Municipal Bus Profits Good
Page 57
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IMPROVED trade and the widespread increase in the travel habit have had a beneficial effect upon the finances of municipal transport undertakings. The following summaries of accounts for the past year relate to but a few of the undertakings which have experienced a prosperous year :— LEIGH. • Under the management of Mr. J. Atherton, Leigh Corporation's transport department last year earned a net profit of £2,407, compared with £1,354 a year earlier. Revenue, at 455,666, equalled 11.45d, per bus-mile, against £51,841 and 10.936. respectively. Gross expenditure showed an increase front £44,022 (9.286. per bus-mile) in 1935-36 to £47,300 (9.73d. per bus-mile) in, 1936-37. Gross profit increased from £8,756 to £9,095, representing a rise from 1.856. per bus-mile to 1.17176. per vehicle-mile. During the year the rolling stock increased from 34 to 38 units, the latter comprising 17 single-deckers and 21 double-deckers. 'The petrol vehicles averaged 5.59 m.p.g. of Mel, and the °item 10.15 m.p.g. The passengers increased from 6,922,245 to 7,921,890, and were carried over 1,167,141 miles, against 1,137.748 wiles in 193:.--36.
WOLVERHAMPTON.
During the past year, Wolverhampton Corporation's transport department worked at a net profit of 217,974, of which £5,000 was allocated to the relief of rates. Passengers carried increased from 47,393,138 in 1935-36 to 51,664,150 last year. Of the latter f:gure, the trolleybuses contributed 42,859,625 passengers and the motorbuses 8,804.527.
Of the total gross surplus of 4109,624. the trolleybus account showed £90,970 and the motorbus account, £18,654. The gross profit
in 1935-36 was £95,368. The 190 vehicles (120 trolleybuses and 70 motorbuses) covered 207 route-miles. The reserve fund stands at £55,778.
SALFORD.
Supplementing last week's brief report. Salford's transport undertaking earned a net profit of £20,196 in the year ended March 31 last, against £29,527 a year earlier. The sum of £10,000 went to the relief of rates. The trarus were "carried" by the buses, which earned a surplus of £43,677, against a loss on the trams of £23,481. The bus surplus declined from £46,179 M 1935-36, whereas the tram loss increased front £16.652.
The bus passengers numbered 40,510,739, and were carried over 6,006,416 miles. The gross receipts, at £347.543. contrasted with an expenditure of £254,535. Tramcar passengers numbered 43,728,136 and the milea•ge 4,016,865. The net expenditure of £259,893 exceeded the net income of £236,412.
NORTHAMPTON.
Northampton ratepayers have to thank the corporation's transport undertaking for a rate relief of £4,000, allocated from a total profit of £13.121 made on the past year's working. Ellsmiles run in the past year were 1,595,850, contrasted with 1,492,459 during the previous year. Passengens increased from 18,610.045 to 20;503,091.
OLASOOW■
Glasgow Corporation's transport department created two records during the year ended May 31. For the first time, the traffic revenue exceeded the three million maTk at £3,108,043. This was an increase of £1.28.042 on the previons year's figure. The number of passengers carried was also a record, the total of 587,119,061 being 23,523,628 higher than in the previous year. Mainly due to the increased number of buses, the total mileage covered, at, 54,615,482, showed a rise of 2,166,413. Receipts from the trains amounted to 42.226,272. from the buses £777.436 and
from the underground railwat £104,335. •