Belfast Buses Lose to Private Transport
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AN increase in the number of private vehicles, including bicycles. is blamed by Belfast Transport Department for a drop in traffic in the year ended March 31. Other adverse factors, according to the annual report, were a rise in the numbers of television viewers, the movement of population to new housing estates (which affected evening revenue), resistance to higher fares and declining popularity of buses because of slow, irregular movement in congested areas.
On many routes, it is stated, speeds were lower than those of the horsed trains operating in 1904. Urging the need for further control of car parking, more mechanical or manual control of pedestrian crossings in the central area, and the introduction of more experimental one-way traffic schemes, the report says:
"Nearly 4m. passengers are carried on the department's vehicles every week and the committee can hardly be blamed for asking for a fair share of the available road space."
The department lost £61,047. The Bellevue, Hazelwood and Belfast Castle enterprises, for which the department is responsible, incurred a loss of £20,410. Motorbuses lost £87,563, but on the trolleyhuses there was a surplus of £46,926. Before charging interest. redemption contributions and loans fund expenses, the trolleybuses made a working profit of £175,243 and the motorbuses £59,572.
Trolleybus costs per mile at 30.25d. represented 85.52 per cent. of the total revenue, compared with 27.75d. and 79.06 per cent, during the previous period. Motorbus costs at 31.84d. were 95.76 per cent, of revenue against 29.39d. and 90.61 per cent, fast year. Trolleybuses tarried 94m. passengers and 'Motorbuses 112m.
DEPARTMENT WIND-LIP
THE discontinuation of Staffordshire Transport Department, as at present constituted; has been approved in principle by the county council. They consider that a department to coordinate transport is desirable, but this question is to be deferred until a report from efficiency experts is received.
With the discontinuation of the transport department. responsibility fo'r vehicle maintenance and repair would be transferred to operating committees.
RAIN WEIGHTED LOAD
WHEN Burnett and Hallamshire Fuel. Ltd., Sheffield, were fined ..f5 and a driver £1 at Sheffield last week for using a lorry overladen by 14 tons, it was stated that heavy rain caused the driver to underestimate the weight of the load. The vehicle carried opencast coal from a site at which there was no weighbridge. • There had been heavy rain on the day before the offence and the coal was tinder water.
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