Electric Tramcars or Motor Omnibuses?
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Experts' Reports to, and discussion by, the Oxford City Council.
We publish to-day our third instalment of the highly in
teresting, not to say diverting, reports and discussions in connection with OxfOrd's paseene.er transport. The conditions of this place have a bearing upon many other localities in which the authorities are, apparently, uncertain what to do. We have already intimated our conviction that Oxford, with a population but little in excess of 50,000 persons, will heave to face a tramway rate if the proposed electric traction scheme is proceeded. with. From first to last the adoption of electric tramcars will commit the ratepayers to a capital expenditure of nearly .4.200,000 for little more than ten route miles of track.
Mr. W. Worby Beaumont, M.Inst.C.E., M.Inst.Mech.F.., says in his supplementary report :—
"I duly received your letter of the reth instant, and in that
which follows now send replies to the questions raised by the tramways committee, namely :—(a) Cost of working and maintenance of motor omnibuses? (bi how soon they would need replacement? fel How much they would earn at suggested
fares? I base my estimates on the returns sent me from the City of Oxford and District Tramways Company. The following results, from an examination of these returns and from the directors' report and accounts to December 31st, 1904, the total number of passengers carried during 1904 were ;— By cars, 2,841,315 ; and by buses, 430,615. The car mileage was 320,407; and the bus mileage 58,o5o ; or a total mileage of 378,457. There were 8.86 passengers. per car mile; whilst the passengers per bus mile were 7.42. The average of passengers per bus and car mile was 8.64. The time allowed for the double journey by tramcars on the several routes varies from 30 to 48 minutes, The time allowed for the bus double journeys is [hr.
"The following are the passenger carrying results for the year 1904, stated per vehicle and per seat per day, of the Service hitherto in use :—By tramcars, 600 and 13.95; by omnibuses, 394 and x5.x3; by Ifiley Road omnibuses, 460 and 17.70. From this it will be seen that the average patronage of the buses per seat and per single journey is greater than that of the tramcars, although the number carried per car mile is the greater. "The returns show that the passengers carried by the buses on the Broad Street and Mee' Turn route, per seat and per journey, exceed the average number carried per single journey by the tramcars, although the average number carried by the Cowley cars per journey is greater. It is thus shown by actual experience in Oxford that, large as is the traffic considering the service, the omnibus has proved itself capable of carrying more passengers per day per seat provided, or to have a larger percentage of paying load than the tramcars. With the present service the average receipts per passenger have been, apparently, I.16d. by tramcar, 1.26d. by bus, and x.181.1. by the two combined. From the returns of the Tramway Company it appears that the receipts and expenses have been Car receipts .. io.00d.
Bus receipts .„ 9-3401. Receipts (average of cars and buses) vo.23d.
Expenses (average of cars and buses) 8.44d.
Profit by cars and buses .. x.79d.
"On these receipts and expenses, and on this profit per car and bus mile, the Tramway Company has, apparently, with its very light cars, which cause only very slight wear of the company's permanent way, been paying about 5 per cent, per annum. A similar number, but of faster and more commodious motor omnibuses, which would not lose time by waits at turnouts, would, I believe, meet the requirements for greater accommodation up to about 30 per cent. increase, when greater requirements would be met by simply adding to the number of buses. Based upon the experience now available, the average cost of running motor omnibuses; would be ;—
Licenses, ticket services, superintendence, compensations, lighting, and sundries... GENERAL ADIHNISTRATION. Law, rates, taxes, office, and buildings, in• surances, printing, manager, engineer, ..• Insurance of buses against fire, accident, and third party risks, at L7o per year each...
Total working expenses ... .•• 8.69d.
