BRISTOL REPORT: GOOD TRADING
Page 55
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THE report of the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co. for the year ended December 31, 1934, shows that revenue amounted to £1,175,043 and working and general expenses, and renewals to .£1,036,855, leaving, with the balance brought forward from the previous account, a net revenue of £144,088. A sum of £79,262 has already been distributed in respect of a dividend of 4 per cent, on the preference shares (£20,000), an interim dividend of 2 per cent, on the ordinary shares (£20,000), and interest oil mortgage debenture stock, etc. (£39,262). Out of the balance it is proposed to pay a final dividend of 4 per cent. on the Ordinary shares, which will account for 240,000, and to add £15,000 to the reserve fund for contingencies and renewals, which will now stand at £476,779. The amount to be carried forward is £9,826.
During the year the tramway receipts showed a small decrease. In the 12 months under review the company's buses and trams carried 129,921,926 passengers, an increase of 3,180,686 on the previous year's figure.
S.M.T. WORKERS REJECT OFFER.
A CONFERENCE of employees of
the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd., held recently under the auspices of the Transport and General Workers• Union, decided by a vote to refuse to accept for a further 12 months, as from March 1, the present agreement, as suggested by Sir W. J. Thomson, the managing director.
The conference decided that, whilst it might be prepared to waive the date for expiry of the existing agreement and to accept the general _Conditions of it the question Of wages must he further discussed and adjustments made before any agreement could he reached. The matter is now in the hands of a negotiating committee.
OBJECTIONS TO NEWCASTLE TROLLEYBUS BILL.
• THE General Powers Bill to be proI moted in Parliament, this session, by Newcastle-on-Tyne City Council, in which the council seeks powers to introduce trolleybuses on certain sections of the tramways, is to be opposed by Northumberland County Council. The Bill, if sanctioned, will also empower the corporation to abandon the whole of the tramways.
BUSES SAVE 10d. IN THE
A STATEMENT issued by the
Dearne District Joint Railway Committee relating to the financial onus On the four South Yorks local authorities concerned—the urban district councils of Wombwell, Thurnscoe, Wath-on-Dearne and.Bolton-on-Dearne —records that the replacement of the Dearne District Light Railway by a bus service provided by the Yorkshire Traction Co., Ltd., has resulted in a saving of 10d. in the £ in the district rates.
The light railway was laid .down in 1924, at a cost of over £300,000, and abandoned in September, 1933, under an agreement by which a portion of the revenues were to be paid by the Yorkshire Traction Co. to the committee. The four authorities will receive a divisible surplus of £2,750.
NORTHAMPTON BUSES TURN LOSS INTO PROFIT.
AS a direct result of the recent richange-over from trams to buses, Northampton's transport undertaking• expects to show a substantial surplus at the end of the current financial year —the first time for five years. But for unremunerative routes which, however, are held to fulfil a public need,
• the surplus would have been considerably greater. , A monthly average total of 1,000,000 persons is carried by the corporation vehicles. Gross receipts on the main routes amount to is. 4-ad, per mile, whilst gross costs total is. id. per mile. During the first six months of 1934, revenue increased by £1,300 and expenditure was reduced by £4,500 as compared with the figure for 1933. The surplus this year will be devoted to improvement of the services.
OPPOSITION TO TROLLEYBUSES.
MOTTINGHAM Corporation is seek ing powers to operate trolleybuses from the city boundary to Redhill, but Notts County Council's highways committee reports that the operation of such vehicles on county roads is undesirable and should be opposed.
AP PEAL AGAINST "SEASONS."
AN appeal has been lodged by the London and North Eastern Railway Co. against the decision of the Southern Scotland Traffic Commissioners to permit Glasgow Corporation to issue bus season tickets.
STEPS TO PREVENT CONVOY DRIVING
" A T a sitting of the Northern Scot. Cl.land Traffic Commissioners, it was announced that licences for excursions and tours would be subject to the special conditions regarding convoys. If there were more than one vehicle on any tour, there must be a distance of at least 300 yds. between each machine, and, if more than six vehicles were employed, groups of six should travel with at least a mile between each group. There would be special occasions, it was pointed out, when these conditions could not he observed, but operators must avoid running vehicles immediately behind others.
Mr. R. W. Currie, for the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd., land other operators, said be knew of a tourwhich would require 50 vehicles. To apply the system would require the use of
16 miles of road. The chairman a.c17mitted that there might be special cases involving complications and in which the distance might be made a half-mile.
BLACKPOOL CHANGING OVER TO BUSES.
RAPID progress is being made with Blackpool Corporation's five-year plan for the reorganization of the municipal transport undertaking. The scheme was inaugurated two years ago and Mr. W. Luff, the general manager, anticipates that, in a year's time, the reorganization will be practically completed.
Already nearly 100 buses have been purchased, whilst, last week, the transport committee authorized the acquisition of 12 additional buses and six runabouts. At the end of five years it is hoped that buses will have replaced trams on all routes, except along the promenade.
Trolleybus powers are also being sought, although that type of vehicle May not necessarily be employed.