HUDDERSFIELD'S PROFITABLE BUSES, Successful Results Attend the Efforts of the Corporation During the Past Municipal Year.
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IN the sPace of 10 years Iluddersfield Corporation has built up a substantial motorbus fleet, and at the end of March last 64 vehicles were actually in stock, the fleet being a standardized
single-deck one consisting of Karrier Products ranging from 20-seaters to 36seaters.
Mr. A. A. Blackburn, M.I.E.E., MI.Inst.T., the general manager and engineer of the tramways department, has just issued his report for the year ended March 31st last, and it shows that the buses were operated at a gross profit of £13,983, revenue having totalled £99,130 and working expenses £85,147.
Reduced to a per-mile basis, revenne averaged 10.91d. and working expenses 9.37d., the balance thus being 1.54d. The main expenses were incurred under the following headings :—Traffic, £2S,99; cost of petrol, oil, etc., £26989; general repairs and maintenance, £19,530; general expenses, £6,468; licences. £3,561.
The balance is carried to the net revenue account, where it is reduced to £11,196, after meeting interest on capital (£527) and income tax (12,260), the balance being transferred to the appropriation account. The reserve and renewals fund receives £8,856, and a contribution of £970 is made to the sinking fund, thus leaving a balance of £1,370 to carry forward. In passing, it may be mentioned that the reserve and renewals fund now stands at £12,686.
Daring the past year the buses ran an aggregate mileage of 2,180,240, 2,161,327 miles being revenue earning. The number of passengers carried was 8,532,763. When considering these figures it must he borne in mind that the average number of buses in use per day throughout the year was 52. At the end of March last, the buses were operating over a route-mileage of 117.59.
The average fare charged per mile on Huddersfield's vehicles was 1.06d., the average fare paid per passenger being 2.78d., whilst the average number of passengers carried per bus-mile was 3.91. The average miles covered per day per bus totalled 115, the average hours worked per day per vehicle being 11.41, whilst the average speed at which the buses ran was 10.09 m.p.h.
The actual borrowing powers sanctioned in connection with the bus section of the corporation's activities are represented by £18,780, and the whole powers have been exercised.
The corporation originally secured powers to run motorbuses and trolleybuses within the borough boundary so long ago as 1913, and a further Act of 1920 empowered it to provide bus services beyond the borough along certain routes in the West Riding of Yorkshire, as well as along other routes for which the consent of the local or road authorities, or the Ministry of Transport, had been obtained.
In the early part of 1929 the corporation purchased (jointly with Joseph Hanson and Son, Ltd.) Bower's " Blue and White Motor Services," whilst it may be recalled that, in the latter part of 1929, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Co. entered into negotiations with the corporation for the acquisition of an interest in the longdistance services which it operated.
During the period covered by the report the average number of trazncars in daily use was 103 and these vehicles covered an aggregate mileage of 8,344,723 and carried 41,187,053 passengers. The revenue from their operation totalled £241,149, whilst working expenses*ezmounted to £186,491. After meeting interest and sinking fund charges there was a balance of i119,113 to carry forward to the appropriation account.