Motorbus or Tramcar? London' s Lesson.
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The London County Council Electric Tramway System is now Beaten on all Points by a Great Motorbus Fleet.
London leads the world in public-service transport by means of independent self-propelled and selfcontained road vehicles. In the words of an American critic, " London is now the swiftest city in the world."
The period of 12 months which has intervened since the publication of our previous Overseas Annual has been noteworthy for the effective challenge to electric tramcars that has been achieved by means of motorbuses. Whereas, only one year ago, electric-tramcar enthusiasts professed to scoff at the possibility of danger to their interests from either petrol-driven or steam-driven motorbuses they have been forced to admit all along the line tha:t motorbus competition is threatening them to a degree which may, in the near future, bring about the financial collapse of London's independent electric-tramcar concerns.
In order to stave off the—to them—evil day, the London County Council, which owns the largest electric-tramcar undertaking in London, is doing all in its power to secure complete exemption from annual assessment to local rating in respect of the metal tracks of which it enjoys the monopoly, and also to escape its present very reasonable liability for the payment of something like £110,000 per annum in respect of maintenance of the highway between, and immediately adjacent to, its 142 routemiles of track. It is admitted, however, by those who have analysed the electric-tramcar accounts, that the L.C.C. undertaking is not paying its way. Constructed upon the conduit system, and having to bear heavy charges for the acquirement of old lines and undertakings, the L.C.C. double-deck tramcars cannot be operated at an inclusive cost per car-mile of less than 1.1.25d., after making provision for renewal reserve, interest and sinking fund. The receipts are approximately 11d, per ear-mile, in spite of the la,ct that the majority of the Council's vehicles have seating capacity on the two decks for 78 passengers. The Council hopes to overcome some of its difficulties by hauling trailer cars along particular routes, in addition to its efforts to get rid of the charges which we have mentioned above.
Concerning the obligation of London's tramcar
undertakings to maintain the highway between, and immediately adjacent to, the metal rails, it should be borne in mind that the huge tramcars practically cause all ordinary wheeled traffic to concentrate upon the sides oi the highway, and that the plea. that the L. C. C. tramway undertaking is unduly burdened by its paying some £110,000 per annum in respect of the maintenance of the crown of the highway does not constitute a just grievance. Rather, in the opinion of impartial observers, the local borough councils, 28 in number, who have to repair the balance of the highway, suffer from the undue concentration of the traffic at the sides of the road. That fact, surely, justifies the local rating. The reasons why motorbuses in London have paralysed electric-tramcar extension, and have caused the greatest perturbation io electric-tramcar circles generally, are chiefly the following : (1) reduced cost of running ; (2) full confidence of the public in the vehicles.
In the first place, the material improvement in the cost of running, due to better traffic organization and more suitable design, have brought about a situation which puts the 34-seated motorbus nearly 4d, per mile to the good, on the cost side, compared with the 78-seated tramcar. Seat for seat per vehicle, the 34-seated motorbus is cheaper to install and to run than any electric tramcar. In London, the authorities do not allow a motorbus to have more than 34 seats, and these vehicles are further handicapped by the refusal of the same authorities to allow the top-deck to be covered in any way. London tramcars have covered top-decks, which protection greatly adds to their revenue in wet weather. The astonishing situation has developed, in spite of these adverse conditions from the motorbus point of view, that the 34-seated motorbus, whilst costing 4d. per mile less than the 78-seated tramcar, taking into account administrative and capital charges, earns more per mile run than does the larger railbound vehicle. Hence, it is possible for the proprietors of the motorbuses to give double the frequency of service, which is a great convenience to the travelling public, and to pay their way handsomely, in direct competition with the tramcars—and with many
other forms of rapid transit, such as underground electric railways, offering temptations to the public. Nothing can be more satisfactory, from the motorbus standpoint, than the accession of public favour which has been enjoyed by this class of vehicle during the year 1912. The frequency of breakdowns, whicn occurred in all motorbus undertakings during the years 1906-1908, had brought about a lack of public confidence. This was reflected in the revenue. People who took motorbuses frequently had to pay twice, or to walk to their destinations, and it was a common sight to see half-a-dozen broken-down motorbuses in any mile of a London thoroughfare upon which services were conducted. All this has been changed, and it is now the exception to see one broken-down motorbus in a week. Thus, with the advantages of smoother running, certainty of travel, low fares, and quick point-to-point speed, the motorbus has triumphed over the electric tramcar, and. with few exceptions, over all competitive means of travel. The principal exception is in respect of journeys of five and six miles in length, along routes which are served, for their whole extent, directly by the speedy underground electric trains. On the question of fares, the average rate in London is in the vicinity of .0. per mile, whilst three miles for 1d. may be travelled on quite a number of services. The passengers carried by London motorbuses are now at the rate of 1,850,000 daily.
It is quite erroneous to imagine that all the paving over which London motorbuses run is exceptionally good. There are many very bad surfaces, in the East End and in certain of the suburbs, which certainly compare unfavourably with the paving of the main thoroughfares in many Colonial towns. In this connection, too, when any Overseas reader is considering the problem of likely wear and tear under Colonial or other Overseas conditions, it must be remeinbered that a London motorbus is cut down in weight under the regulations of the Metropolitan Police. A 34-seated vehicle must weigh not more than 31 tons empty, or not more than six tons with its full complement of 34 passengers, driver and conductor. The type of chassis which approved makers supply to fill export orders are not so light ;
they contain enough extra weight of metal to withstand the increased stresses and shocks to which they may be submitted when put into any service overseas, and the alleged superiority of London's pavings over those of other cities is not a factor which should prejudice the installation of a likely overseas service. The precaution to, be observed is to advise the makers of the true conditions.
Having regard to experiences in the British Provinces, where the roads are frequently extremely hilly and also of poor surface for many miles together, such as in parts of Cornwall and Devon, in Ireland and Scotland, experience has shown that the cost of running is generally at least 2d, per mile higher than it is in London. This extra cost is, in part, accounted for by the higher charges for tires, fuel and maintenance, and also by the higher incidence of wages, owing to the smaller daily mileages. A London motorbus seldom averages less than 100 miles a day, whilst a provincial motorbus can seldom total up a greater average than 70 miles a day. There are examples of prosperous Provincial undertakings in England, of which we may cite, for example, that at Tunbridge 'Wells (Kent), where the cost per mile is in the neighbourhood of 90., and a handsome dividend is earned for the proprietors year bylear. Whereas London fares are based, in competition, at the above-mentioned low rates, it is the general rule in the country to charge on the basis of id. per mile as a minimum.
Overseas readers who are interested in the establishment of motor-omnibus and motor-coach services, or services of motor chars-a-banes, in all cases where an engine of not more than 34 h.p. is employed, and provided they do not have to pay more than is. 6d. a gallon for petrol and 2100 for a set of tires, will find that in no normal circumstances can the inclusive cost of the undertaking exceed is. per mile run. It is for them to work out the likely revenue, according to the district population and circumstances.
London has 2650 motorbuses, of which 80 are steamers, in regular daily service over 320 route-miles. The densest traffic is 248 motorbuses (between Oxford Circus and the top of Bond Street), in each direction, per hour.