Loss Becomes Profit by Tram Replacement
Page 44
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THE replacement of trams by buses has I paid dividends for Edinburgh Corporation. In the first full year of operating buses only, the undertaking made a profit of £45,050, compared with the previous year's loss of £91545, Mr. W. M. Little, . transport manager, reported last week. . Total mileage rose during the year to 27,679,332; but there was a drop of more than 131m. passengers, bringing the total to 245,872,045. Off-peak travel had deteriorated considerably, and the. only solution seemed to be cuts in services at these times,. he .said.
. The financial results were sound, but had to be placed against the previous year's deficit. Also, the problem of vehicle replacement had cropped up. In the past this had been met .by an allocation of. i130,000, but such an allocation was now . impossible. Borrowing might prove to be the only alternative, although this would he more costly in the long run.
Mr. Little announced that some benefits were now resulting from the work-study on their methods which was undertaken earlier in the year. Already savings had been. achieved on bus cleaning and night inspection, and itwas visualized that if all sections could be brought under an incentive bonus scheme, costs would be cut by about-L30;000 a year.
HAULIERS SO CHARITABLE —TO THEMSELVES!
IN a ease at Leeds, last week, Mr, J. H. A, Randolph, Yorkshire Deputy Licensing Authority, remarked: "The more I sit here, the More' I see how charitably people interpret their own licences."
He was listening to an application by Neville's Transport, Ltd., Scriven Road, Knares borough, to take over three -tippers operated by H. and F. Daniel, Ltd., who had become bankrupt. Mr. L. P. Harris, general manager of A. Braithwaite and Co., and Lime, Sand and Mortar, Ltd., said they had employed Daniel's since before the war for hauling gravel. 30 miles and more.
To this, Mr. Randolph pointed out that the hauliers had been licensed to carry gravel for only 30 miles, except in the case of Lime, Sand and Mortar, where the radius was 100 miles. Granting the take-over, he suggested that an application should be made to rectify the irregularity.
441-HOUR WEEK NOW
AREDUCED working week for operating staff has been agreed upon by Blackburn Transport Committee and the Transport and General Workers' Union, In future the standard week will be 44 hours. To facilitate this change, new schedules are being prepared and the question of reducing some services will be considered.
Warrington Transport Committee are to meet Union officials to discuss operating costs and possible economies.