Grimsby's Buses Do Well.
Page 35
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Although -in the main Grimsby Corporation relies upon petrol buses for meeting local transport needs, it also has in service a small fleet of trolleybuses, comprising seven Garrett 32seaters ; the petrol buses consist of 17 Albion 32. seaters and an A.E.C. 48seater. The petrol buses serve a route mileage of 12.75 and the trolley-buses 1.50.
In the past year the former vehicles were operated at a gross profit of £9,034 and the latter of £4,034. The total revenue on the petrol buses amounted to 135,051 and on the trolleybuses to £13,633, working expenses being £26,017 and £9,599 respectively. The petrol buses carried 6,282,329 passengers and the trolley-buses 3,279,286 passengers, the journeys on the former being equivalent to 64.8 per cent. per' bead of the population and the latter 33.8 per cent, an the same basis.
The average number of miles covered per day was 121 in the case of each petrol bus and 107 in the case of each trolley-bus.
The Slump in Canadian Exports.
No improvement la as yet discernible as regards the exports of commercial motors from Canada. Indeed, the returns for April last show a further decline, 409 goods vehicles, buses and chassis having been shipped from the Dominion, bringing up the total for the first four months of the year to 2,875 vehicles, valued at 1229,678, as contrasted with 5,547 and £436,382 respectively in the corresponding period of 1930.
At the present time the chief markets for Canadian vehicles are India, South and West Africa, the Straits Settlements and New Zealand.
Crossley's Oil-engined Buses in Demand.
Oil-engined buses manufactured by Crossley Motors, Ltd., Gorton, Manchester, are achieving much popularity amongst municipal authorities, and, in addition to the recent big order placed by Manchester Corporation (to which reference was made in our issue for last week), we learn that vehicles of this class are being purchased by the authorities at Bury, Liverpool, Portsmouth, Rochdale and Stockton.
Synthetic Fuel Production.
An important improvement in the method of producing synthetic motor spirit is foreshadowed by a report in the V ossische Z eitung to the effect that the German Dye Trust, by means of a newly discovered catalytic process, expects to increase its annual production from 100,000 tons to 350,000 tons without installing any new, apparatus or investing any considerable amount of fresh capital.
London's Costly Road Improvements.
In his annual review of the work of the London County Council the chairman states that one of the pressing problems in London, to-day, is the provision of roads suitable to accommodate the increasing volume of traffic and the solution of this problem in an area like London involves the execution of costly street improvements.
During the year the council decided upon the improvement of Vauxhall Cross, at a cost of £617,000, and the widening of Chelsea Bridge at a cost of £659,250. A tender, at £337,867, had been accepted for widening Putney Bridge, and authority had been obtained to widen roads at the Elephant and Castle involving an expenditure of £1,950,000.
Official Orders in June.
June proved to be another quiet month as regards the orders for motor vehicles given out by Government Departments. The War Department placed one for Austin chassis and bodies, whilst the G.P.O. authorities gave out orders for bodies to Duple Bodies and Motors, Ltd., and Nicholls and Sons, Ltd. They also purchased Albion and Morris chassis. Profit on Welsh Bus Undertaking.
In the year ended March 31st last the bus undertaking of Bedwas and Machu. Urban District Council made a gross profit of .11,002, the net profit being £214, as against a net loss of £179 a year earlier. Expenditure was £1,052. The council has arranged a joint-service agreement with the Western Welsh Omnibus Co., Ltd., of Salisbury Square, London, E.C.4.
Bristol's Dividend.
The directors of the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co., Ltd., have declared an interim dividend a 3 Per cent. (less tax) on the ordinary shares of the company for the half-year ended June 30th, 1931.