Operating Aspects ,cf
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ssenger Transport
HULL NEEDS "STABLE POLICY"
THAT one of the causes of the I. present situation of Hull Corporaticin's transport undertaking has been the lack of a stable, definite policy during the past few years, is the opinion expressed in a report by a subcommittee of the transport committee. The sub-committee's chief recommendation is the conversion of the tramways to trolleybus working, at an estimated cost of 2194.000.
In the past financial year, there was a deficit of £27,253.
Among several factors which, in the sub-committee's opinion, have contributed to changing profit into a lost, are mentioned two of "great importance." One is superannuation and the other is extensions to tramways track and overhead equipment, involving a total expenditure of over £270,000.
The sub-committee recommends that the corporation should concentrate on not more than two makes of vehicle. The present fleet of buses consists of six .different makes and 16 types.
• 794 APPEALS TO BE HEARD.
SURELY a record number of appeals —794—by Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., and others, will be heard on October 24 at Lanes County Council offices, Preston, and on October 25-26 at Preston Town Hall. Decisions of the Northern, North-Westernand Yorkshire Commissioners are involved.
SOUTHAMPTON TRAFFIC UP. IN the year ended March 31, 1035, I the 44 buses in the service of Southamption Corporation were operated at a gross profit of £8,978, revenue having totalled £65,067 and working expenses £56,089. After deducting interest and income-tax charges £7,301 remain to be carried to the appropriation account.
In the past year the buses covered e42
an aggregate mileage of 1,189,659 and carried 8,163,499 passengers, both figures being substantial increases an the previous year's totals, LANCS BOARD PLAN PROCEEDS grIN Tuesday, representatives of Man1.--ichester, Salford, Rochdale and Oldham decided not to abandon the scheme to establish a municipal transport board for the area. Five of the original interested authorities have withdrawn, but further reports from the managers of the remaining adherents are to be obtained.
PLYMOUTH'S PROFIT UP.
PLYDrIOUTH city treasurer's abstract of accounts, issued this week, reveals that there was a balance in hand on the transport undertaking, at March 31, 1936, of £13,749, as compared with £11,683 at the commencement of the year.
' CA.U.A. SCHEME STARTS
THE p.s.v. licensing scheme, organized by the Commercial Motor Users Association Manchester), will come into full operation for the first time on Monday next, October 14, when Mr. H. Backhouse, Junr., will present a number of applications before the Traffic Commissioners at Manchester.
CROSVILLE APPOINTMENT.
lk AR. HAROLD H. JONES, of Rhyl, IVLhas been promoted to be divisional manager of the Wirral and Lancashire area of Crosville Motor Services, Ltd. He came from Crewe to Rhyl as divisional manager in 1931.
MERSEY TUNNEL BUSES OBSTRUCTED
Tuesday the North-Western ‘.../Traffic, Commissioners reserved their decision of the application by Crosville Motor Services, Ltd., to operate a service between Liverpool, Birkenhead, Loggerheads and Mold, via Mersey Tunnel. The company also sought that Liverpool and Birkenhead Corporations, which had objected at previous hearings, should show cause why the application should not be granted.
After Mr. Maxwell Fyfe, N.C., for the four Merseyside boroughs, had made a statement in which he discussed, the proposal for co-ordination on Merseyside, he remarked that if the Crosville company succeeded in its application it would obtain a foothold in connection with the consideration or form which the co-ordination must take.
Mr. J. P. Elston, for the Crosville company, said that the application for a service through the Mersey Tunnelwas to meet a public need, and no other operator was involved. He dealt with the long period over which co-ordination had been discussed between the Merseyside boroughs, although nothing had yet been achieved. The Co-ordination Committee did not touch the fringe of the present case.
LYTHAM UNDECIDED.
Six hours' discussion on Thursday of last week, followed by a meeting on Saturday between sub-committees of the two authorities, failed to bring Lytham St. Anne's Town Council to adefinite decision regarding the offer by, Blackpool Corporation to take over its transport undertaking. Negotiations
are still proceeding. .
