EASTBOURNE'S PROFITABLE BUSES.
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The Municipal Passenger Vehicles Show a Good Profit on the Past Year's Operations.
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TN our issue for last week We published a brief statement of the net profit recorded on the municipal bus system at Eastbourne during the year ended March 31st Mgt, and in fulfilment of a promise we 'then made we will now give further details of the passenger-transport activities of the corporation during that period. It is noteworthy that in the year two records were created, one
being.' in Oonnection with the nunab.er oi passengers carried and the' other the
aggregate miles run. The buses carried 11,553,128 passengers and .covered a total mileage of 944,771.
The gross. revenue from the bases amounted to 168,073, this being an inCrease. of. £5,149 on the; previous year, mid constituting another record. This increase was largely -brought about by h:-gher 'passenger fares, and. would un-.
doubtediy have been greater but for the industrial trouble at the beginning of the municipal year and it is to this circumstance that the decrease of .56 in the number of passengers carried per bus-mile and of .42d. in the total income per bus-mile can partly be attributed.
On the debit side of the revenue account running expenses absorbed 137,980, whilst repairs and maintenance to buses were responsible for an outlay of 17.660. So faras income was concerned 164.806 was received by way of passenger fares. The gross income Der mile was 16.34d. on the buses and the total income per mile 16.94d.
The total expenditure, other than capital charges and special expenses, amounted to £54,244, and by deducting this amount from the grosS revenue already given it will be seen that the gross profit on the year's working was £18,828. After deducting interest and repayment c,f loans, etc. (9,085), 'the net profit was £4,743.
At the end of the period covered by the report the corporation had 47 buses in stock, these all being of Leyland manufacture and comprising three 50seaters, 21 45-Seaters and 23 32-seaters. The first of the buses now in use were purchased as long ago as 1912, whilst 10 single-deekers were added to the fleet in 1926. Mr. P. Ellison, M.I.M.E., the general manager and engineer of the corporation's bus undertaking, mentions, with regard to future policy, that . the addition to the fleet of these 10 ' -vehicles, which are Leyland Lions equipped with pneumatic. tyres, has proved popular and merited the ap
proval of the travelling public. He adds that some of the present vehicles in the service of the department, especially those of the earlier types, although giving good service, leave much to be desired in the way of providing the maximum comfort to passengers, and he says that experience has proved that the ideal vehiele for general service is the single-deck saloon. He expresses the view that the aim of motor manufacturers should be the production of a vehicle having a six-cylinclered engine and a capacity for 40 passengers, this number being the maximum to which one conductor can efficiently give attention.
At the time the report was prepared a covered-in double-deck bus was in course of construction in the corporatimes works, and it is to be submitted for the committee's approval, when completed, with the .object of placing it in service during the present year.
An analysis of the accounts shows that during the past year there was an increase of Aid, in the cost of petrol and oil per bus-mile, the average cost for fuel for the year having been 11.4d. per gallon as compared with 11.02d. in the previous year. Fluctuations in price of petrol took place as follow:— April 1st, 1926, is. per gallon ; NoVember 1st, 1026, 11-0. per gallon; December 20th, 1926, lid, per gallon; March 6th, 1927, 9d. per gallon. the throe last-mentioned prices being less a loyalty bonus of 4 per cent. An innovation which, it is said, will result in a considerable reduction in the cost of petrol during the present year is the installation of a pipe-line for the reception of fuel by rail tank car.
Other expenses have also shown an increase, amongst these being wages and tyres, the cost per bus-mile for the latter being .63d. as against .38d. in the preceding year.
EastboUrne Corporation has 13 -regular bus routes in operation and also runs special dance buses. Some of bases are used on a circular tour of the town and the surrounding districts, and these are largely patronized in the summer season by visitors.
The accounts havebeen charged with the sum Of £6,876 in connection with depreciation, the sum in the previous year having been £5,970, the increase being brought about by the depreciation of new buses. The depreciation written eff in respect of the past year equals 23 per cent. on the value of the buses as at March 31st, 1926, and 20 per cent. off the purchase price of the vehicles bought during the year.
After transferring this year's profit tothe profit appropriation account there is a balance to carry forward of £36,349. The borough treasurer draws attention to the fact that this constitutes the working capital of the undertaking and has to hear the heavy cost of stores, petrol, tyres and machinery, and, in addition, the existence of this balance has enabled new buses to be Purchased without haying recourse to loans. Furthermore, in conjunction with the i-eserre fund, it • has been found possible to provide the funds for the recent extension of the bus .depot.
As many of our readers will be aware, the Eastbourne CorporatiOn has had many years' experience with the operation of 111010rb1,1Se, and it was as long ago as April, 1903, that the first . municipal service was started in the town. It :is one of the few places of importance in the country which Las never had tramcars in use.