MUNICIPAL BUS WORKING AT NEWCASTLE.
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Some Details of the Corporation's Profitable Enterprise, as Revealed by the Annual Report for the Past Year.
AGROSS surplus of £16,001 and a net surplus of £1,530, after meeting interest and loan-repayment charges, is, in short, the financial outcome of the' operation of the Newcastle Corporation's bus system during the 12 months ended March 31st, 1928. This important undertaking, the development of which was fully described in a recent issue of this journal, has, in the course of the past three years, grown into one of the largest of its kind in the country. The corporation now has a thoroughly up-to-date fleet of about 70 machines,
which work on between 70 to 80 miles of routes in and around the city.
Perused in conjunction with the results of the past two years—since the scheme of modernizing the fleet was embarked upon—the current report tells a tale of steady and continuous progress. The following, table shows the manner in which both the number of passengers carried and the total mileage covered have increased since 1926:— In short, the corporation buses have carried almost two and a half million more passengers in the past year than in that which ended in March, 1926.
According to the annual report and financial statement of the corporation transport undertaking, the total revenue in respect of the bus section was £90,273, representing 9.394d. per mile, compared with 10.470d. per mile for the previous year. Working expenditure aggregated £74,272, or 7.7294. per mile compered with 8.215d. per mile in 1026-27. The working expenses were made up as follows :—traffic expenses, £38,826 (4.041d..per toile), petrol, oil, etc., £14,280 (1.4864. per mile), general expenses, £2,694 (.2804. per mile), and maintenance and repairs, £18,472 (1.922d. per mile).
Out of the gross surplus of 116,001 the following payments were made:— interest on loans, £3,294, repayment of loans, £10,128, and income tax, £1,049, leaving £1,530 to be transferred to the appropriation account.
The present fleet of the Newcastle Corporation consists of Dennis, Daimler, Guy and Associated-Daimler singledeckers of different capacities, and a number of enclosed-top double-deckers of Associated-Daimler make. The latter are used for express routes and during rush periods on the new coast road between Newcastle and Tynemouth, where there is a heavy volume of traffic at week-ends and holidays.
Municipal Passenger Transport at Grimsby.
Prom the recently issued report of the tramways department of the Grimsby Corporation dealing with the working of the municipal passenger transport system in the year ended March 31st last we gather that the gross profit on the tramways was £11,049, on the trolley-buses £4,445 and on the petrol-propelled buses £402—a total of £15,896. The corporation has only recently purchased petrol buses, and its services by such vehicles were only commenced in November last.
The revenue account for the trolleybuses shows total income at £13,968 and expenditure at' £9,523, whilst for the petrol buses the income was returned at £2,443 and the expenditure at £2,041. The total number of passengers carried during the year was 13,414,689, of which 451,871 were carried by the petrol vehicles. The petrol bus services have not been running sufficiently long to be able to judge the ultimate results, .but, according to Mr. X. C. Whiteley, the tramways manager, they certainly meet a long-felt want by
tapping a thickly populated area which, prior to the institution of the services, has been entirely uncatered for.
The Grimsby Corporation possessed 30 tramcars, seven trolley-buses and six petrol buses at the end of March last, the route mileage served by the'vehicles being 2.86, 1.50 and 2.50 respectively. In the year under review the tramcars ran 481,700 miles, the trolley-buses 221,488 miles and the petrol buses 59,550, the average miles per vehicle per day being 93 for the tramcars, 151.3 for the trolley-buses and 149 for the petrol buses.
Combined French Road and Rail Traffic.
What One Paris paper describes as Locarno of the rail and road is being systematically evolved in France; trains and Motor coaches are being run in the closest collaboration. The coaches in use are, as in Great Britain, becoming more and more luxurious.
The Nord Railway, in order to make
it possible to visit in a single day all the most picturesque piles along the north Channel coast, is now running in co-operation with the Societe des Transports Automobile's de la Somme a regular service of motor coaches between Le Treport, Le Touquet and Calais, and vice versa. Vehicles leave at 8 a.m. and arrive at 7 p.m. and the price of the whole run, including lunch at a leading hotel at Paris Plage, is 120 francs, and for the journey only, without lunch, 83 francs. A price of 40 centimes per kilometre is charged for sections of the journey ; 10 kilogs. of luggage are allowed free. This new coast service by road motor fills a notable gap in the railway service, which does not follow the coast, and should be very popular with British visitors as well as with the residents.
Swiss Motorbus Results.
The engineer of the municipal tramways and motorbus organization in 'Zurich, Switzerland, has sent us a copy of the returns relating to the running of the fleet of sixsingle-deck buses which were put in operation at the beginning of August, 1927, down to the end of June last. It shows that the number of passengers carried during the 11 months was 1,019,118, a monthly average of 92,647. At first the public did not seem to be altogether iii favour of the buses, the average monthly total during the first five months amounting to only about 90,000. The initial period of uncertainty has, however, been overcome, , a monthly average of over 100,000 passengers having been carried during the quarter ended June last. The receipts, which for the 11 months amounted to 241,051 francs, or approximately 19,640, are also improving, the last three quarters' returns being as follow :—OetoberDecember, 1927, , £2,488; JanuaryMarch, 192S, £2,458; April-June, 1928, £2,840.
As against nit increase in the number of passengers and receipts, the average takings per passenger show a decline from approximately 2.41d, in the first five months to 2.33d. in the six nienths ended June last, and from 1 franc 451 centimes (about 13.9d.) to approximately 1 franc 30 centimes (130) per vehicle-mile.
Swansea's Action Against Offending Bus Owhers.
The Swansea Town Council is conducting a campaign against certain bus proprietors whose vehicles are alleged to ply for hire in the Swansea area, although they are unlicensed to do so. It is stated by the council that proprietors licensed by the authorities of -adjoining areas, but refused licences by the Swansea Watch Committee, run their vehicles into the town.
A few days ago three proprietors running vehicles from outside areas were proceeded against on accumulated summonsea at the Swansea Police Court, and fines amounting to £102 16s., including costs, were imposed on them for offences in this connection. Strong protest was made by counsel appearing for the defendants against the council having accumulated the summonses instead of proceeding case by ease, as the alleged offences were detected.