Minibus Fleet Growing
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Startling Increases Reported
[HE large increase in the number of 8-12-seater vehicles used in the country was spotlighted this week in the Summary of Annual Reports of the Traffic
:Commissioners, covering the period April 1, 1959, to March 31, last. It is btainable from H.M. Stationery Office, price 3s.
Although no overall figure is given of le number of vehicles licensed (or, ideed, in use) several traffic areas sported startling increases. The East 4idland area, for instance, recorded an wrease of from 55 to 78 in the number f this type of vehicle licensed. South Vales reported an increase from 22 to 0. The Northern traffic area had 75 censed, compared with 35 the previous ear.
The number of these vehicles which 'ere subject to road service licences was yen smaller than the proportion of those .s.v.-licensed to the total suspected to ,e in use in the country. The North Vestern area, for instance, stated that 11 its 75 licensed 8-I2-seaters were in ise on contract work and private hire.
Few on Stage Services The West Midland Commissioners said a few" of its 51 p.s.v.-licensed 8-12eaters were used for stage services or xcursions and tours. In the Eastern .rea it was reported that 18 of these 'chides were acquired by established ■ perators.
The South Wales Traffic Comnissioners stated that, although there vas an increase in the number of these Thicles licensed as p.s.v.s, only one appli:ation foe a road service licence was nade. Of the 61 of these small vehicles icensed in the Western area, only one }perated under a road service licence. The South Eastern Commissioners aid that such vehicles were used on :ontract and private hire work, but were sot used to replace larger vehicles on inremunerative services. In Scotland the lumber of these vehicles rose from 69 to 188; 33 of these were operated by road iervice licence holders.
More One-man Buses •
Another trend shown by the summary )f the Commissioners' reports was the ncrease in the use of one-man buses. klmost without exception the areas recorded an increase in the number of iispensations granted to relieve operators from the obligation to carry conductors 3n particular services.
In Yorkshire the Commissioners reported that the number of such dispensations had decreased from 65 operators and 330 services to 57 operators and 310 services, largely due to the withdrawal of some services for which dispensations had been held. But the Commissioners also said five large operators held dispensations for all their stage carriage services.
The number of dispensations in force in the North Western area covered 844 services, over 400 of them in North Wales. Authorizations to carry standing passengers on conductorless buses were held for 588 services.
In the Eastern area 596 services were covered by such dispensations. In the Western area 1,300 stage services were covered. In Scotland 226 services were affected by dispensations.
Although most areas reported a number of new licences issued, the general consensus of opinion was that the decline in bus traffic continued.
Some areas, such as the Yorkshire area, reported that rural services "did not worsen much."
The West Midland area stated that many small rural operators maintained services by subsidizing them from .contract or private hire work proceeds.
A total of 117,172 inspections were carried out during the period under review, resulting in 1,361 suspensions of p.s.v. licences. In all areas there were a total of 1.034 prosecutions and 928 convictions for various offences.
At March 31, last, there were 4,868 operators of public service vehicles, compared with 4.646 in 1959. The number of vehicles last March amounted to 66,471, compared with 66.055 the previous year. These figures of vehicle fleets excluded those public service vehicles owned by the London Transport Executive, which amounted to 7,369 last March.