The Stability of the Motor Industry
Page 36
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Substantial Increase in the Number of Commercial Vehicles In Use During 1938. Fewer Licence Holders but More
Vehicles Operated
T"total number of commercial vehicles in use in the United Kingdom, as at September, 1938, was 656,774, an increase of 32,000, as com
pared with 1937. These figures are given in " The Motor Industry of Great Britain " (5s.), the 14th edition of which has just been published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders; Ltd., Hobart House, Wilton Street, London, S.W.1.
The total taxation receipts for the year ended November 30, 1938, from goods vehicles was £13,074,427, this amount covering 483,865 vehicles, The sum received in respect of hackney vehicles was £3,735,805, the number of machines concerned being 87,536. The number of tractors in use is given at 2,615, the resulting taxation being £96,410.
Average Tax per Vehicle.
The total taxation receipts for goods and passenger vehicles Cexcluding trams) were £16,810,232, and it is somewhat remarkable to note that the figure for private cars was within a few thousand pounds at £16,819.373. The average tax per vehicle, in the goods and passenger classes, was £34.85 and, in the private-cars category, £8.78. There was a decline in production for the year, the figure for commercial vehicles and 'buses being given as 105,171, which compares with 118,116 for the previous 12 months, and 107,609 for 1936.
Regarding imports, the total number of complete machines is given as 246, and of chassis 1,153, figures which contrast with 606 and 4,061 respectively for 1937. The foregoing import figure; rc-fer to those retained for use in this country. The total number of complete machines and chassis imported from America during the 12 months was 16 and 1,156 respectively, the total for Europe being 329 and 129, whilst from France we received 172 complete vehicles and 23 chassis and from Germany 137 and 98 respectively. The total imports, from all sources, was 345 complete machines and 1,285 chassis, the difference between the net import figures and the total imports being accounted for by machines held in bond and for re-export.
Tractor Imports Down.
The number of agricultural wheeled and track-type tractors imported was 2,766, of which 419 were of the tracklaying type. In addition, there were 54 road-haulage tractors brought into the country. This gives a total of 2,820, which compares with 3,265 for 1937.
Census figures as at September, 1938, showed that the total number of goods vehicles owned in the United Kingdom was 504,128, and hackneys totalled 89,410, the comparable figures for 1937 being 487,750 and 87,474. There were 2,998 tractors (excluding £34 the 5s. class) in use, as against 2,915 in the previous year.
The goods-vehicle and hackneyvehicle figures were made up as follow:-England, 431,294 and 29,295; Wales, 21,395 and 1,582; Scotland, 42,177 and 3,846; Northern Ireland, 9,162 and 1,078. A further analysis of these figures shows that, of the total of 465,141 petrol-driven goods vehicles, 112,219 came in the 2-2i-ton class,, the next most popular category being the 1i-2-tonner, with 103,918.
There were 8,560 oil-engined machines on the road at the end of September, 1938, as compared with 7,107 for the previous year. In this class, the highest figure was registered in the 4-5-ton division, the total number of machines under this heading being given as 2,595. There were 1,886 machines in the 3-4-ton division and 1,337 in the 5-6-ton section.
There were 32,960 coaches and buses with petrol engines in use, as compared with 35,860 for 1937. Machines of the 26-32-seater type predominated, with a figure of 12,836. the next most popular being the 14-20-seater, with 5,030.
The total for oil-engined hackneys was 17,322, which is a big advance on 1937, when the figure was 12,994. The list was headed by the 48-56-sea ters with 8,280 vehicles, the next in order of importance being the 26-32-seater with 3,894. There were only two machines in operation having a seating capacity for 64 passengers.
New registration figures were down on 1937, the total for petrol-driven goods vehicles being given as 65,550, which compares wifh 76,000 for 1937. Oil-engined machines, however, were up, at 1,890, a figure which contrasts with 1,660 for the previous 12 months. Whilst the advance in electric-vehicle registrations was not particularly marked, there is evidence that they are having an upward trend, the number given for 1938 being 907, which compares with 885 for 1937.
There were 1,886 petrol-driven coaches and buses registered fcr the year, this figure comparing with 1,80,0 for the previous 12 months. Whilst these registrations show a small increase, those for oil-engined vehicles represent a slight decline, the figure for 1938 being given as 3,845, contrasting with 4,007. The number of tractors registered for the first time was 421. the total for 1937 being 415.
Fewer Licence Holders.
There • were 26,966 A licences in operation in 1938, covering 93,216 vehicles, the figure for 1937 being. 28,888 and the number of vehicles 91,101. The number of B licences in use was 34,120, the vehicles involved totalling 54,906; the comparable figures for the previous year were 34,589 and 53,775 respectively.
A considerable decline in the number of C licensees was recorded, the total being 178,298, contrasting with 186,734 for 1937, but the number of vehicles involved increased to 365,025 from 362,380. The total number of licence holders for • the period was 239,384. covering 513,147 vehicles, compared with 250,211 and 507,256 machines for the previous 12 months.
The figures for coach and bus operation under types of operator are given for 1937, and these show that there was no increase in the number of local authorities operating, the figure remaining at 95, whilst there was a decrease in those coming under the category of " others," at 4,702; the figure for 1936 (which, incidentally, is an amended one) was 4,920. Of the vehicles operated, 8,431 were accredited to local authorities, 6,305 to London Transport, and 34,838 to independent concerns.