GLASGOW'S PASSENGER TRAFFIC ,RESULTS.
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An Analysis of the Corporation's Annual Report which Shows that Private Bus Competition Has Affected 'Tramway Takings.
THE city of Glasgow has been very much in the limelight of recent months in connection with its passenger transport problems. The time-honoured• controversy of tramcar versus motorbus has occupied the attention of the authorities, and it may be -remembered, that quite recently the general manager of the municipal passenger transport system presented a special report to the corporation on the subject. In this he stated that the tramways could 'nee:: their expenditure were it not for the loss of revenue through bus competition.
That the motorbuses run by private enterprise are seriously affecting the takings on the tramways is -certainly indicated by the 32nd annual report of the tramways committee which has just been issued. The report covers the period from June 1st, 1925, to May 31st, 1026, and it shows that the ordinary income amounted to £2,263,107 and the working expenses (excluding clepreciation) to 11,653,526, thus leaving a net revenue of £609,581. All but £4,466 of the income comes under the heading of " traffic receipts." After adding interest on investments (50,334) the . net revenue is increased to £659;915. From this amount there falls to be deducted the following items :—Loss on subway section, 125,562; loss on buses, £9,297; interest, £99,609; sinking fund, £55,946 ; income tax, £79,485; Parliamentary expenses. £1,114; depreciation fund, £253.110; permanent-way renewals fund, £273,643---a total of £797,766. The total deficit on the year's working was £137,851.
The extent of this loss must be viewed with some alarm by the authorities, especially when it is borne in mind that it is £57,575 more than the loss incured in the Previous twelve months. We observe that the revenue and net r.wenue accounts indicate a decrease in the gross revenue of £66,967 and the extent of the competition now being encountered by the municipal services is significantly reflected in the' average traffic revenue per car-mile, which decreased by 1.307d. from 18.216d. in the year ended May 31st, 1925.
Having now given a brief summary of the working of • the undertaking as a who!e, we will proceed to analyse the past year's returns for the bus -services maintained by the Glasgow Corporation, The year with which the report deals is the first full one in whiehbuses have been run, for vehicles of this type were not put into service until December 8th, 1924, and the previous report only covered their operation for roughly six months. Despite this fact, however, certain useful comparisons can be made, especially as the same number of buses, i.e., 14, were in service during the respective periods.
In the year just closed the buses covered 406,436 miles on a route mileage of 8.12, this aggregate distance being accomplished in 41,702 . hours.
Before passing on to the actual accounts let us deal with the statistics relating to fares. These show that the average fare paid per ticket sold was 1.4066. and that the average number of tickets sold per bus-mile was 6.50. The average distance paid for per ticket sold was 1.695 miles and the averageticketmiles paid for per buS-mile 11.01.
The scale of fare charges in relation to distance travelled indicates how the passenger making a comparatively_ long journey beirefits, although the fares, prevatting throughout the system are quite moderate, in which connection the following figures are of interest :—
From this tabulation it can be ascertained that the average fare charged per mile during the year was .698d. The, total number of tickets sold on the
buses was 2,639,837. Proof for supporting the growing belief that this generation has all but lost the habit of walking can be extracted from the analysis of tickets sold and traffic receipts. Of the total number of tickets issued to passengers 53.57 per cent. (1,414,198) were of a value of id., the traffic receipts from them being equivalent to 38 Per cent, of the total. A ad. fare is in force on the buses and tramcars in -Glasgow and, so far as the former are concerned, 53,436 tickets of this value were issued in the year with which we are dealing.
Now let us turn to the accounts. On the debit side the total working expenses are returned at £19,809, equivalent to 11.697d. per bus-mile. The total is
made up as follows :—Traffic expenses, £8,648; cost of general repairs and maintenance, 15,179 (chassis, 0,190; tyres, £1,642; bodies, £1,197; buildings, £144) ; power expenses (petrol), £3,988; general expenses, 11,995. Further items on the debit side comprise interest on capital, 1790; sinking fund, £381, and
depreciation, £3,784. These amounts total 14,955 and inhease the total of the expenditure side of the accounts to 124,764. As the traffic revenue was 115,467 (9.134d. per bus-mile) it is clear that the deficit was 19,297, and this has been carried to the tramways appro priation account. The loss per bus-mile was 5.489d. .
Each of the buses covered a good mileage per day, being credited with an average of 138.53 miles. and the average number of hours per day in which the fleet was in use was 127.92. Cost of petrol per bus-mile is given as 2.355d.; the total expenditure under this head has already been given. The percentage of working expenses to receipts has altered little in 18 months and in the year just closed was 128.07.
The staff of the bus department is composed of 47 men, of Whom 22 are trained drivers and 17 conductors.
The authorities in this important Scottish centre run only three bus routes, these being as follow :—Finnieston and tobcross Ferry, .47 mile; Monteith Row and Maryhill, 8.70 miles; Kelvindale and Botanic Gardens, 1.22 miles, the last-named having been inaugurated on March 4th last. The types of vehicle employed by the corporation seat from 32 to 40 passengers and the fleet is made up of buses of several makes, comprising those of A.E.C., Bristol, Commer, Halley, Leyland, Thornycroft and Tilling-Stevens make.