Even Flow of Traffic Benefits "East Kent" Company
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I N the course of his remarks at the 25th ordinary general meeting,of the East Kent Road Car Co., Ltd., Mr.
_Sidney Garcke, C.B.E., chairman, referred to the remarkable change for the better Which had taken place . during the year and which had resulted in an increase in revenue cif no less than 28 per cent. Whilst it might not be in the public interest to say in detail how this had arisen, he said that the company's vehicles had been busily ,employed, either locally on the maintenance of essential public services, or elsewhere working in the interests of the national effort. Quite apart from these special considerations, there had been a substantial improvement in the revenue derived from the company's ordinary services during the last few months_ of the year.
Mr. Garcke pointed out that a factor which has contributed to the company!s recovery is that, whilst in peace-time the bus system suffered from an absence of traffic during the long winter Season, it is now, under the altered conditions, attaining a more even flow of revenue throughout the year. .
In surveying the company's progress over a period.of 19 years of peace, Mr. Garcke said that at the beginning 74 vehicles were owned, whereas just before the present war the figure was 549. The annual revenue was originally about £130,000, whilst at the end of 19 years it was approaching £700,000.. At the beginning of the period a little over 4,000,000 passeiigera were carried annually. whereas in 1938 the company handled a record traffic of over 46,900,000 persons.