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Higher costs
Page 32
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DESPTTE difficulties in the past year, the profit (before tax) of the Maidstone and District Motor Services Ltd. has been maintained at a figure comparable with, although slightly lower than, that for 196465. This was revealed by Mr. R. P. Beddow, chairman of the company, speaking at the annual general meeting last week.
A wages settlement and improvements in working conditions had raised labour costs by more than 14 per cent, he said. Further, the number of passengers had been dropping by some 5 per cent per annum during the past few years, a factor which meant that many stage carriage services, both town and rural, had been subjected to reappraisal.
Mr. Beddow said that perhaps the greatest disappointment during the year was the deferment by the Ministry of Transport of the Tonbridge by-pass, work on which had been due to start this autumn. Although some measures had been taken to help ease the flow of vehicles through the town, there would be no real solution to its growing traffic problems until a by-pass was available to siphonoff through traffic.
Intake of new vehicles into the company during the year was greater than usual, largely because of delays by manufacturers in the completion of the 1964-5 programme. Altogether 85 vehicles were taken into service. Apart from 20 77-seat doubledeckers, these comprised 36 ft. singledeckers, all with a high seating capacity.