LATEST MUNICIPAL BUS RESULTS
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THE following are the latest results of municipal bus operatioe in the past municipal year:—
OurtonamTrent. The traffic revenue of £45,989 constituted a record. 'the net profit. was £4,036. The number of ylassengers carried increased by 369.086 to 6,118,287, whilst the total mileage rose by 8 per cont. to 1,096,538. The use of oilers showed an economy of £850 in power expenses, compared with petrol-engineth buses.
Bury. A net profit of £2,291 was shown, compared with the loss of £5,976 in the previous year, The revenue totalled £146,445, an increase of £5,363..
Northampton. A most successful year was experienced, the total revenue being £104,349 and working expenses £81,185, showing a Eros-' profit of £23,164. The net profit. was £8,773. The reserve fund stood at £5,740 and the outstanding debt was £42,440. The bums covered 1,492,459 miles, carrying 18,610,045 passengers, both figures being an improvement on those of the previous year.
Kelghley. Keighley-West Yorkshire Services, Ltd., the company which is owned by KeIghleY Corporation and the West Yorkshire Read Car Co., Ltd., earned a profit, before providing for depreciation, of £29,913. The balance divisible amounted to £15,515.
Leeds. The undertaking earned a net profit of £24,165. Income rose by £49,278 to £1.152.122, against which working expenses of £857675 have to be set. The number of passengers carried was 180,259,869, against 173,927;478 in the previous year. The corporation now has 98 oilers and 82 petrol. engined vehicles. A considerable amount of experimental work has been undertaken in connection with oilers, and will le reflected in improved results in lubricating-oil and fuel consu mptions.
PREPAID TICKETS ISSUED WITHOUT AUTHORITY?
FOR many years Portsmouth Corporation has, we understand, been issuing prepaid tickets at a charge of Is. for 14 penny stages and. Is. 9d. for 16 lid. stages. Art the end of March the corporation announced its intention of discontinuing the issue of these tickets, but after they had been out of operation for 14 days, they were reintroduced. Recently, however, a
further notice of discontinuance has been posted and has caused public resentment.
Strangely enough, however, it appears, from inquiries made, that the corporation has no power to issue such tickets and seems to have been acting without authority for some years!
CAPE TOWN LIKES DAIMLERS.
A REPEAT order for 15 Daintier tn doable-deck buses with M.C.W. bodies has been placed by Cape Town Tramways Co. Ten Daimler C.O.G.6type vehicles with Gardner cylindered oil engines and Fluid Flywheels were shipped to South Africa just before Christmas, and almost so soon as they arrived at the Cape, two more were ordered.
The latest contract more than doubles Cape Town's fleet of British vehicles.
MERSEY TUNNEL BUSES AGAIN.
A PPLICATIONS by Ribble Motor 1—iServices, Ltd., and'Crosville Motor Services, Ltd., for sanction to run buses through the Mersey Tunnel from Southpott to Chester. are to come before the North-Western Traffic Commissioners, at Liverpool, on June 4, Liverpool Corporation, Mersey Tunnel Joint Committee, Mersey Railway Co., Overhead Railway Co., G.W.R., L.N.E.R., Bootle, Birkenhead and Wallasey Corporations, and others will object.
Early this year the Commissioners refused to grant the Crosville company a licence to operate buses between certain points in North Wales and Liverpool, via the tunnel. An appeal against the decision was dismissed by the Minister of Transport.
ATTEMPT TO GAIN NEW. GRIP ALLEGED
THE refusal of the Northern Traffic
HE to allow the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., to use larger buses on the Craghead-Stanley route, Co. Durham, was the subject of a recent appeal.
Mr. J. Harvey Robson, for the• " Northern," explained that the company had been restricted to the use of
20-seaters on the route. The public demand justified larger buses and, at present, with only 20-seater vehicles, the company had to run duplicates. This practice had caused increased. expense and confusion.
Messrs. Diamond Bus Services objected and Mr. T. H. C. Wardlaw said that, in 1933, the "Northern took over the service of Mr. J. Maughan, one of the joint operators of the Diamond Services. The restriction now complained of was made so that no hardship would he inflicted on the other operators.
Mr. Wardlaw alleged that it was all a question of profits—an attempt to gain a larger hold on the service. He contended that there was no evidence of inconvenience to the public.
YORKSHIRE TRANSFER. GRANTED.
THE Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners have granted the application of the Yorkshire Woollen District Transport Co., Ltd., for permission to take over various passenger services previously operated by Messrs. Edwin Box and Sons, Dewsbury. An application by Messrs. Box to take over passenger services from Mr. J. Crossley, Dewsbury, has been withdrawn.