NEWCASTLE'S LATEST BUS PROPOSALS.
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Depleted Takings on the Tramway Prompt the Municipal Authorities to Promote a Bill to Obtain Increased Bus-running Powers.
VAR-REACHING powers, both 1 with reference to the operation and the control of motorbuses are sought in the new Parliamentary Bill which the Newcastle Corporation has now resolved to promote. In addition to the clauses suggested by the transport committee with regard to the working of buses by the municipality, another interesting clause has been added, upon the recommendation of the watch committee. This seeks to secure a prescribed area of police control over motorbus and other traffic within a 2imile radius of the Newcastle central railway station, as well as powers to establish a number of bus stations at suitable points in the city area.
Other powers which are sought will, provided the Bill be passed, enable the municipality to: (a) use motorbuses for private-hire work to and from the city ; (b) operate municipal services over certain specified routes, and within a 21-mile radius of the city boundaries in Northumberland (with the consent of the local authorities on the route) ; (c) replace trams by buses on all or any existing tram section.
When the proposed Bill was considered at a special meeting of the city council it was stated that private bus undertakings had made tremendous inroads into the municipal tram traffic. Illustrating the effect of this competition in actual figures, the vice-chairman of the transport committee, Councillor A. Oates, said that tram revenue on the Throckley-Scotswood tram route, where competition was perhaps keenest, had dropped by nearly £17,000 in five years. There had been a steady and continuous falling off in tramway receipts since 1922, the takings being as follow during the past five years: 1922, £105,059; 1923, £99,808: 1924, £97,714; 1925, £95,894; 1926, £88,513.
It was further stated that, whilst trams over the whole system bad incurred a loss of 130,1110 in the six months ended September 30th last, there had been a net profit of £5,500 on the bus services in the same period.
Several members of the council described the advances made by private enterprise of late, and it was stated that one small owner alone was taking £1,300 per annum from the tramway system, whilst another owner was alleged to be picking up passengers in the city at a rate of over 2,000 each week.
B38 Councillor Hirst opposed the busdevelopment scheme, so far as city routes were concerned, on the ground that congestion would he increased, adding that 780 buses would be required effectively to replace the present fleet of 260 trams. He was told by a supporter of the project that congestion would be no greater, on account of the higher speed of the buses. • This member also advocated the establishment of express bus services, between busy points.
The proposal to seek powers to run buses up to a distance of21 miles from the city also met with some opposition.
After a lengthy discussion the report of the transport committee embodying the proposals was approved and steps are being taken immediately to premote. the necessary Bill. The watch committee's recommendations, which were also approved for inclusion in the Bill, were also discussed, and it was stated that the sites of the proposed bus stations were in the west, central and northern parts of the city.
That the proposals of the municipality are likely to meet with opposition is evidenced by a strong resolution which has been adopted by the Newcastle branch of the National Citizens' Union, an organization which, on more than one occasion, has taken up the cudgels in the interests of private road transport enterprise. The resolution condemns the action of the corporation in committing the city to the expenditure of promoting a Parliamentary Bill for motorbus extensions without first having given an adequate opportunity for the proposals to be discussed.
Having definitely decided to go ahead with the recommendations made by the transport committee, the Municipality has lost no time in agreeing upon the adoption of such bus expansions as it .is already permitted to put into force. According to the general manager, there are, at the present time, only 30 of the 57 buses normally employed On regular-service duty, and the traffic sub-committee is now. recommending that these units should be utilized, during peak-load hours, in providing supplementary services over six of the most profitable tram routes. It is proposed that fares of approximately 50 per cent, more than the ordinary tram fares should be charged, and that a report be submitted, after one month's operation, as to the results of the experiment. Another suggestion is that a number of the surplus vehicles should be used to supply cross-country services, joining up outlying tramway termini. These suggestions are to receive the consideration of the transport committee.