Elm. Not Enough for Midland " Red " : Ribble's Modest Claim
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UNLESS there was an unforeseeable halt in price trends, this would not be the last application for increased fares. This statement was made by Mr. S. D. Herrington. before a hearing of the West Midland Licensing Authority last week, when the application of the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., was considered. Appearing for the concern, Mr. Herrington said that the application, if granted, would increase the working balance to Elm.
As £640,000 of this would be required to cover depreciation charges and £150,000 to cover the extra 41d. on the cost of fuel, which had not been included in the estimates when the appli: cation was filed, it was clear that the margin would be slight. The increase of id. in the fuel price would also cost £18,000 a year, and another £17,000 would have to be found to deal with higher tyre costs, which had risen from .48d. per mile to .54d. per mile.
-£830,000 More Revenue
The .abolition of workmen's tickets up to 6d. was proposed and additions to single fares would idcrease the rate per mile from Id. to I.2d: Allowing for a 2i-per-cent, drop in traffic, the new rates were estimated to increase revenue by £830,000. The concern would have to raise further capital shortly.
No fewer than 22 local authorities objected to the application, and 39 trades councils were represented by the Midland Federation of Trades Councils. Decision was reserved until after the hearing of the East Midland Licensing Authority on the rest of the application had taken place on June 25.
On the same day, charges on Walsall Corporation motorbuses will be increased. Tickets between 2d.-6d. will go up by id.. and those over 7d. by Id. Workmen's tickets are also to be modified. In a full year, £81,645 additional revenue will be derived from the new rates.
Only £24,000 remained of the reserve fund, the Borough Treasurer stated at the hearing, an entirely inadequate sum. The undertaking had been losing £1,000 a week and in the year ended March 31, 1950, £39,405 had been lost on the motorbuses. Trolleybuses made a profit of £6,407. The deficit in March, 1951, was estimated at £55,055, offset by a profit of £7,500 on the trolleybuses. A deficit of £71,000 would be incurred in 1951-1952 with the present fares.
Further Demands Likely A warning that a further application would be necessary before long was made when the hearing of the proposals of Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., was opened before the North-western Licensing Authority recently. Since the proposals had been formulated, fuel tax had been raised so that the company would have to find another £77,000, it was stated.
No variations on single fares was .suggested, but return rates up to 5d. may be increased by Id., 6d.-I0d. ones by 2d. and the 11d, ticket by Id. This A32
would result in doubling the single-fare rate and, consequently, some returns would be abolished. Only six objectors appeared at the hearing.
£137,000 Total Deficit By the end of March, 1953, Reading Corporation Transport Department, if it continued with the present fares schedules, would have a deficit of £137,000. This was indicated at the hearing of the department's application before the South-Eastern Licensing Authority last week. Permission was sought to add t d. to all single tickets up to 4d., with modifications to children's-. rates, -season tickets and school
bus -charges: • •
Lt.-Col. Gordon Tucker, SouthEastern Licensing Authority,. criticized the manner in which the department had depleted reserves by transferring a profit of £12.000 made in 1947 to the general rate fund instead of retaining it, and by purchasing land out of reserves instead of by loan.
The proposals aimed . at increasing revenue by £38,000. At present, £100,000 was left in the reserves. By .suspending the purchase of new vehicles for three years, and taking into account an esti-. mated reduction in revenue receipts from . fares of £10,200 per 'annum for the next three years, reserves at March 11, 1953, would be down to £5,160. It seemed. possible that a new application forhigher charges would have to be made at that time. Decision was reserved until the decision in respect of trolleybus charges was published by the Minister of Transport.
Belfast's 2d. Minimum After earlier discussions during which the proposal was rejected, Belfast Corporation has at last definitely decided to introduce a 2d. minimum fare from July 1. At the same time old-age pensioners have been made a concession enabling them to travel at a maximum rate of Id. from Monday to Friday at off-peak hours. It was pointed out that since the last increase in fares, 7m. fewer passengers had been carried.
