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Operating Aspects of •

13th July 1940, Page 31
13th July 1940
Page 31
Page 31, 13th July 1940 — Operating Aspects of •
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

PASSENGER TRANSPORT

BUSMEN GET MORE WAGES

ilORE than 150,000 provincial bus IV/ drivers and conductors will get a 3s. a week wage increase as the result of negotiations completed on Friday last. In the case of municipal buses, the war wages of adult employees is raised from 4s. to 7s. a week, with corresponding increases to those below 21 years of age.

In the case of company-owned buses, 3s, is added to the war bonus, bringing it to 75. Those increases follow similar advances for London Transport bus workers, announced last week.

So far as Scotland is concerned, a war-time bonus of 3s, per week wasaccepted by delegates representing 8,000 bus workers at a conference of Scottish representatives of the Transport and General Workers' Union, held at Edinburgh On July 8. The delegates agreed to accept the following proposals reached after a meeting Of representatives of the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd.., and subsidiary companies with the Union's negotiating committed:—

Men over the age of 21 years receive a bonus of 3s, a week; women over 21 years, 2s. 6d. a week; then, 20 and under 21 years, 2s. 6d. a week; women, 20 and under 21 years. 2s. a week; men and women, 18 and under 20 years, 2s. a week; men and women under 18 years, Is. 6d. a week.

The bonus is the second to tfe granted since the outbreak of war.

The conference was addressed by Mr. J, Veitch, Scottish Area Secretary of the Union, and Messrs. Arthur Gee and J. Methven, officials of the Passenger Group Section of the Union.

WOMEN CONDUCTORS FOR LONDON TRANSPORT

LONDON Transport has decided to begin the engagement of women as conductors on country (green) buses and Green Line coaches. Women are invited to apply personally at any of the Board's country garages, of which there are 30. Applicants must be between 23 and 35 years of age. Wages, at first, will be £2 14s. a week, rising to 23 4s. a week, in each case plus a war bonus.

BIRMINGHAM'S CONCESSION TO THE FORCES

BY a narrow majority, Birmingham City Council has decided that free passes for travel on the municipal passenger-transport services should he issued to members of the Forces on leave for a period of five days or more. The suggestion emanated from Councillor Braclbeer, who had the backing of many other members.

Councillor O. F. Gloster, chairman of the transport committee, explained that there were difficulties in the way of the concession being granted. He said that, under present conditions, it was impossible to avoid overcrowding On an already limited service. It was the opinion of the committee, he continued, that such a question should be dealt with on a national basis, in the same way as the issuing of railway vouchers.

Presenting the committee's report on the past year's working, Councillor Gloster said that more than 1,500 Birmingham transport workers are now with the Forces. Their wages had been made up at a cost of £50,000. In the current year the charge might come to three times that amount. The department also had to contend with substantial losses as the result of fuel rationing, the black-out, and the need for air-raid precautions. It might be necessary, he hinted, to make application, during the year, to the Regional Transport CommisSioner for sanction to increase tares.

BIG NET PROFIT ON MIDDLESBROUGH BUSES

THE annual report of Mr. Frank Lythgoe, M.Inst.T., general manager of Middlesbrough Transport Department, shows that the gross profit on the bus undertaking for the year ended March 31, 1940, Was 283,841, a deficit on the bus station reducing the amount to 263,471. After meeting loan charges, etc., the balance comes out at £46,762, and after making provision for income tax to the extent of £14,245—this being considered a cautious financial step—the net profit is £32,517, contrasted with 2.43,770 in the preceding year.

In the year the buses carried 23,228,627 passengers, whilst the aggregate mileage run in the Middlesbrough area alone was 2,026,040.

Of the net profit, £20,000 has been transferred to the tramways net revenue account to cover the deficit on the abandoned tramways undertaking.

At the end of the year covered by the latest report, the corporation was operating 48 buses, many of them oilers, and most of them of Leyland manufacture, BUS PROFITS EATEN UP BY TRAM LOSSES I N the year ended March 31 last Bradford Passenger Transport Department's trolleybus and motorbus sections again made profits, but there were losses on the tramcars and parcels section. Thus the department as a whole sustained a net loss of 21,502. This, however, shows a substantial reduction on the, loss of £8,968 during the previous financial year. The results of the various sections, with the previous yeal's figures in parentheses, were:—Trolleybuses, profit 210,952 (£2,389); motorbuses, profit 29,015 (28,205); tramways, loss 420,577 (218,792); prate's, loss £892 (2788).

BUS TRAFFIC DURING AIR RAIDS

ASTANDSTILL " order is to operate in the case of Glasgow Corporation's transport system in the event of an air raid. Instructions have been issued to bus and tram drivers that when an air-raid warning is given they should stop their vehicles immediately and advise passengers to seek the nearest place of shelter. Approximately 1,400 vehicles are involved, and to avoid congestion of roads that might be required by civil defence services, buses are to be parked in side streets.

This procedure contrasts with the instructions issued to London drivers, who are to carry on unless there be air activity in the immediate vicinity.

It is pointed out, however, that there would be no point in halting London's vast transport system in an air-raid that touched only the fringe -of the area, because traffic would be affected in places that might be 25 miles distant.

BIGGER SURPLUS ON SHEFFIELD'S BUSES

IN the year ended March 31, 1940, the total income on the buses of Sheffield Corporation was 2548,177, and as expenditure totalled 2436,158, the gross profit came out at £112,019. Deducting income tax, repayment of debt raid interest, the balance stands at £103,204, and after deducting an appropriation of £59,645 for renewals and a smaller item, the net surplus for the year on the buses is returned at £43,090 compared with 240,608 in the previous year.

TROLLEYBUSES TENDER DATE EXTENDED

nUR issue for last week contained a N./reference to the fact that Pretoria City Council was in the market for .10 trolkybus chassis with 60-seater allmetal bodies. We now learn that the closing date for tenders for this call has been extended from July 30 to September 24. Fuller details may be obtained from the Department of Overseas Trade, Great George Street, London, S.W.1, reference T 20658/40 being quoted.

SUBSTANTIAL BALANCES AT BIRMINGHAM TN our issue for last week we made a ibrief reference to the results of the passenger-transport undertaking of Birmingham Corporation for the year ended March 31 last, and we are now able to amplify the brief statistics that we gave. In this period, the total revenue on the buses amounted to 21,939,529, whilst expenditure totalled £1,498,948, so that a balance of 2440,580 was transferred to the net revenue and appropriation account.

In the case of the troIleybuses, revenue amounted to £164,746, and expenditure to 2.122,219, the net balance of £42,527 being carried to the net revenue and appropriation account.

In the year the buses carried 257,477,350 passengers and covered an aggregate mileage of 28,562,508. The corporation's trolleybuses carried 25,964,032 passengers and covered a total mileage of 2,157,896.


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