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Is Legislation Defeating Itself?

8th November 1935, Page 194
8th November 1935
Page 194
Page 195
Page 194, 8th November 1935 — Is Legislation Defeating Itself?
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

THE progress of the road-transport industry during the past year presents nothing of a spectacular character. We are, in fact, tempted to be epigrammatic and to say that the conspicuous feature, in sharp contrast to the history of recent years, is the absence of anything conspicuous. But that, like most epigrams, does less than justice to the truth. It obscures the fact that at the present time the industry is on the anvil, being hammered into shape. But what shape? That is the vital question.

In last week's issue will be found two tables extracted from the Fourth Annual Reports of the Traffic Commissioners, 1934-35, showing the number of public-servicevehicle operators, the number of vehicles owned, and the traffic in respect of passengers carried, vehicle-miles run, and revenue during 1934. At December 31 last there were 5,723 operators, compared with 5,936 at the end of 1933.

The number of vehicles owned by the operators was 45,746 at the end of 1934 and 45,396 at the end of 1933. This increase, however, is more apparent than real, inasmuch as the figures for 1934 include public-service vehicles seating fewer than eight passengers, whilst those for 1933 omit that class of vehicle.

Discrepancy in Totals.

It should also be observed that the 45,746 vehicles owned at the end of December last is not the number of vehicles that was in service. That number was actually 38,051— in other words, operators had 7,695 vehicles laid up. Considering the time of year to which the figures relate, that may be regarded as a " peak" number. At September 30, 1934, for example, only 2,004 vehicles were laid up, whilst 44,340 were in service.

The tables already referred to show the number of vehicles owned by each operator, and the figures deserve examination. Their significance is hardly likely to be overlooked by any reader of The Commercial Motor; nevertheless some simplification of the table may be worth while.

As indicating the large extent to which the small owner enters into the activities of the industry, it may be noted that there are 5,318 operators (as against 5,515 in the previous year) owning fewer than 10 vehicles each. It may be further noted that the 405 operators remaining collectively own 33,463 vehicles, equal to 73.14 per cent, of the total number of coaches and buses. In the 'previous year the proprietors (421) of fleets exceeding nine vehicles collectively owned 32,846 machines, equal to 72.36 per cent.

Fleets Growing.

The facts can be expressed in another way. In 1933, the average size of the fleets owned by the small proprietors (those with fewer than 10 vehicles) was 2.27 vehicles, and in 1934 2.31 vehicles. Among the larger owners, ranging from the proprietor with 10 vehicles to the London Passenger Transport Board with over 6,000, the average size of fleet was, in 1933, 78.02 units, and in 1934, 82.62 machines.

Both sets of figures illustrate the trend of development— the gradual elimination of the smaller owner and his absorption into the organizations of the larger operating concerns, municipal and company.

Municipal participation in the road passenger industry is a matter of increasing importance. At December 31, 1934, local authorities, including joint committees of local authorities and railway companies, owned 6,160 velsicles, or 13.47 per cent, of the total number of public service vehicles. The n40

percentages in 1933 and 1932 were 12.73 and 12.10 respectively, from which it is apparent that local authorities ale increasing their interest in the industry not merely in actual numbers, but also in proportion to the interest of private enterprise.

The latest returns indicate that in all respects--available seating capacity, passengers carried, miles run and reyenue earned—local authorities are rapidly enlarging their share of the total volume of traffic—mainly as a result of the conversion of tramways to motorbus operation.

To round off this section—the passenger department—of our statistical survey, it can be recorded that last year (1934) the number of passengers carried totalled 5,721.8 millions (an increase of 297.8 million passenger-journeys), paying £60 million in fares (against £58.1 millions), the vehicle-miles can being 1,345.6 millions (compared with 1,313.0 millions).

What are the emergent conclusions from the mass of statistics available? In the first place, it is clear that the business of transporting passengers is making steady progress in all essentials. Further routes have been opened, new communities served, increased mileagerun, more passengers carried and larger revenues earned. It is, in sober fact, a remarkable story of growth, but we have fallen into the habit of taking it for granted. It has been accompanied by the usual crop of absorptions and amalgamations, by running agreements between municipalities and companies, by further and important developments in the traffic " pool – idea, by a growing sense of corporate responsibility among the smaller owners observable in the larger number now assuming the obligations of the Companies Acts, in the formation of representative associations and by improvement in the design, equipment and maintenance of vehicles.

More Miles Per Vehicle.

To what further inferences should we call attention? One at least—that operators are demanding an ever-increasing annual mileage per vehicle in service. In 1932, the average • mileage run per annum per vehicle was 32,200, in 1933 32,500, and in 1934 it had grown to 32,700.

The heavy burden of taxation makes increased vehiclemileage essential. At the same time, we are not blind to the truth of the statement that, in a number of cases, the co-ordination of services following the absorption of small operators has given rise to complaints regarding the inadequacy of the curtailed facilities provided. These complaints are not confined to any particular locality and, at times, there does appear to be a tendency for operators to reduce the frequency of their co-ordinated services too drastically.

One of the Traffic Commissioners has called attention to these facts and has recorded the opinion "that mileage should be eliminated only by a gradual process and then not until it has been ascertained by experience and careful study of the needs of the area served, to what extent the service can be reduced without inconvenience to the travelling public, whose needs must be the first consideration. The last part of that sentence indicates a belated recognition, on the part of the Traffic Commissioners, of the dangers attending the policy which, in the early days of their being, they did so much to foster. It appears to us, from the latest reports of the Traffic Commissioners, that quite a number of them is indulging in second thoughts.

We have already seen from the statistics that many small operators are being eliminated. From the remarks of the Commissioners (and all of them say much the same thing), must we go farther and draw the conclusion that the Act

of 1930 is in danger of defeating itself; that, in certain quarters, some of the larger operators are felt to be growing too efficient, too influential, too powerful?

• So far, our attention has been devoted to the passenger side of the road-transport industry, •but the goods side is no less important. At August 31 last, licences current in respect of goods vehicles totalled 402,697 (compared with 392,364 a year ago). An increase of over 10,300 vehicles in 12 months is a convincing proof of vitality. What proportion of the total number is to be Credited to the haulage industry is still not precisely determined.

In the meantime, the lack of figures precludes the possibility of our dealing with this side of the industry in anything like the same detail as we have with passenger transport, but mention Must be made of two events which concern both branches.

The first, in point of time, was the establishment of a Road Transport Board for Northern Ireland and for the transfer to that Board of various road-transport interests. The facts And the circumstances surrounding the formation of the Board have already been fully reported in The Commercial Motor. All that is now necessary in this survey is to record that under the Act which created it, the Board is empowered " to secure, in conjunction with the railway companies, the provision of a system of transport by road, railway and other means in Northern Ireland which (a) is properly co-ordinated, and (b) gives efficient, economical and convenient transport services to the public."

The second event falls nearer home. The Road Haulage Association and the Motor Hirers and Coach Services Association have amalgamated into a new body known as the Associated Road Operators.


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