R.H.E. Profit Turns
Page 35
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WIN■1■ to Loss of Elm.
abnormal. Not only had vehicles acquired called for excessive initial maintenance, but those taken over earlier also needed heavy repairs.
The volume of "abnormal expenditure is stated now to be declining and 'I.R.S. are operating on a sounder financial basis. Net-revenue figures for 1951 are expected to be more indicative of normal trading operations. By the end of (950, the R.H.E. had acquired 2,867 undertakings, and 39,932 motor vehicles and 4,794 trailers.
Provisional ascertainments of compensation had, at December 31 last, been made in nearly 2,000 cases, representing a total payable of about £25m., of which £23-im. was paid. Final compensation had been agreed or determined in 188 cases, representing payments of over £2m. Cash advances totalling just under £2m. had been made in 1,581 cases.
' 46,524 Tons by B.R.5
In 1950, vehicles of B.R.S. carried 46.524 tons of traffic and covered 701,665 miles, of which 569,913 miles were loaded and 131,752 empty.
Last year, the Road Passenger Executive acquired about 30 individual undertakings, some of which were members of groups. Nearly 1,400 buses were taken over. Compensation amounted to about £7350,500.
Net traffic receipts of the Tilling Group amounted to £1,898,990, of the Scottish group £1,445,387, and of other passenger undertakings £45,308. Apart from London Transport, the Commission's road passenger transport activities yielded net receipts of £3,389;685.
Passenger journeys on Tilling Group vehicles increased by 10.8 per cent., as compared with 1949, and. mileage by 12.2 per cent. The Scottish group handled 7 8 per cent, more traffic and covered 9.4 per cent, more miles.
Fuel Consumption
Figures for fuel consumption show that the single-deck oil-engined vehicles of the• Tilling Group averaged 12.82 m.p.g., oil engined double deckers 11.47 m.p.g., petrol-engined singledeckers 8.29 m.p.g., and petrol-engined double-deckers 5.44 m.p.g. In the Scottish group, single-deck oilers averaged 11.99 m.p.g., double-deck oilers 9.95 m.p.g., petrol-engined singledeckers 9.64 .m.p.g., and petrol-engined double-deckers 5.61 m.p.g.
At a Press conference, this week, Lord Hurcomb, chairman of the B.T.C., said that the deterioration in the receipts of the London Transport Executive was disturbing. The Executive's net revenue from its road passenger services was £1,089,160, compared with £2,931,230 in 1949. On the buses and coaches, the number of passengers carried declined by I per cent. and on the trolleybuses and trams by 5 per cent. The mileage covered by the buses and coaches increased by 0.4 per cent., whereas that of the trolleybuses and trams fell by 2.2 per cent.
In the case of London Transport, in the central area the single-deck oilengined buses averaged 11.16 m.p.g., the double-deck oilers 9,61 m.p.g., the petrol-engined single-deckers 4.9 m.p.g. and the petrol-engined double-deckers 5.47 m.p.g. Figures for the country buses showed 12.58 m.p.g. for the single-deck oilers, 10.57 m.p.g. for the double-deck oilers, and 4.71 m.p,g. for the double-deck petrol-engined vehicles. The coaches yielded 12.45 m.p.g. in the case of single-deck oilers and 11.55 m.p.g. for double-deck oilers.
Section 2 of the report, which deals with the R.H.E., says that although the problems of integration had been discussed at great length with the trade unions, no final agreement on the principles to be adopted in dealing with them had been reached.
"The difficulties inherent in making schemes ot integration acceptable to the staff resulted in the schemes so far to be put into effect, being little more than experimental. Nevertheless, there is a long and steadily growing list of improvements and economies which have been • achieved throughout the country," the report says.
Containers Successful
The use of combined road-rail services, employing containers, is said to promise well. Besides showing an appreciable saving in time on long journeys, transit in containers has brought about a marked reduction in damage and loss of goods, as well as reducing the overall cost to the Commission.
"The arrangements for liaison with the Road Haulage Association continue and proved useful in giving ,opportunities not only for free discussion, but also for the presentation of complaints by hauliers," the report• continues. Close relations were established with the Meat Transport Organisation, Ltd.
The R.H.E., in conjunction with the Railway Executive, paid close attention to the development of the bulk cartage of such goods as flour, sugar and malt, to overcome the shortage of sacks and barrels.
After saying that the publicity given to the Executive's failures was disproportionate to the number of genuine complaints made, the report continues: "It is not possible to say, definitely whether or not genuine cases for complaint have increased since the nationalization of long-distance road haulage, as few of the acquired undertakings kept records with which comparisons could be made, but in the case of the Carter Paterson organization, where records are available, it is shown that there has been a steady reduction in each year since 1945 in the causes of complaints." The R.H.E. formed a vehicle committee lastyear and it is preparing a schedule of the number and types of vehicle required to form an ideal fleet.
Twenty-eight labour disputes occurred, involving 4,557 members of the staff. Strikes caused the loss of 12,270 days' work.
The section dealing with the Road Passenger Executive say S that further work in connection with the formulation of area schemes has been done, in addition to the development of plans for dealing with such questions as operational organization, acquisition procedure and other matters which will arise as area schemes become effective.
At a Press conference, Lord Hurcomb would not say clearly whether the Commission proposed to prepare tentative schemes for all the areas before putting one into effect.
Prelude to Area Schemes
"Extensive work has been undertaken in continuation of the review of the passenger road transport services operating in those portions of Great Britain in respect of which the Commission have not yet determined the areas suitable for the preparation of schemes," the report says.
The Executii.e has kept in touch with developments abroad, particularly in France, relating to road-rail co-ordination and integration.
Mr. Van,: MorIand was appointed chairman of a working party set up to consider how the productive capacity of the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co., Ltd., and Eastern Coach Works, Ltd., could best be used to meet the Commission's requirements for passenger and goods vehicles. The party has submitted an interim short-term report embracing the production and subsequent allocation of passenger and goods vehicles for 1951. It is continuing its deliberations on long-term policy.