Passenger Transport News
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OF "100,000? •
ALOSS of over £100,000 in 15 months on Manchester Corporation's transport department was mentioned as a reason for higher fares being sought, when application was made to Mr. W. E. Macve, North-Western Regional Traffic Commissioner, for permission to advance rates in three categories_ The first day's proceedings lasted 5f hours, and an adjournment was then made till Tuesday, August 20.
Changes desired were to: (1) Abolish intermediate stages. (2) Raise by id. the maximum. 4d. fare from the city to suburban housing estates. (3) Introduce varying scales for children, instead of the present flat rate of half-fare.
Mr. F. H. Roberts, chief accountant of the department, said that expenditure had risen since 1939 by £1,214,124, of which increased wages accounted for £696,000. Vehicles also were more costly—in some cases by 61 per cent. Another notable factor was that acci*lent compensation was higher than in other cities, such as Birmingham.
STAGGERED HOURS TO RELIEVE TRANSPORT
TO relieve the present stress on the municipal transport services, Aid, Bradley, chairman of Bolton Corporation's transport committee, has asked local concerns to stagger closing hours.
Since the end of the war, the weekly vehicle mileage of Bolton Corporation's buses has risen from 128.700 to 147,200. The later services which have been introduced are equal to 1,000,000 additional miles of running per year. Whereas, in August, 1939, the average age of the buses was 2f years, most of them are now eight years old. The corporation has on order 155 double-deck buses, but only 18 complete vehicles have so far been delivered.
Steps were taken some time ago to replace trams by buses on the three remaining routes, but the change-over was postponed because of the delay in delivering bus bodies. Sufficient vehicles are now available to enable the Horwich route to be converted by the end of September.
MORE TIME WANTED
APPLICATION has been made to the Ministry of Transport by Gateshead and District Tramways Co., Ltd., for a further three years' extension, from July 29, 1948, of the time allowed for converting the company's tram system to trolleybus working.
PROFIT ON CHESTER BUSES rHESTER Corporation transport '—'committee reports a net profit on the, transport undertaking of £7.256, of which 0.500 was contributed to the relief of the rates.
LICENCE TO BE TRANSFERRED?
,t PPLICAT1ON has been, made to r-1 the West Midland Traffic Commissioners by Black and White Tours (Bilston), Ltd., for permission to take. over the licence for exeursions and. tours from Bilston, held by the Queen Street Motor Garage Co., Ltd.
NEW RULING FOR DOUBLEDECKERS
IN certain designs of bus of the doublekteck type, the gangway of the upper deck projects slightly into the driver's' cab. This form of design is to be ruled Out for new models from January 1 next. LONDON TRANSPORTS BIG STRIDES SINCE THE WAR .
SPEAKING on Friday, August 16, at t,he luncheon of the Sutton Rotary Club, Mr. W. W. Howells, M.B.E., briefly reviewed the great amount of work which had been dune by the London Passenger Transport Board since " VE" Day, towards restoring pre-war road and rail facilities. This included later vehicles on all routes, restoration of Sunday-morning services on 155 country routzs, restarting of 26 Green Line .coach routes, country bus extensions from central London, and many minor .adjustments in services. Central buses ran 3,135,000 miles a week in May, 1945, and are now running 4;4264000 miles, which is an increase of some 1,290,000.
Much other work is being done to increase efficiency and comfort. Improvements include new and more comfortable seats in buses, plastic trimmings, glossier paint-work, new destination-indicators, safety glass and new ticket-machines.
On every side there have "been enterprise and vigour since the war and future prospects are no less propitious. Despite the full programme of improved services already introduced this summer, a further programme of augmentation of 19 central bus routes is scheduled to take place at the'end of this month.
During the year ended June 30, 1946. 11,000 drivers and conductors had been recruited. WOLVERHAMPTON'S NEW TRAFFIC RECORDS
ATOTAL net surplus of £49,343 was left, at the end of the past financial year, on the working of Wolverhampton Corporation's transport department. The gross surplus totalled £150,810,
, made up of £105,448 on the trolleyhOses and £45,362 on the motorbuses.
After deducting interest on capital, repayment of loans, etc., and taxation, the net surplus left, as above, was distributed as follows:—Relief of rates, £10,000; provision for deferred maintenance, £9,678; provision for deferred vehicle purchase, £20,500; reserve fund, £9,166.
It is of interest to note that, whilst in the year ended March 31, 1938, 6,088,241 miles were run, 59,323,571 passengers were,carried and 187 vehicles were owned, the corresponding figures for 1946 were 6,661,702; 92,106.902; and 233. Thus new records !Nerd set up in the past year.
The report of the transport committee states that, although there is still a severe shortage of labour, the committee has made remarkable progress in carrying out its plans for improved services.
ROTHERHAM SAYS "NO" TO WORKERS
ROTHERHAM'S municipal passtnger I %transport committee has repeated its rejection, which led to a recent strike, of the employees' application for timeand-a-half payment for Sunday work. Alderman G. E. Caine told the town council's recent meeting that there was no threat of a second stoppage.
Alluding to the employees' application for extended holidays with pay, Alderman Caine said that the committee would not go beyond existing agreements. He added that a body known as the Corporation Shop Stewards' Committee would not be recognized.
" LOITERED " WITH TROLLEYBUS
HOWis a bus driver to dissipate surplus time which has been accumulated on a journey? This question arises from a case in which a London trolleybus driver was fined 20s. for loitering and causing obstruction. The vehicle was ahead of schedule and, in an effort to arrive at the end of the journey at the correct time, the driver drove so slowly, it was stated, that seven minutes were spent on a stretch of less than half a mile.
He was charged under the London Hackney Carriages Act, 1843.
A.E.C. AND LEYLAND FORM NEW COMPANY IT was announced in our issue dated 1.1une 28 that the Associated Equipment Co., Ltd., and Leyland Motors, Ltd., had decided to pool their resources relating to the production of trolleybuses, and that a private company was to be formed by the two concerns. This company has now been, registered and will be known as British United Traction, Ltd., Hanover House, 14, Hanover Square, London, W.I.
All inquiries concerning trolleybuses of Leyland and A.E.C. make, including inquiries regarding orders already placed with the parent companies, should be directed to this new address.
Douglas (Isle of Man) Corporation's transport committee records a surplus for the year of £9,401.. GATESHEAD REPLANNING CONDEMNED
D EPRESENTATTVES of the Northern l‘General Transport Co., Ltd., the Gateshead and District Tramways Co.. Ltd., Gateshead Corporation and Felling Urban District Council have had a meeting to discuss Gateshead Corporation's replanning scheme, which has already received the provisional approval of the Ministry of Transport.
Both the tramways company and the " Northern " offered strong objections to the plan. Mr. W. G. Hayter, general manager of the "Northern," maintained that the adoption of the corporation's plans, by reason of traffic roundabouts and diversions, would increase present journeys and require extra vehicles to be run if existing frequencies were to be maintained.
A further meeting is to be called.
WORKERS PROPOSE NEW ROUTES
ALTERNATIVE routes for three Glasgow Corporation bus services, which will have their terminal points in the centre of the city under an extensive new municipal-transport plan, have been suggested by representatives of bus drivers and conductors employed by the transport department. Proposals have been submitted to Mr. E. R. L. Fitzpayne, general manager, who promised to examine them.
Rerouteing of several bus and tram services has been made necessary by the conversion scheme at Eglinton Toll, where two traffic arteries are to be substituted for the existing complicated fiveroad crossing.
Readjustments of duty schedules to fit in with the new services have been amicably settle.d.