Rotherham Corporation, faced with replacing its whole fleet within the next 10 years, is considering eliminating miners' concession fares—which would save £50,000—abolishing the pre-paid ticket system and discontinuing the issue of return tickets. These proposals were put before the Borough Council this week.
Rhondda Transport Co., Ltd.. has now applied for new rates based on lid. per mile for single tickets, with a 9d. minimum return. The new charges represent an increase of 27 per cent. over pre-war fares. Workmen's rates in the new scale are based on Id. per mile.
St. Helens Corporation has applied for increases of id. on Id.-51d. tickets, it on 6d.-Is. 2d. tickets, and 2d. on tickets over is. 3d. Similar changes are proposed for return tickets. The undertaking itself operates 35 of the services affected independently, a further 14 included in the application being jointly operated with six other operators.
Workmen's Fares Will Go
CHAIRMEN of two important bus companies told their shareholders. last week, that before long workmen's fares would be abolished. They were Mr. W. T. James, O.B.E. (South Wales Transport Co., Ltd.), and Mr. Raymond W. Birch, M.1.Mech.E. (Yorkshire Traction Co., Ltd.).
Rush-hour travel continued to present a serious traffic problem, said Mr. James. The use of a large number of buses for no more than an hour or two in the morning and evening was highly uneconomic and yet many passengers travelled at these periods at lower fares than at other times. There was no good reason why one type of worker should be carried at a lower charge than another. Mr. Birch supported this View: Reviewing his company's progress. Mr. James said that during the year over £200,000 had been spent on new buses and coaches, and 00,000 on the rehabilitation of old vehicles.
New Record
Mr. Birch said that in 1950 the Yorkshire Traction Co. Ltd., estab. lished a new record in the number of Passengers carried, but for the first time since 1943 the totalrevenue was lower than in the previous year. This drop seas caused almost entirely by a steep decline in private-hire receipts, for which poor weather, the end of the post-war boom and increased competition were responsible.
Although on stage-carriage services the increased number of passengers travelled, on the average, shorter distances than in 1949,.Mr. Birch could not visualize any serious decline in stage-carriage travel.
Referring to taxation, he said that bus operators were contributing a higher proportion than any other branch of road transport to special taxation.
The 43-seater underfloor-engined single-deckers, which were now coming into service, would be of great assistance in dealing with heavy loading on the many routes on which the company was unable to operate double-deckers because of low bridges.
STANDARDS EXHIBITION'
ADISPLAY showing the effects of standardization in the motor industry will be seen at the British Standards—The Measure of Industrial Progress Exhibition, to be held by the British Standards Institution at the Science Museum, South Kensington, London, S.W.3, from June 18-28. Over 50 industries are taking part.
An important section will be at the Engineering Centre at Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, from July 9-14.
ANNUAL MEETINGS
THE Landon and Home Counties
Area of the Passenger Vehicle Operators' Association is to hold its annual meeting at Caxton Hall, on June 25, at 11.30 a.m.
The Metropolitan and Home Counties areas of the National Taxi-Car Association will hold their annual meetings at 146, New Bond Street, London, W.1, on June 21, at 2.30 p.m.
Hours and Records : £240 Fine
IT has been many years since the Licensing Authority has experienced a total disregard of conditions imposed on licence holders of goods vehicles," Mr. M. T. A. Matthews, prosecuting for the West Midland Licensing Authority, told Cannock magistrates, last week.
Henry Hawkins, Ltd., Longhouse Works, Cannock, was fined a total of £240, with £4 12s. costs, on 12 charges relating to excessive hours of duty by drivers, and 12 summonses for failure to keep records.
It was stated that in three months, offences had been committed in 178 cases in connection with the keeping of records. The Licensing Authority understood, however, that there had been a great improvement in the methods employed by the company.
The defence was that there was no evidence of any accident as a result of drivers working for longer periods than the law allowed. It was stated that the company had been established for over 100 years and had a high reputation. The drivers had not raised any complaints.
