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UNPROFITABLE MUNICIPAL BUSES.

14th December 1920
Page 19
Page 19, 14th December 1920 — UNPROFITABLE MUNICIPAL BUSES.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

First Returns of Wallasey Corporation Give Receipts at Is. 6c1. per Mile.

TEE Wallasey • Corporation this month (December) for the first time has issued returns in respect of the local motor omnibus services. The figures refer to October, and during that month, it is stated, 62,384 passengers were carried, the mileage was 10,431, and the total receipts £645 4s. 50.

(being 14.84d. per car mire). From April 3rd until October 31st the figures, were :-Passengers, 512,433; mileage, 75,987; receipts, £5,739 4s. 2d.; receipts per •car mile, 18.12d. •

A motor coach owner's analysis a these statistics is supplied by Mr. C. F. hyper, who is also a member of the Town Council. He criticises the attitude of the committee in attempting to run this type of vehicle on a receipt of roughly 1s. 6d. per mile. He contends that they could not be made to pay under Is. 10d. per car mile, and if they

took a fair value for depreciation, this figure would hardly be sufficient. The total earnings per car at the pre, sent time was is. 4d., and this showed that the Corporation had beerlosing 4d. for 75.87 miles run during the seven months, which worked out to a total loss of £1,266.

He told the Council that he did not advocate the suspension of the motor omnib.us services, because he believed • that they could be made fo pay if conducted on a businesslike basis such as operated at Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Birkenhead. Handsome divn den& had been earned at Birmingham by the private bus service, which controlled 200 vehicles. He suggested that buses be put down at the Seacombe Ferry during the busiest hours.

The defence of the responsible committee is that the Wallasey metor omni

bus` service is a venture, and mindful of the public coovenience the service was, the initial experiences did not merit Mr. Rymer's criticism. Certain losses were bound to be met with at the commencement; and it was said that Mr. Rymer must know that running a service of 200 buses was not the same thing as running a service of only six.

It *es indeed e reniatkable fact e that the motorbus services which aee run by

• many municipalities do not pay their way. Take the case of the Halifax ser.

• vice. statistics for which we publish on another page of this issue. In some cases we know that it is due to the various tramway committees usurping control over an organization -which is outside their province; in other instances systematic. organization and a careful study of local needs might do much to obviate unrenannerative operation.

Tags

Organisations: Town Council
People: Rymer

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