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Trams were Crippling Manchester's Finances

31st March 1939, Page 108
31st March 1939
Page 108
Page 108, 31st March 1939 — Trams were Crippling Manchester's Finances
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

IN a paper recently delivered by Mr. Stuart Filcher,

manager of Manchester Corporation Transport Department, to the Manchester and District Traffic Association, the author deals with the corporation's change-over scheme from trams to buses and trolleybuses, and gives considered. views on the reasons why buses are move suitable for the area.

The abandonment of trams commenced in _1930, and during the past nine years, 27 tram routes, representing 110 miles of single track, or 48 per cent, of the total tram system, have been abandoned. Buses have been introduced on 25 of these routes arid trolleybuses on two.

In July, 1937, the city council considered the whole position and confirmed that the policy of tram abandonment should be continued as, and when, circumstances permitted.

Since the conversions, says the author, additional passengers have been carried and a greater revenue has been earned on a more profitable basis. A comparison of traffic, 12 months before and 12 months after conversion, of the routes concerned, shows a net increase of 18,604,000 Ossengers and £1t3,000 in receipts.

On the routes which were abandoned, says Mr. Pikher, the estimated cost for renewals—had the trams been continued—was £388,000 and the eventual cost of recon struction of the tracks £870,000. The tramways were running at a loss and, in the circumstances, it was useless to continue tramway operation.

B30 In August, 1938, the question as to the alternative form of transport was reported upon to the transport committee and city council, and in February of this year recommendations were made for buses on some routes and trolleybuses on others.

The conversion scheme involves a capital expenditure of £916,882 to cover 360buses and 77 trolleybuses.

In dealing with the arguments. advanced in support of buses for the majority of routes, Mr. Filcher deals,first of all, with capital expenditure and., on the matter of operating costs, there is a difference in favour of buses of at least lid. per vehicle-mile.

On a total of 14,500,000 miles per annum, to be run on the section of the tramway undertaking yet to he abandoned, the estimated annual saving, by operating buses, amounts to £85.000 In the matter of traffic congestion and the relative capabilities of the bus and trolleybus, Mr. Filcher, in dealing with his own problems, says that the bus is the only possible choice. With this matter of traffic the author mentions one-way streets, certain maximum speed limits to which trolleybuses must conform at bridges, street corners, crossings and so on, and the possibility of current. failure.

As mentioned in our issue for last week Manchester is expected to complete the change-over within the next 18 months, instead of three years as was originally foreshadowed

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Locations: Manchester

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