THE SUCCESS OF CARDIFF'S BUSES.
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Careful Organization has Enabled a Reduction of Debt to be Effected.
The year ended March 31st last. was one of successful operation for the Cardiff City Council's bus services, and the debit balance remaining upon the undertaking from the previous period's working of the system at .March 31st, 1922, has been considerably reduced.
During the year thecouncil's fleet was increased from 12 to 17, six" of which are double-aecked.
Some reshuffling of internal routes, svith profitable result., was made during the year, and the new service to Liendaff instituted.
The extension of the city boundaries, by taking in certain of the adjacent rural areas, has widened the field of operation.
The income from the buses during the year was £23,444 12s., whilst operation expenses amounted to £17,460, leaving a revenue balance of £5,984 on the year's working to be carried to revenue account. Loan charges and bank interest amounted in the period to £5,264 and other expenditure to £105, making a total of £3,370, and showing a profit on the year of £2,613, which reduces deficiency existing et March 31st, 1922,
to £1,160 from .£3,774. =
The capital outlay has been increased during the year by £13,426. This sum represents the acquiring of six doubledecked buses and the purchase from the old Cardiff Tramways Co. of their Liendaff dept and undertaking, which caused an additional capital expenditure of £6,090. The total capital expenditure of the bus enterprise was £52,711 and the capital .raised arnounted to £29,500, leaving £3,211 over-expended on March 31st last.
The loan debt was raised by short-term mortgages and income, and the sum of £3,864 was provided by a sinking fund for dept redemption ; the net loanliability of the undertaking at the end of the year in review was 225,6&. Mr. R. L. Horsfield, general Manager, in his review of the past year to the electricity and tramways committee of the council analysed the receipts frcat passengers carried by the buses. The
aggregate mileage was 244,804, with 1,924,529 passehgers carried, represent.' ing 7.86 passengers per bus-mile, and this, on the receipts stated—£23,444 12s. —gave a revenue per mile of 22.98d.
Rejected Railway Bus Licences.
Truro Watch Committee has refused to give the Great Western Railway Co. licences for six motorbuses to run between. Truro and Falmouth, because existing arrangements. are sufficient for traffic needs:
Hull Bus Services.
Bull Cororatiod has agreed to accept the offer of the H.C. Motor Works regarding the Hessle bus services.
. The -tamwey,s ebinmittee, which presented the report on the offers for the service, had written to Mr. J. B. McMaster, Mr. W. Finn, of the Marshall Avenue Garage, Bridlington, and Mr. Thackwell' of the H.C. Motor Works,
with Ltd., regard to the offers made by them, and the following is a summary of the amended offers now received :— McMaster.--£4,500, with option to coeporatiori to fepurchase, or £5,000 without any conditions.
Finn.—£5,750, £1,250 down arid bal.
ance in 6 years, present worth, on 5 per cent. basis., £5,056.
H.C. Motor Works.---£5,000, £4,000 down and balance in 12 or 24 months,
e4ith interest at £4 per cent. Present worth, on 5 per cent, basis, if balance paid in 12 months, £4,990.
Ban on Small Buses.
Opposition is being manifested. to . proposal of the Stoke-on-Trent Watch Committee to make a new regulation that no vehicles will be licensed for bus purposes if the seating capacity is less than 18 persons, or the chassis has a weight of under 30 cwt.. It is urged thaf, the result will be to eliminate the small vehicles, which are useful on certain routes. The North Staffordshire Motor Bus and Char--banes Owners' Association is to discuss the matter with the watch committee.
Keeping Coaches oft the Roads.
A number of roads in St. Anne's, near Liverpool, are closed to motor coaches, and this has caused a considerable amount of criticism to be levelled at the town ,council by owners of these vehicles.
It is understood that the Commercial Motor -Users Association will oppose the clause which is embodied inthe Bill now before Parliament, prohibiting owners from driving vehicle's in streets other than Clifton Drive North and South, and Lytham and Blackpool Road. The council intends, if the. Bill becomes law, to prohibit chars-a-baucs from using certain streets in the Lytham district.