U.T.A. Deficit Reaches E894,406: Trading Loss Reduced
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BY September 30 last, the Ulster transport Authority had accumulated a deficit of £894,406. The trading loss for the year was £129,677, a reduction of £83,956 on the previous year's deficit.
The railway loss was reduced by £37,225 in £285,873, and the deficit on the lorries was cut by £134,516 to £27,913. The buses showed a profit of £170,242, bit this figure was £89,03.0 lower than in the previous year.
Tine Authority's annual report, which has just been published, attributes the deficit at the end of the third year of operation almost entirely to the conlulled and substantial upward trend in prices and wages, combined with the additional ftiel and purchase tax. 'I hese increases have more than neutralized the substantial economies which have been made.
Mileage Down : Traffic Up During the year, the buses covered 34,309,722 miles (a reduction of 706,449) and carried 98.622,671 passengers tan increase of 1,077,162). Regular timetable services were run over 2,582 miles of route. The average taxed fleet of buses numbered 893. and the maximum number taxed at any time was 987, compared with 1,034 in the previous year.
The report says that a smaller basic bus fleet would be sufficient if peak demands were controlled and negotiations on this point were in progress with interested parties. Twenty-four new underfloor-engined buses were introduced.
u.T.A.goods vehicles covered 12,439,959 miles (a decrease of 1,074,040 on the previous year's figure) and carried 1,227,163 tons of merchandise (a fall of 155,871 tons) and 700,772 head of livestock (a drop of 45,032).
800 Lorries Enough
The average number of goods vehicles taxed. was 682 and the maximum 734, compared with 835 in the previous year. The report states that about 800 would be .stifficient for normal traffic demands. At September 30 last,, the goods-vehicle fleet totalled 911, of which 100 were in store.
When replacements of goods vehicles have to he made, the number of articulated units is being increased, as "they have. proved more efficient and economical than the rigid type of vehicle." The Authority is developing the system of transferring semi-trailers to rail wagons for part of the journey.
The report comments on the general drift of 'traffic away from public carriers and attributes it mainly to the ever-increasing number of lorries operated by private traders. The Authority also complains of illegal haulage of merchandise and livestock in privately owned vehicles—" a practice which might well have far-reaching effects on the public transport system of Northern Ireland." Increasing attention has been paid to this matter and offenders, when detected, have been prosecuted. Nevertheless, U.T.A. believes that a great deal of illegal carrying continues.
Commenting on the Authority's passenger-earrying activities, the report says that holiday run-about tickets, available by ordinary rail and road services, were unpopular. Last August a travel gift-token scheme was introduced. Tokens up to any value may be bought in multiples of Is., and may he exchanged for a ticket at a railway booking office or on a bus.
RAILWAYS LOSE A LORRY
AN N.C.B. I-ton battery-electric platform lorry has been lost on the railway. Special priority was obtained for the vehicle, which was te.gently required by the South Belfast Hospital
Committee. It was dispatched on November 30, 1951. '
A letter from the Scottish Region of the Railway Executive, daied January II, informed Smith's Electric Vehicles, Ltd., that "while van 35347 was duly received at Glasgow Hier Street station, unfortunately, it was taken away as empty before being unloaded. All efforts to locate the vehicle have so far failed, but our inquiries are being continued."
EXAMINATION CLOSING DATE IUTARCH I is the closing date for LVI applications to enter for the Institute of Transport's examinations to be held from May 5-7. Candidates for the graduateship examinations must be students of the Institute before their applications can be accepted.