"Taking, then, 8.69d. per motor bus mile as the total working: expenses of motor omnibuses, there should be a profit of x.54d. per bus mile run, assuming only the same receipts per bus mile: as by the present company and its very slow and old stock. The receipts per mile would, however, be at least lid., and the profits 2.3d, per bus mile. The motor bus carrying power included in this estimate is an increase of 38 per cent, on the' existing carrying power. With, say, 5o single journeys per day of the mean length as at present of 1.78 miles, or go miles, instead of the present average of about 36 single journeys per day of car and bus, and with crily, say, m6 motor omnibuses running, the profits per day, at 2.3d. per bus mile, would be 413 175., or a total of about .44,800 per year of 350 days. This• is after charging every cost to revenue, including a depreciation rate, which provides for the entire renewal of the buses every five years. This profit represents a return of about 25 per cent. on the capital outlay of £20,000, or a net balance of £3,600, after deducting 6 per cent, for interest and redemption. To. the expenditure, however, of £20,000 there has to be added the cost of acquisition of the existing tramways, and this has to beincurred whatever system is adopted. There would also be some expenditure in improving the road and street surface in a few places where not good, and where too much arched or bogbacked. This is equally desirable for every other kind of traffic. "With regard to the fares to be charged, I am of opinion that these should be the same as those now charged, the passengers. gettingall the advantages of better service and more comfortable vehicles without extra charge for the same distances. The service from Carfax to the station should be extended about half a mile, and the fare remain the same as now. On such extensions sod new lines of service as may be found desirable by experiment, the fares should, I think, remain id. per mile, or thereabout, more or less, as at present."
TABLE CONSTRUCTED FROM FIGURES suers.= BY THE TOWN CLERIC, 3IR. BEAUMONT, ANTI mR. SELLCN RESPECTIVELY.
The following report of the discussions at the last meeting of the city council is taken from "The Oxford Chronicle." The motion to proceed was carried by 21 votes to 16 :— The Oeneral Purposes Committee reported that they were of opinion that a system of electric tramways of the best modern construction, such as is recommended by Mr. Sellon, is the best mode of traction for the City of Oxford. Your committee are also of opinion that the electrification of the centre lines with
their extensions, substantially as set out in Mr. Sellon's report, should first be arranged for. They are convinced of the desirability of providing the branch line along lffiey Road; but think that the question. of the extension to Headington might for the present he deferred. The General Purposes Committee recommended that the report be approved, and that the Tramways Committee be authorised to consult counsel as to obtaining the recessary powers to carry out the resolutions adopted by the Council.
The Town Clerk read the agreement which it was proposed to seal between the company and the Corporation. He pointed out that there was substantially no alteration in this agreement with the one he read to a committee of the Council before.
Mr. Druce: I take it the compensation to the officers will be of a strictly limited character? The Town Clerk : It will be determined by arbitration, and it is limited to the period which elapses between December 31st, 1906, and the period for which we take compulsorily. Mr. Druoe.: The word "officers" does not mean every employee of the Tramways Company, but only the officers?
The Town Clerk : The officers are distinctly mentioned.
Mr. Hastings said he did not notice the saving clause which was in the previous agreement adopted on June 2ist, and that was with respect to their being unable to obtain the sanction of the Local Government Board, in which case the thing fell through.
The Town Clerk : That was not so.
Mr. Hastings : I think it will be remembered I got up to compliment the officers on inserting that in the agreement, which I thought was very important.
The Town Clerk said he was only objecting to Mr. Hastings' description of the saving clause, which had been struck out by the solicitors of the company, and assented to by the solicitors of the Council. The Council had power under sections 43 and 44 of the Tramways Act, 187o, to pay this amount for the undertaking out of the rate. Mr. Hastings was right in saying that the clause which was originally in the draft scheme was now deleted. That was fully explained at the General Purposes Committee that day week, at which, he presumed, Mr. Hastings was not present. Clause seven of the original agreement was to the effect that in the evsnt of the Council failing to obtain the power to purchase the undertaking, either by or under Act of Parliament, Provisional Order, or otherwise, the agreement should be void and of no effect. The solicitors of the company deleted that proviso, and pointed out to the Corporation that the Corporation required no such power as was stipulated for in this clause. They had the power under the Tramways Act of 1870 to purchase the undertaking, and they could exercise that power under statute.