The Offer by 'Ribble Motor Servites,„ Ltd., to take over the system has riots/ yet been discussed by the municipal council.
RAIL PACT KEEPS UP BUS FARES
L-ARES on certain routes north of
Dundee were "unduly high," said Mr. H. Riches, chairman of the Northern Scotland Traffic Commissioners, at a sitting last week.
W. Alexander and Sons, Ltd., he remarked, had acquired the goodwill of certain services and had a monopoly of road passenger transport in that area. Mileage rates north of Dundee were too high, in view of the fact that road surfaces had been improved and vehicle maintenance costs had, therefore, diminished to some extent.
Where roads were good and there was an absence of steep gradients, the Commissioners thought that the fare should not exceed 1d. a mile. They asked the Alexander concern to submit revised fares, especially for the routes between Dundee and Aberdeen and Aberdeen and Inverness, and to introduce special fares for workmen.
Mr. R. W. Currie said that the Alexander company had considered the matter, which had been raised before. It had consulted with the railway company, which was interested, but he was not hopeful that agreement could be reached and doubted whether his client could take action independently in view of its agreement with the railway.
Mr. Riches declared that if W. Alexander and Sons, Ltd., failed to reach agreement with the railway, the Commissioners would take the matter into their own hands.
PASSENGER PROSECUTES DRIVER FOR TALKING.
ABARRY bus driver was summoned at the local police court, at the instance of a passenger, for talking to a passenger while the bus was in notion. The police superintendent said that drivers who broke the regulation under which this prosecution was brought were liable to be prosecuted for driving without due care and attention.
The magistrates, ordering the driver to pay costs, said that the practice was prevalent, and that the witness for the prosecution bad performed a public service. The driver's defence was that he did not talk to the passenger, but the passenger to him.
CARDIFF DEMANDS LOWER TOLLS.
rARDTFF Corporation is to ask the propiielors of Penarth Road toll gate to grant a substantial reduction in the tolls charged for the use of the road by the municipal buses. If this be refused, application will be made to the Traffic Commissioners for permission to run buses via Leckwith Road. It was stated that the effect of the present toll rate was to cause a loss on
the Penarth Road bus service for several years. In 1933 the corporation paid £2,64f1 in tolls ; in 1934, £2,152, so far this year, £1,965.
FOUR ROUTES FOR ROTHERHAM.
ROTHERHAM Corporation has applied to the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners for permission to take over four stage-carriage services previously run by Mr. H. Barker.
ANOTHER S.W.T. PURCHASE.
IT is reported that the South Wales Transport Co., Ltd., is to take over the business of Messrs. 1,Villmore Motors, Neath, including five 32seater buses.
FARES IN DISPUTE.
ANUMBER of local authorities in County Durham is to hold a conference, at Durham, on October 16, to discuss alleged anomalies in bus fares.
FIRST A.R.O. MEETING FOR P.S.V. OWNERS
JITAL subjects will be discussed at V a meeting of the passenger section of Associated Road Operators at the Central Hall, London, &W.1, at 7 p.m., on Tuesday next, October-15, when a, Metropolitan Area sectional board will be appointed. This will be the first public meeting of the passenger section.
Discussions will be held on the necessity of supporting a national association to obtain fair taxation, the removal of present restrictions and a square deal for road transport
generally. The questions of securing amendments to fares, when required, and fixing private-party rates will also receive attention. A big attendance is anticipated.
RECIPROCAL TREATMENT AT BRADFORD?
1-1--m question of abandoning trams 1 on Bradford Corporation's Bailcloa Bridge section is under consideration. This section is outside the city, and it is on one of the routes operated by the West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd. A condition of the withdrawal of the trams would be that the company would discontinue a cross-city service which it runs in Bradford. On Monday, Bradford's Transport Committee approved the continuation of negotiations.