Operating
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Aspects of
Passenger Transport
MUNICIPAL BUS RESULTS GRATIFY
MUNICIPAL transport results for the
year ended March 31 last continue to be issued. Below we publish a further selection, dealing with five important systems,
AS
Improved returns were afforded by Aebtonunder-Lyne Corporation's trams motorbuses and trolleybuses in the year ended March 31 last. The trains brought in a total revenue of 523,489 and cost £18,136 to run, the comparable figures on a vehicle-mile basis being 18.747d. and 14.6911. The net deficit on the trains, which carried 4,762,965 passengers over 296,285 miles, was 43,481.
The motorbuses showed a total revenue of 457,281, contrasted with working expenses. of 434,830. The net profit on their operallon was £15,410. They covered 844,535 miles and carried 10,878,555 passengers. The total revenue was equivalent to 16,278d. per busmile and working expenses to 9.898d.
The trolleybus working expenses of 510,909 contrasted with a total revenue of £11,872, a net deficit of £15 remained on the year's working. In this ease, the total revenue per vehiclemile was 14.1324. and the working expense's 12.9854. The trolleybuses carried 1,887,525 passengers over 201.623 miles.
BURNLEY, GOLNE AND NELSON.
Burnley, Collie and Nelsen Joint Transport, Committees experienced good times last year and returned a profit of 522,179. Of this sum, £13,169 goes to Burnley Corporation, £3,465 to Colne Corporation and 55,545 to Nelson. The amount credited to the appropriation account was 557,870. The reserve fund received 41,077, the purchase of 12 oil engines to replace petrol unite absorbed 44,940, the purchase of two new chassis (less an amount reserved last year) cost 4.340, whilst 529,354 was paid to the constituent authorities on a sinking-fund basis.
The committee's 137 buses last year carried 41.510,206 passengers over 5,032,199 miles, and brought in a traffic revenue of 5267,282. The working expenses amounted to £206.758. Comp_u_teci per bus-mile, the traffic receipts were 12.75d. and the working expenses 9.8611.
In 1956, 5,042,969 miles were rim and 40,555,263 . passengers were carried. The vehicles brought in a traffic revenue of 5261,801 and coat 5209,689 to run.
An analysie of laat year's results showed that the buses covered 5.09 m.p.g. of petrol and 9.02 m.p.g. of oil fuel.
BURY.
Bury Corporation's transport accounts for the year ended March 31 last show a loss of 54,865 transferred to the tramway; appropriation account, and a balance of 56,679 on the buses. These figures compare with 55,165 and 47,562 respectively in 1935-36. 1.31 st _year's bus traffic receipts totalled £113,980, or 13.39d, per mile. Working expenees, at 489,421, equalled 10.50211. per mile. The gross profit stood at £22,253. The buses carried 15,296,830 passengers over 2.043,451 miles.
The trams carried 5,887,814 people and travelled 417,960 miles. Traffic receipts on the tramwas's system amounted to £29,283 (16.816. per car-mile) and the working expenses to £25,696 (14.896d. per car-mile). The gross profit was 55,717.
In the case of both buses and trams, the numbers of passengers carried and working expenses increased, but the mileage and traffic receipts dropped.
SOUTHAMPTON.
A record in total revenue was established in the year ended March 31 last by Southampton Corporation's transport department. The figure of 4242,444 compared with £229,192 in 1935-36. Working expenses amounted to 4184,451, leaving a gross profit of 457,993, which was disposed of as foliows:-Interest and income tax, 411,228; sinking-fund charges, 26.052; special expenditure and capital expenditure out of revenue. 41,054; surplus, 1219,659. The 61 buses brought in a total revenue of 597,618, and cost 576.160 to run. The corresponding figures for 1935-36 were 478,387 and 563,841. The traffic revenue of 493,983 was equal to 12.47.1, per bus-mtle, the average
for working expenses being 10.105.1. The buses carried 15,296,530 passengers over 1,808.860 miles. The total revenue from the 104 trams was 4144,827 .115.0711. per car-mile), against 4150.805 I14.55611. per car-mile) in 1935-36. Working expenses last year amounted to 4108.292 I11.268d. per vehicle.mile) and to £112,367 110.84611. per vehiele-mile) in 193536. The trams travelled 2,306,524 miles, carrying 24,5,53,319 passengers.
BIRKENHEAD.
Birkenhead Corporation's transport reaulte for last year show that total revenue, working expenses and net surplus were higher than in 1935-36, although the erase profit was lower. The revenue, at 1300.6272. compared with working expenses of 5224,299, leaving a gross surplus of 576,379. from which a net profit of £45,896 was obtained. The net surplus in 1935-36 was 543,714. The OW revenue earned by the 139 buses was £272,947 l5264,727 a year earlier), whilst working expenditure amounted to 4202,585 (5189.945). On a bus-mile basis, the totat revenue was equal to 12.47d,. and the working costs to 9.25.1. The buses carried 39,339,820 passengers over 5.251,416 miles. The net surplus was 443,092. The trains cost 421;714 to run and brought in total revenue of 427,731, the net profit on the year's working being 52,805. Passengers numbered 5,597,747 and mileage 501,832. The tram revenue equalled 13.264. per milo and working expenditure 10.384.1.
