-Pernbrey, and other Carmarthenshire services of Messrs. J. M, Bacus, Burry Port, into the system of the. South Wales Transport Co. Ltd., Swansea, has now, with the assent of the South Wales Commissioners, been completed. The Bacus system was founded 16 years ago and employs 10 buses. The price is stated to have been approximately £10,000.
2,842 COACHES ENTER BLACKPOOL IN A WEEK-END.
BLACKPOOL is still "the lodestone of the North," so far as road passenger transport is concerned. A police census taken between 'S a.m. and 8 p.m. on the three days of the Whitsuntide week-end revealed that 2,842 coaches entered the town, compared with 2,334 last year. The Easter returns'also showed a welcome increase.
Last week-end, operators in the Manchester districts, especially, enjoyed good business to Blackpool, as it was the occasion of Manchester's annual June vacation.
662 LICENCES GRANTED IN HALF AN HOUR.
QN Monday, Crosville Motor Services, Ltd., Chester, paid a cheque for £662 at a sitting of the North-Western Traffic Commissioners, when 662 of the company's 1,050 licences were renewed, all within half an hour.
The chairman, Mr. W. Chamberlain, commented on the expedition with which the business was completed.