Operating Aspects of Passenger Transport
Page 39
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SCOTTISH OPERATORS HIGHLY COMMENDED
AT the annual dinner of the Scottish Road Passenger Transport Association, held at Pitlochry, Alderman G.. Hill, president, Municipal Passenger Transport Association, proposed the toast of the Association. He said that the Scottish body had, by its. research and development, provided modern mechanical transport in keeping with the historical qualities of Scotsmen and given them ideal, comfortable and efficient travelling facilities.
In his own Association, the Scottish undertakings had been given a greater measure of representation on the executive council. This was understandable when one realized that out of a total of 17,820 bused, trolleybuses and trams owned by the 93 authorities comprising the M.P.T.A., four Scottish municipal undertakings operated no fewer than 2,740, or 15 per cent. of the total. Benefits derived through the Association could be maintained only by continuous effort and regular interchange of views, which would also afford opportunities of creating friendly relations with Government departments and kindred associations. "
In view of the gravity of the war news, the informal discussions which should have taken place on May 24 were cancelled.
BELFAST'S BUS INCOME HIT BY FUEL RESTRICTIONS THE bus section of the municipal passenger-transport department at Belfast suffered a reduction in revenue of .C29,743 in the year ended March 31, 1940, compared with the previous year. The total was £133,323, against 1163,066, the decrease being caused by fuel restrictions, which imposed the curtailment and withdrawal of certain bus services. This factor, naturally, threw heavier loadings on to the municipal tramcars during the last six months of the year. The result was that the transport department actually showed a %forking profit of £140,740, which was higher by £30,895 than that for the previous year. Traffic revenue totalled £587,823 and working expenses £419,630, the former being £53,485 higher, and the latter an advance of £22,227 on the previous year's figures.
WAR'S EFFECT ON BLACKBURN'S REVENUE
DECREASED profits on its transport L./services are revealed in the annual report of Blackburn Corporation undertaking, just issued, for the year ended March 31 last. On the trams the net surplus declined from 16,108 to £3,304, and on the buses from £4,842 to £475. Bus passengers numbered 11,237,638, against 9,626,396 last year, and bus receipts were £78,165, compared with £72,208. Receipts per bus mile were 15.75d..
Mr. A. Potts, manager of the department, said at the end of the first six months that he had reason to expect a net profit of £4,000 on the undertaking, but the war had reduced that figure. Increased costs and restricted mileage would bring about less favourable results next year unless receipts were substantially increased.
Traffic on the Cherry Tree repute increased following the conversiOn from trams to buses. The bus section now has a surplus of £15,558.
GLASGOW FACING BIG DEFICIT
GLASGOW Transport Department is faced with a deficit of about £200,000 for the year ended May 31. Mr. R. F. Smith, manager, reported, on Monday last, to the sub-committee on finance and works that for the period from June, 1939, to May 24 last. there had been a decrease of £174,000 in the revenue of the department, compared with the corresponding period of the previous year.
In addition to the general drop in revenue, there was a substantial increase in expenditure due to increased wages, payment of allowances to men ou Service, higher cost of petrol, etc.
Although costs have risen, some savings have been effected in the running of the services and in maintenance charges.
BUSES AT HALIFAX RUN WELL ON CREOSOTE AS a result of Halifax Passenger Transport Department's experiments in the use of creosote for bus propulsion, 12 of the department's oilengined buses are running on a mixture of creosote and oil fuel. In consequence certain night services have been
extended '
The initiative of Mr. G. F. Craven, the department's. general :manager and engineer, in introducing supercharging for oil-enginecl buses to counter the hilly conditions in the town, is proving beneficial in connection with the use of creosote. The department is operating supercharged buses on a 50-50 mixture of creosote and oil fuel, whereas nonsupercharged buses are running on 70 per cent, oil fuel and 30 per cent. creosote.
On the test bench at the depot an engine has even been running on 90 per cent. creosote.
LONDON TRANSPORT FIVE. MONTHLY ACCIDENT FIGURES
IN Parliament, last week, the Minister of Transport announced the following figures relating to road accidents in which L P.T,B. vehicles had been involved. In each case the period is approximately five months, extending from August 27 to January 28 in 1938-9, and from August 26 to January 27 in 1939-40:—
Fatal accidents. Non-fatal accidents. Vehicle 1938-39 1939-40 1938-39 1939-40 types. period. period.. period. period. Trolleebuses ... 19 47 1,910 2,219
Trazni .,. 7 20 2,021 1,690
Centr11 buses 27 89 4,538 3,883 Coaches ... 5 200 40 Country buses 2 6 354 454 60 162 9,023 8,286 It is pointed out that coaches were not running in September or October, 1939, and ran on only three routes up to the end of January, 1940.
BUS WOMEN'S WAGES FIXED AT GLASGOW
[WOMEN conductors to be employed Won Glasgow Corporation transpoft services during the war are to be paid wages of £3 per week. The conditions of service committee of the corporation has agreed to apply the award of
• the Industrial Court, granting women employees 90 per cent, of the men's rate of wages in the first six months of their employment. The men's scale in Glasgow commences at 67s. per week, so that the women's pay on this basis will be just over £3.
Glasgow Trades Council asked that the women should have equal pay with the men, but the Industrial Court award, making a discrimination between the sexes in conditions as well as wages, was regarded by the committee as eminently fair.
Now that the rate of wages for women employees has been determined, it is expected that the manager of the transport department will proceed immediately with the recruitment of women workers to fill the places of men called up'for military service.
NEW BUS-REPAIR SHOPS AT . GLASGOW THE new bus.repair workshops at the Larkfield Garage of Glasgow Corporation will be completed shortly; and Mr. R. F. Smith, general manager of the transport department, has proposed the appointment of Mr. J. Cameron as superintendent of the workshops. The recommendation is to come before the municipality's special committee on conditions of service.
PLYMOUTH'S BIG REVENUE FROM BUSES
I N the past municipal year there was a net surplus of £13,079 on the working of the transport department of Plymouth Corporation. Adding the balance of £19,833 brought forward from the previous year and making provision for certain charges, the surplus at the end of March last amounted to 130,647. Of this sum £12,955 is being applied in accelerating the repayment of tramways debt os. obsolete assets, leaving £17,692 to be carried forward. Out of a total traffic revenue of £453,299, the buses were responsible for £436,107 in the year ended March 31, 1940.
GLASGOW BUS FARES FOR THE FORCES FOLLOWING representations made by private bus companies, the Regional Traffic Commissioner has intimated to Glasgow Transport Committee that he cannot approve the universal Id, fare for members of the Forces in uniform applying to journeys made on corporation buses outside the city. This means that when men or women serving in the Forces travel on buses beyond the city boundary they will have to pay the ordinary fare from the point where the bus crosses the boundary.