The Latest Municipal Bus Results
Page 29
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LEEDS BUSES BEAT TRAMS FOR FIRST TIME.
THE past year's accounts of Leeds Corporation's transport department show that, for the first time, the buses have made a bigger net surplus than the trams—£13,434 on the buses, against £13,126 on the trams. The total net surplus, £28,560, is about £2,000 less than the previous year; it would have been much larger but for special contributions out of revenue.
Taxation swallowed up £95,431, whilst local rates absorbed £39,991, and £15,553 was paid in income tax.
Whilst the buses made a larger net surplus than the trams, the £236,833 gross profit on the trams was much larger than the £53,216 gross profit on the buses. The reduction in the net surplus on thp trams is mainly due to liabilities in connection with the abandonment of worn-out tram tracks.
The number of passengers carried reached a new high record of 1 7 4 , 000 , 000 , an increase of over 6,000,000. The amount paid in fares represented an average sum of 37s. Will per head of the population, against 36s. 5d. in the previous year. The mileage of trams and buses was 831,000 more.
Mr. W. Vane Morland, the general manager, stated that the oil-engined fleet had now "completely outpaced" the petrol vehicles in economy of operation and for sheer efficiency of service and freedom from operation defects, notwithstanding the high efficiencies previously obtained from the modern petrol-engined fleet.
EASTBOURNE'S £6,000 PROFIT.
DURING the past municipal year, .Eastbourne Corporation's bus undertaking wOrked at a net profit of £6,026, against £5,060 a year earlier. The gross revenue .amounted to £80,448 (£80,176 in 1933-34), whilst the total expenditure, excluding loan charges and other special expenditure, stood at £64,640 (£66,186 a year earlier). From the gross profit of £15,808, loan charges of A9,782 were deducted. The reserve fund amounts to £18,319, and a contribution of £3,500 to the rates was made during the past year.
The buses, which are principally of Leyland make, .carried 13,797,729 passengers, and covered 1,290,093 miles, both figures being an increase on those for the previous year.
FIRST PROFIT IN 10 YEARS AT HALIFAX.
FOR the first time in 10 years, the Halifax motorbus and tram undertakings have made a profit—thanks to the buses. The figures for the financial year ended March 31 last show that the net profit attributable to the corporation on the bus undertaking, run jointly. with the railway companies, is £8,695, and on the municipal buses the net profit is £12,380. On the tramways there was a loss of £19,421.
TROLLEYBUSES DO WELL AT :IPSWICH.
IN the year ended March 31, 1935, 1 Ipswich Corporation enjoyed a satisfactory 12 months' working with its trolleybus fleet of 55 vehicles of Ransome and Garrett makes. The gross surplus on the year's operations was £19,072, income having totalled £82,934 and working expenses £.63,862, the surplus contrasting with £16,988. in the prelhous year, when 47 vehicles were in service: After meeting capital charges, the balance to be carried to the appropriation fund was £5,261.
The trolleybuses are operated over a route mileage of 19.62 and, during the past year, an aggregate mileage 'of 1,645,056 was worked, the number of passengers carried being 14,564,915. NET BUS SURPLUS OF £28,000 AT NEWCASTLE.
,A SATISFACTORY feature of the Pi past year's working of the transport department of Newcastle-uponTyne Corporation is the continued improvement in traffic receipts, the total of £687,811 being an increase of £22,028 over the previous year's figure. The Undertaking carried an aggregate of 104,742,362 Passengers, which is about 5,750,000 above the . figure for 1933-34.
The corporation operates over 100 buses,, mainly of Daimler and A.E.C. makes, and their operation brought in an income of £220,691, working expenses having totalled £154,837. From the gross surplus of £65,854, interest and redemption and other charges, amounting to £37,705, have to be deducted, so that the net surplus comes out at £28,149, which is more than double that of the previous year.
The bus undertaking has made marked headway during the past five years. The aggregate number of miles covered in the past year was 3,995,056, whilst. 27,082,882 passengers were carried. During the year the corporation bought 14 new oil-engined buses, 10 of them being single-deckers. In this period it also sought and obtained Parliamentary powers to substitute trolleybuses for the vehicles in use on the Denton Burn-Wallsend route, at present served by trams and buses.
LYTHAM BUSES PROFIT.
T"past year's returns of Lytham St. Annes municipal bus undertaking show a net profit of £865, compared with £1,632 a year ago. Revenue amounted to £15,557, against £14,624, and expenditure to £14,462,
against £12,734. •
On the tramways, however, there was a net loss of £5,524, compared with £4,858 in the previous year.