AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

PASSENGER TRAVEL NEWS.

21st September 1926
Page 58
Page 58, 21st September 1926 — PASSENGER TRAVEL NEWS.
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

The Latest Doings and Developments in the Bus and Coach World.

ONE of the most profitable municipal notorbus systems in the North of England is that at Stockton. Since the undertaking was taken over by the corporation from a private firm about six years ago the annual statement have shown conclusively that the profit-earning capacity of the vehicles is increasing with each succeeding year. The accounts for the 12 months ended March 31st, 1926, are no exception to this rule, for the current surplus over working expenses amounts to 18,019, a figure which eclipses all previous results and is most satisfactory.

It is gratifying to be able to record in facts and figures the experiences of a corporation which is making such tangible headway. The current accounts reveal the fact that the undertaking is in an extremely sound financial position, and that, in addition to a record profit, most of the other vital items of the balance-sheet show an improvement as compared with the year 1924-25.

During the past year the Stockton fleet was augmented to meet the growing demands • upon the municipal bus section. This now covers about 25 miles of routes inside the borough and to the surrounding countryside. The total mileage covered by the 24 vehicles comprising the fleet in 1925-26 was 488,281, as compared with 418,926 miles and 334,909 miles in 1924-25 and 1.9231924 respectively, when 21 vehicles were in service. The average traffic receipts per bus-mile in the year under review were 15.15d., the total under this heading being £30,825.

At the present time the Stockton Corporation operates the following buses : Six. Leyland one-man type 26-seaters; six A.E.C. 30-seaters ; four Bristol 30seaters ; two Dennis 26-seaters ; two Leyland 30-seaters ; two Ford 14-seaters,

and a Straker-Squire 32-seater. In addition, a 30-seater Bristol coach is in use.

The small-capacity Fords have proved of value in developing new routes where the traffic at the start is insufli' eient to warrant the employment of larger, capacity units. In addition, they are used to relieve the heavier vehicles during the slacker parts of the day, running costs being thereby reduced. The capital expenditure, upon the fleet has been £29,337, of which £3,515 was expended last year on the purchase of two Dennis buses (f 2,510) and a Leyland (£1,005). On March 31st last loans outstanding for the purchase of buses stood at £9,301 as compared with £11,490 at the corresponding period of the previous year.

The very gratifying manner in which revenue is growing each succeeding year, together with the steadily increasing surplus on working, are concisely shown in the following table :— 240

1923-4. 1924-5. 1925-6.

Revenue 24,291 28,630 31,212 Working expenditure 18,281 21;479 23,193

Balance transferred to net re,,enne account ... £6,010 £7,151 £8,019 As will be seen from the above figures, satisfactory as was the position at the end of the two preceding years, the corporation went one better in 1925-26 aud showed a further increase of £868 in its surplus over working costs. Against this surplus there is, of 'course, a number of establishment charges to be made. These are as follow :—Interest on loans, £530; redemption of loans, £4,598; renewals fund, £493; income tax, £800. The final results of the operation of the Stockton municipal bus system for the past three years are here shown :—

As was the case at the end of the previous 12 months, the profit is being utilized in connection with the purchase of additional vehicles, a procedure which indicates the keen regard of the management for the continued progress of the system.

The average running cost per mile for the fleet during the past year was 11.39d. As is to be expected with such a material increase in the annual mileage, the main heads of expenditure are in excess of those for 1924-25, but when reduced to an average cost per busmile basis practically all items show an improvement per mile run. As an example the total charge for petrol might be cited. This for the past year was £4,882, as against £4,110 for the previous year, but on the mileage basis the cost has been reduced from 2.86d. in 1924-25 to 2.40d. in 1925-26.

Tags

Locations: Bristol

comments powered by Disqus