MORE MARK IVs FOR LONDON A N order for 362 A.E.C. Regal Mark 1–X IV chassis has recently been received by A.C.V. Sales, Ltd., from London Transport.. In the past few month's, London Transport has ordered 665 of these models.
Other notable orders for Regal Mark IV chassis have been placed by the British European Airways Corporation (40), Western S.M.T. Co., Ltd. (20) and Neath and Cardiff Luxury Coaches, Ltd. (6). Liverpool Corporation is buying 50 Regent double-deckers.
DUTCH TRANSPORT BILL
NEARLY four years after having been introduced into the Dutch Parliament, the Road Goods Transport Bill, the provisions of which were explained in "The Commercial Motor" on October 21, 1949, has been unanimously passed by the Second Chamber in Holland. It now goes to the First Chamber, which has no right of amendment.
The new Bill covers hauliers as well as ancillary users. Hauliers will con
tinue to be subject to licensing and ancillary uses will have to be registered. Licences will have a maximum currency of 10 years.
GUILD FIGHTS CLOSED SHOP
A STRONG protest has been sent by rt the Engineers' Guild to Edmonton Borough Council in connection with the council's requirement that the borough engineer and surveyor shall be a member of a trade union affiliated to or specified by the T.U.C. The Guild declares that the council's demand is an unwarrantable interference with the professional and personal freedom of engineers.
A FRAM PETROL FILTER
1-1 A PETROL filter employing a replace
able cartridge has recently been put into production by Simmonds Aerocessorics, Ltd., Treforest, Glamorgan. It consists of five parts—the filter head, gasket, cartridge, bowl and retaining ring and gasket.
No tools are required for servicing, and the cartridge can be tenewed in less than a minute. The recommended interval at which the cartridge should be changed is 5,000 miles, but this will depend on circumstances.
The Frain petrol filter is of robust construction and can he easily and quickly fitted. It can be introduced into the petrol feed system of practically all makes of commercial vehicle.
BRISTOL NEXT?
A FIER road passenger transport had PA. been nationalized in the counties covered by the British Transport Commission's proposed area scheme, Bristol would be next, said Lieut.-Col, I. Wilson, at a meeting of the southwestern region of the Omnibus Passengers' Protection Association.
Belgian Hauliers Derestricted
REATLY increased freedom has been granted to Belgian hauliers under new regulations made by the Minister of Transport.
In the past, licences granted by the bureau for road transport of the Ministry have been valid for only certain provinces and specific kinds of goods. Most licences were closely restricted and only a few hauliers were allowed to carry goods throughout the country and to deal in all traffics. Operation for hire or reward within a radius of 10 kiloms. (61 miles) was, however, entirely free and subject only to registration.
Restrictions on areas of operation and types of goods carried have now been removed. Hauliers who already have licences may now travel all over the country. In future, licences will be restricted only so far as tonnage is concerned. There will he three categories of laden weight—under 9 tons, 9-12 tons and over 12 tons. At the same time, the radius of the free zone has been extended to 25 kiloms. (15i miles).
The new regulations provide better opportunities for appeal against decisions of the bureau, and will end certain monopolies.
Many operators are afraid that competition will be greatly increased, and think that the number of hauliers is likely to rise from 3,000 to 8,000.
WHITE TO ABSORB STERLING
AN agreement for the purchase of practically all the assets of the Sterling Motor Truck Co. by the White Motor Co. has been announced jointly by the two organizations.
Sterling is an old-established company which has specialized in heavy-duty cross-country petroland oil-engined vehicles. The White concern has long been one of the leaders in the U.S. general transport field.
INTERAVAILABILITY
THE East Midland Licensing Author
! ity has granted permission to the United Counties Omnibus Co. Ltd., Northampton, and South Midland Motor Services Ltd., Oxford, to introduce interavailability of tickets on express services between Oxford and London.