BLACKBURN STRIKE AVERTED?
FOLLOWING a dispute between Blackburn Corporation and the Transport and General Workers Union. representing the men, a meeting held last Saturday confirmed an earlier decision to give a fortnight's strike notice as from August 25, if demands regarding spread-over duties, overtime pay, and other matters were not satisfied.
On Monday, however, the municipal transport committee gave instructions for the National Joint Industrial Council to be notified that the corporation would accept the employment of conciliation machinery and every consideration would be given to the recommendations of the council's representatives. In view of this, an early settlement was expected, NEW' BUS STATION AT BARNSLEY.
THE tender for the new Barnsley bus station, which is to be erected by the Yorkshire Traction Co., Ltd., has been secured by Wm. Johnson and Sons (Contractors), Ltd., Wombwell. The proposed new station will cover an area of approximately 9,000.sq. yds.
DURHAM LOSES TICKET CASE
THE recent appeal by Durham Rural J. District Council against the decision of the Northern Traffic Commissioners regarding the use of 12-journey tickets has been unsuccessful.
The Ministry of Transport has notified the Northern Traffic Commissioners that the appeal has been disallowed and that Durham Rural District Council will have to bear the costs.
The Commissioners' hearing on this matter took place last year and lasted for eight days. It was decided to impose certain restrictions on 12-journey tickets, the main conditions being that they must be signed by the holder and that their period of validity should not exceed 14 days. Although all the local autheltities were against the Commissioners' decision, Durham Council was the only municipality to make an
appeal.
YORKSHIRE W.D. CO. WIDENING INTERESTS.
A PPLICATION to the Yorkshire PI Traffic Commissioners has been made by the Yorkshire Woollen District Transport Co., Ltd., for permission to take over passenger services from Messrs. J. Bragg and Son, Albert Garage, Bradford Road, Dewsbury. Messrs. Bragg run goods as well as passenger vehicles, the fleet comprising 28 machines.
The stage services concerned in the transfer operate locally in Batley and Dewsbury and from Dewsbury to Batley. It is also proposed to take over excursions starting from these two towns.
GLASGOW TO SPEND £543,500 THIS YEAR.
GLASGOW Corporation's transport manager estimates that a capital expenditure of £543,500 will he incurred in the development of the three services-bus, tram and subwayduring the year. Of this, 1200,000 is assigned for tramcars and £180,000 for buses. The anticipation is that the ordinary revenue of the department for the year will be well over 9.3,000,000.
REFUSED £14,000: RECEIVED £200!
HOW a Glasgow bus company declined to sell its assets for £14,000 and then went bankrupt, recovering only £200 for its road licences, was revealed in Glasgow Sheriff Court, when a petition was lodged by Mr. John Young, 117, Merchiston Road, Glasgow, for his discharge from bankruptcy.
Up to a few years ago, Mr. Young was a director of Young Brothers, Ltd., contractor, Craigmore House, Riddrie, Glasgow. In 1926 he and his sister and others bought for £2,400, Liddell's Motor Services, a pioneer service on the route from Glasgow to Milngavie.
Competition on the route became keen and the directors had to hire more buses. At lest they received an offer of £14,000 from W. Alexander and Sons. Ltd., for the assets. All the partners, except one, were in favour of accepting this offer, but the objector stuck out for more moneY and the bid was rejected. The concern then went bankrupt. All that was received ultimately was £200.
The Sheriff granted Mr. Young his discharge.
ANOTHER 4s. FOR CONDUCTORS.
DUNDEE Corporation's Transport sub-committee has unanimously recommended an increase of 4s. in the wages of tram and bus conductors. This advance will bring them into line with the drivers,
ALL CARDIFF TRAMS TO GO?
MEXT month, Mr. W. Forbes, I 1Cardiff Corporation's transport manager, will deliver his report to the city council on the proposal to convert the tramways to operation by either oil-engined buses or trolleybuses,
BERWICK'S NEW BUS STATION.
THE next week or so will see the opening of the garage and bus station erected jointly by the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd., and United Automobile Services, Ltd., at Mary gate, Berwick. The accommodation will provide for the housing of 40 buses.
49-PASSENGER SINGLEDECKER
CORTY-NINE passengers are accom modated in a new type of single-deck bus which has been specially designed for use in Alexandria, where the streets are exceedingly narrow and stops frequent. It has been developed by engineers of the Ford Motor Co. (Egypt) in conjunction with local bus engineers.
Seating accommodation is provided for 25 passengers, with standing space for another 24.
The chassis embodies many normal Fordson lorry units, but the frame is of special construction. The driver is seated ahead of the front axle, alongside the V8 engine, thus affording maximum floor space. There are two unusually wide doors, one at the front and the other amidships.
It is stated that journey times have been substantially reduced by the use of this type of vehicle, where previously heavier machines were handicapped.