MUNICIPAL BUS DEVELOPMENTS IN SOUTH WALES.
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A Brief Review of the Activities of Certain Authorities in Districts where Motorbuses are Proving Very Popular.
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E have been considerable de velopments in South Wales municipal bus circles in the past few weeks. The Merthyr Tydfil Corporation has held a formal opening of a bus garage for 20 vehicles, built at Dukestown, at a cost of £3,500, wits temporary offices, etc., attached, the non-permanent character of the latter having been decided upon in view of projected exten-. sions of the garage and workshops, on land reserved for the purpose, which are likely to be made at an early date. The profits on the municipal fleet of 11 vehicles during the four weeks in Febrnary was a record, averaging £43 per week. Early fleet extensions are projected, and at present negotiations are proceeding for the purchase of buses suitable for workmen's services.
Mr. D. T. Adey, A.M.I.C.E., is the corporation's bus superintendent, and, if the borough treasurer's estimate of the net profit for the eight months ending March 31st be correct in being placed at £700, it has reason to congratulate itself upon its choice. The estimate referred to indicates that, in fixing the district rate for the ensuing half-year, no call will be made on the ratepayers in connection with expenses entailed by the establishment of bus services, the capital and maintenance charges being covered by the £700 surplus on eight months' working.
Since March of last year the Cardiff City Council has received a revenue of £59,987 in respect of 4,848,675 passen-1 gers carried on its buses, an increase of 119,512 on the figure for a similar period of the previous year. Wages on the bus service have increased by £10,889, but the figures, which are for a eqmpletc financial year with the exception of two weeks, are sufficient to indicate that a net surplus of receipts over expenditure will have been obtained in the year now completed.
With regard to proposed and extended South Wales municipal bus services, the Newport ,Corporation's Bill for powers to run outside the borough has been modified so as to overcome the objections raised by adjacent local authorities which intended to oppose the Bill. The objections are to be withdrawn subject to the Newport authority asking only for power to run three miles beyond its boundaries.
The 13edwellty Urban District Council's Bill„ seeking powers to run buses in certain areas, is to be. opposed by 'nearly all the Monmouthshire and two of the Glamorganshire local councils, some of these localities being far away from the Bedwellty area. The Court of Referees in London recently decided upon a case arising from the objection and appeal by the Bedwellty Urban District Council that some of these authorities had no power to oppose its Bill, in that some had no powers of bus running and had no locus standi to oppose, and that others had only discretionary opposition in that, having bus-running powers, regard ought to be paid to the probabiliti, or not, of them using these powers.
The general reply of all the authorities opposing the Bill was that, in seeking for powers to run in other areas without the sanction of the authorities concerned, the Bedwellty Council was going beyond the general law in such cases.
The Court ruled against the Bedwellty Council and granted a locus standi of objection to the authorities.