Operating Aspects of
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PASSENGER TRANSPORT
ALL NEWPORT TRAMS TO GO SOON?
NEWPORT (Mon) Town Council has deferred its decision on the replacement of trams by trolleybuses or oil-engined buses. It is desired to replace the trams completely by April next, and it is understood that, in order to do so, the question must be decided definitely this month.
The electricity and tramways committee has asked the council to replace the trams by oilers, in preference to trolleybuses. Reports on the subject emphasize that the new transport system will have to liquidate the outstanding debt on the tramways, amounting to £50,629. The cost of completely replacing the trains by trolleybuses is estimated at £78,698, and by oilers £52,050. Estimates show that deficiencies in the next few years would, in the case of trolleybuses, be: 1938, £4,598; 1939, £7,330; and 1940, £3,212. If oilers were used, the annual deficits would, it is anticipated, be: 1938, £5,807; 1939, £8,538; and 1940, £4,419.
The Coal Utilisation Society has passed a resolution " deploring" the possibility of oilers being introduced, instead of trolleybuses, which, in the production of their current, would assist the coal industry.
OPERATORS AGAINST BATH STATION.
STRONG opposition to the confirmation of an Order appointing the Riverside parking station, Bath, as a public service vehicle station, was expressed at a Ministry of Transport inquiry, last week.
Bath Corporation made the application and was opposed by Bath Tramways Motor Co., Ltd., Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co., Ltd., and others.
The chief constable admitted that the site was not ideal, but pointed out that it was the hest available. In preliminary negotiations, a rental of £500 a year for the station had been suggested.
C28 The opposition suggested that the site was inconvenient to the public and was dangerous. The fact that the corporation was :thinking -of spending £50,000 on new bus stations suggested that doubt might be 'created as to the present proposal.
TROLLEYBUSES TO TURN TIDE?
PORTU SMOTH'S last tram is ex.pected to gO in a few days, The tramways are being abandoned in favour of trolleybuses, and it is hoped.. that the new transport system will bring about fresh prosperity.
47 BUSES FOR NEWCASTLE. TWENTY-FIVE more trolleybuses 1 were recommended to be purchased by Newcastle-on-Tyne Transport and Electricity Committee, last week, to replace the trams on the Welbeck Road and Stanhope Street route, The aggregate cost is £63,000.
It is expected that the bodies will be M.C.W. products and the chassis will be supplied by the A.E.C. (9), Guy (8), and Karrier (8) concerns.
Twenty-two oil-engined buses to cost about £44,000, are also recommended to be purchased, as follow; all the chassis, Daimler; 13 M.C.W. allsteel double-deck bodies; 5 by the Northern Coachbuilders concern, and 4 by the English Electric Co., Ltd. The last-named will be of. a special lowloading type for the Ponteland service.
£24,600 PROFIT AT STOCKPORT.
AST year Stockport Corporation's transport undertaking made a net surplus of £24,645, compared with £22,457 a year earlier. The report for the year ended March 31 last shows gross revenue at £220,031 (£212,882 in 1934-35) and working expenses at £184,839 (£178,925 a year earlier).
Gross profit rose from £33,957 in 1934-35 to £35,192 in 1935-36. Reserves stand at £23,560.
The corporation has 61 buses and 83 trams. The buses covered 1,920,900 miles, carrying 14,072,993 passengers. The average cost of fuel per bus-mile was 2.143d. in the case of petrol vehicles, and 1.087d. for oilers.
CONCESSIONS TO MEMBERS OF FORCES
T"principle of giving members of H.M. Foices reduced fares on buses was supported at a sitting, at Aberdeen, of the Northern Scotland Traffic
Commissioners. An application for reduced fares for the workers of Fife Electric Power Co., Ltd., was refused. After hearings in Perth and Dun, • fermline, as well as at Aberdeen, the Commissioners gave their decision in an application by W. Alexander and Sons, Ltd.; Simpsons and Forresters, Ltd.; General Motor Carrying Co., Ltd., and Wemyss and District Tramway Co., Ltd., for authority to continue concession fares to members ot H.M. Forces and employees of the Fife
Electric Power Co., Ltd. The Pitlochry Motor Co., Ltd., applied for concession tickets for H.M. Forces only.
Mr. Riches said that the Commissioners were satisfied that the concessions were, in fact, a legacy which the companies took over on the acquisition of services. The concessions had been continued without authority being sought from the Commissioners. Men of the Forces travelling on duty on Government warrant will receive a discount not exceeding 25 per cent. of the usual fare.
On Monday, the Southern Scotland Traffic Commissioners dismissed several applications for the renewal of authority to issue concession tickets to employees of electricity undertakings. The applicants expressed the view that there were too many concessions and that they would welcome some restriction.
BOURNEMOUTH COACH TRANSFER.
BOURNEMOUTH Corporation has been supported by the Ministry of Transport in its proposal to remove excursion and tour coaches from the Square, where they have long been a familiar spectacle. Last week-end, they were transferred to another site, to the disappointment of the operators.
GREEN TURNS RED
D °MANCE of a Leicester bus underINtaking is revealed by the terms of sale of the Leicester and District (Green) Bus Co. to the Birmingham and Midland (Red) Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., for £90,000.
The business was started 17 years ago, on a capital of .£600, with a chain-drive bus operating between Leicester and Skegness. When it was taken over by the Midland company it was operating 23 vehicles over various routes.
The Midland company has taken' over all the services, except that from Leicester to Loughborough, which will be acquired by Mr. C. II. Allen, of Mountsorrel.
In exchange, Mr. Allen has made over his Soar Valley service from Syston to Leicester to the "Midland Red," which now has a monopoly of this route.
Mr. F. H. Gerard, who started the Leicester business, is proud of the fact that in the 20,000,000 miles which his buses have travelled, there has never been a fatal accident. Mr. Gerard will continue tne commercial-vehicle sales portion of the undertaking.
DECISION RESERVED IN TRAMREPLACEMENT CASE.
DECISION was reserved when .1.-/Lytham St. Anne's Corporation applied to the North-Western Traffic Commissioners, last Friday, for licences for bus services to replace the tramways,
It is proposed to operate certain of the services in conjunction with Blackpool Corporation. Mr. W. Chamberlain, chairman of the Commissioners, said that they would give their decision after hearing Blackpool's application for the necessary running powers. If the Blackpool application succeeded, Lytham St. Anne's application would lie granted, TRENT WORKERS WANT HIGHER WAGES.
INCREASED wages and improved working conditions, involving compensation for wasted time occasioned by spread-over duties, are being sought by employees of the Trent Motor Traction Co., Ltd. At present, drivers receive from Is. lid. to le. .3d. an hour; adult conductors, Is. Oid. to Is. 2id. an hour; washers and cleaners, Is. an hour; and greasers, is. id.