Belfast bonus deal outstanding, says PI B
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• The recently introduced, fully measured incentive bonus scheme of Belfast Corporation Transport has been cited by the PIB as a model for the application of work study to vehicle maintenance, states the departmental report for 1968-69.
By the implementation of the bonus scheme, overtime has been virtually eliminated, hourly earnings increased on average by 35 per cent—and bus maintenamce staff reduced from about 500 to 300 employees. To deal with those whose services became surplus on the introduction of the bonus scheme the department took over service of vehicles belonging to Electricity, Education, Libraries, Health and Welfare, City Survey
or's works section, City Surveyor's Cleansing section, Gas and Abattoir departments.
Following the introduction of the Transport Act (N.I.) 1967, private-hire work was opened to the Corporation, this providing diversification for evening off-peak periods and weekends. During the season licences were obtained for 143 journeys to resorts all over the North of Ireland and in the Republic. However, when the Transport Users' Committee was set up the number of licences for this outside work granted to the Corporation dwindled to a negligible number as it was considered that other bus operators' interests were being adversely affected. Belfast, which at one time had a trolleybus fleet second only to London, closed down this section in May 1968.
The 1968-69 accounts show a working deficit of £212,501 and a net deficit after deducting interest on investments of £199,907. The proportion of working expenses to total revenue for buses was 100.3 per cent compared with 96.93 per cent the previous year. Reporting on the negotiations regarding one man operation the report says "had the undertaking been permitted to carry on with the local agreement ... and to proceed with the extension of one-man-operation, instead of the £199,907 deficit, there could have been a substantial surplus".