Mr. Druce: And, therefore, if the Local Government Board refused a loan of ‘20,000, it would mean a fresh rate.
Mr. Hastings said he thought this matter was very important. He congratulated the officials of the Tramways Company, or their solicitors, in getting that removed, hut he was surprised the committee consented to the removal of such an important clause.
The Town Clerk said he anticipated if the Board of Trade sanctioned the sale to the Corporation at a specific sum to be arrived at by the Corporation, there would be no difficulty so far as that sum was concerned. As to whether the Corporation would obtain, if they so desired, the consent of the Local Government Board or the Board of Trade to raise a further sum of money for other works, was a matter on which he entertained no doubt.
Mr. Gray thought it was rather unfair, considering that at the General Purposes Committee the matter was discussed, that it should be again gone into in detail because a member had not done his duty in attending the meeting of the committee. The Mayor said the Council was the place for the final arbitrament of all matters, and therefore the question could be thrashed out again and again.
After further discussion of a desultory character, Aid. Salter moved, and Aid. Woodward seconded, that the seal of the Corporation should be affixed to the agreement. The Sheriff said before a vote was taken he wished it clearly understood that this did not bind the Corporation to the electrification of the system. The Town Clerk : Certainly.
The motion was carried, with three dissentients
Electrification of the Tramways System.
Aid. Salter proposed the adoption of the clause in the report affirming that "a system of electric tramways of the best modern construction, such as is recommended by Mr. Sellon, is the best mode of traction for the City of Oxford." He said since June etst, when the Council decided to purchase the tramways system, they had consulted two experts, Mr. Sellon and Mr. Worby Beaumont, on the best method of dealing with the traction for the City of Oxford, and they submitted that day the reports and supplementary reports of both gentlemen. Mr. Sellon and Mr. Beaumont visited Oxford together, and with the Engineer and representatives of the Tramways Committee, made a tour of the city, and considered very carefully the possibilities of the various methods of traction. Mr. Sellon paid a second visit to Oxford, amid there had been interviews in London with Mr. Sellon and Mr. Beaumont. Personally he thought it was perfectly obvious that it would be impossible to continue in Oxford the present system of horse tramways. The question, therefore, the Council had to decide was whether they would have in future an electric tramway or adopt a system of motor buses. With. the careful reports furnished by these gentlemen before them, he thought the Council would have no difficulty in making up its mind. It appeared to him and to the Tramways Committee perfectly clear that the only system which could be satisfactorily carried out in Oxford was electric traction. Mr. Sellon had. given a number of reasons for this, and he thought he had made out a good case in favour of it. The great point they had to consider was how to deal with the traffic already existing in Oxford. The present hcrse tramways had carried a very large number of passengers, and were dealing with the traffic in a more or less satisfactory manner. It was obvious that any system decided upon must be prepared to deal with the existing traffic, and any extra traffic which might reasonably be expected by an improved service. Mr. Sellon proposed to electrify the present line and to extend it. In the first place Walton Street te the end of St. Margaret's Road, the Banbury Road line to Summertown, the Cowley Road line to the City boundary, and the Ilincksey tramway to the City boundary ; he also suggested that it would be advisable to construct a new tramway on the Iffiey Road, and further the construction of another one practically to Headington. The committee had considered these proposals, and thought that at any rate in the first instance the proper course would be to electrify the centre lines with the extensions, and also that it was desirable to have a line on the Iffiey Road, but that the extension to Headington should be, at any rate, deferred for the present. The question they had to decide that morning was not the details of the report, but whether they would adopt a system of electric traction or that of motor buses. As to whether or not they would adopt Mr. Sellon's report in its details, whether they would have some part with the surface contact system, some part overhead wires, or whether they preferred to have the whole underground, and, further, in what way the work should be carried out, were quesdens for the future, after they had decided on what was the best method to be carried out.