NBC surplus down £3.9m in 1973
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THE OPERATING surplus made by the National Bus Company in the year ended December 31 was was £2.6m before deductions compared with £6.5m in 1972. This is revealed in the NBC annual report which was published this week. Overall the company had a steady year with few shocks or surprises. Though passengers carried remained nearly the same as in 1972 the reduced surplus was accounted for by higher operating costs (£197.8m compared with £182.9m in 1972).
Increased wages and salaries to the 70,713 staff accounted for 69 per cent of the company's total costs and amounted to an additional £11.2m on the payroll. During the year under review a major survey of NBC properties was undertaken to identify development potential. It is thought that 125 of the company's 1500 sites possess some potential in this direction. The company has estimated that it must spend over £20m on infrastructure improvements between 1974 and 1978 and it is hoped that property development may assist in this.
Introducing the report, Mr Freddie Wood, the NBC's chairman, says that: "in some areas, our service has fallen short of the standard we normally set ourselves" because of acute problems of manpower shortage and scarcity of spares and vehicles.
A major section of the report deals with NBC's efforts to co-ordinate its services with those of the PTE's. "The aim of the NBC throughout has been to negotiate agreements which will avoid undue disturbance to their pattern of service," says the report. It lists the steps already taken in the four original PTEs and says that "tentative discussions" with the South and West Yorkshire PTEs have begun which are "aimed at establishing mutual basis for agreement". Already two local joint undertakings in Yorkshire have been wound up.
On reliability the report says that this is "the largest single factor in the provision of a satisfactory public passenger transport service". Shortages of labour amongst both platform and especially maintenance staff continue to affect "virtually all" the subsidiary companies and maintenance is further hampered by acute shortages of spare parts. In some areas these shortages of manpower and spares are "critical" says the report. The intake of new buses also gave cause for concern. The 1519 vehicles delivered (196 double-deckers, 1,025 single-deckers and 298. coaches) fell short of expectation by 350 vehicles. Because of this an increased annual intake of 2000 vehicles will be necessary to make up the shortfall.
Organizational and operational changes by National Travel are designed to ensure that benefits from coach travel can be fully realised. The numbers of passengers carried on express services rose again last year and success is reported for the first regular Continental service to Frankfurt. Improved vehicle utilization has resulted from steps being taken to co-ordinate individual subsidiary company tours programmes.
On technical matters the report says that various new products including express coaches and automatic gearboxes have been under experimental trial. At the same time equipment has been ordered for the conversion of two buses, one to run on battery electrics and one of liquified petroleum gas.
Concluding the report, Mr Wood says that the NBC looks forward to "steady growth" in its operations. The company will continue to marshal its manpower, vehicles and infrastructure to provide "the best possible bus and coach service at the least cost".