MUNICIPAL BUSES GOING AHEAD IN ABERDEEN
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Profitable Results Attend the Past Year's Efforts of the Corporation SINCE the time when municipal motorbuses were first put into operation in Aberdeen, the corporation has built up a fleet of buses and coaches of decidedly useful dimensions. It was in Slily, 1920, that municipal bus services were established, and at the end of May, 1931, the corposation owned 86 motorbuses and 10 motor coaches, only 16 of the buses being double-deckers. The fleet is made up of vehicles of
Thornyeroft and Crossley makes, double-deckers of the last-named being the latest additions.
Durirg the 12 months ended May 31st, 1931, the vehicles were operated at a gross profit of £18,697, the total revenue having been £98,666 and working expenses £79,969. From the surplus, a sum of £7,598 has to be deducted for interest, sinking fund and other charges, whilst £1,500 has been transferred to the accident-insurance fund and £500 to the workmen's compensation fund. The balance of £9,099 has been carried to the depreciation and renewal account. During the past 12 months a sum of £31,072 was expended from the renewal account for the purchase of eight motorbuses and certain tramway equipment.
An aggregate mileage of 2,256,677 was covered by the buses, which carried 19,358,991 passengers during the year, the average number of passengers car
ried per bus-mile being 8.67 and the average fare paid per passenger 1.19d. The average number of buses in use per day was 70 and the average speed at which the vehicles travelled was 9.35 The fares at present in operation on both bus and tram services compare favourably with those of other municipal transport undertakings, whilst the working expenses per mile on both services are, it is claimed, amongst the lowest in the country.
Incidentally, it is mentioned that the town clerk and Mr. J. L. Gunn, A.M.Inst.T., general manager of the transport department, have attended all the public sittings of the Traffic Commissioners in Aberdeen and carefully watched the interests of the corporation.