Operating Aspects of
Page 48
Page 49
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Passenger Transport
WHO SHOULD TAKE OVER SERVICE?
THE hearing of an interesting appeal by the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., against decisions of the East Midland Traffic Commissioners •relating to the bus service on the Leicester-Evington route was concluded last week. • Mr. E. S. Herbert appeared for the company and for Mr. -Errington, of Messi-s. •Errington's Bus Service,' who appealed igsunstthe grant Of a .licence to .-ILeiceSfer. ,Corporation to ; run between Leicester and Evington, Mr. Herbert submitted that the proper course iiould haVe been to, grant the application of the Birmingham concern to take over Mr. Errington's servicebetween Evingto,n and Leicester; to grant the application to take over the Illston service, subject to a condition giving the corporation protection from Norwood Road, which Mr. Errington was still affording ; and, thirdly, to refuse to allow the corporation to extend its service from Norwood Road to Evington.
Mr. A. M. Lyons, He., M.P., for the municipality, said :—" Mr. Errington has been operating this service (to Evington) for some time, and it is manifest that he is willing to discontinue this service on terms. If Mr. Errington is stopping his service, we are the natural successors."
Mr. Herbert claimed that the corporation was seeking to do something that had never been done on any other route in Leicester, namely, to run out to the new city boundary and obtain protection from that point. It was the Birmingham concern that approached Mr. Errington, said Mr. Herbert, and the fact remained that a contract had been drawn up between the two parties, and not between
.Errington and the corporation.
LONDON TRIBUNAL'S LAST SITTING.
OI-IN Monday the London Passenger Arbitration Tribunal held its last sitting. Since it commenced its activities, nearly three years ago, the Tribunal has authorized total payments by London Transport, in respect of the transfer of 65 bus undertakings, of 22,295,395 in cash and £2,566,056 in stock.
isg8
RESTRICTIONS are to he imposed. upon fantail tours in the SouthEastern Area, as a result of the hearing by the Commissioners of applications from Yorkshire and South Lancashire operators for the backing of licences covering a large number of extended tours from the north.
The Commissioners state that the number of inclusive tciurs licensed in •
the area and the maximum .number of vehicles permitted appear to have increased at least tenfold since 1933, and, ow-big to The development of tile fantail tour, competition with loeal operators, and with the rail and express services, may have increased to an even greater extent.
It was explained to the Commissioners at the hearings that the reason for the sudden and rapid development of fantail tours was to be found in the raising of the speed limit for coaches to 30 m.p.h., under the Road Traffic Act, 1930.
• Restrictions Necessary.
" The Commissioners . . . are satisfied that some restriction must be placed on the development of inclusive tours. of the fantail type," it is an
nounced. "They compete unfairly and • wastefully with the services of local operators of excursions, who depend for their livelihood on catering for the needs of holiday visitors. They also compete directly with the services• of the railway companies and of expresscarriage operators . . ."
The Commissioners feel thaethere is considerable force in the argument that a person who wishes" to spend a holiday of some duration at a distant resort should travel by rail or express service, and at his destination by local excursions. They appreciate the value attached to preserving the spirit of a "family party" and to the possibility of quoting an inclusive fare covering all the normal expenses of a holiday. These advantages need not, however, necessarily be sacrificed because use is made of the services of a local operator.
Even greater weight is attached to the argument that the concentration, in the hands of the same operator, of both long-distance work and local excursions, makes it possible to offer to workers in the industrial areas facilities at cheaper rates.
"But," add the Commissioners, " the results of creating wasteful competition and of encouraging the operation of unnecessary services, taking the wider view, may prove so harmful to the public interest as greatly to outweigh any possible advantages to a particular section of the travelling--public."
'-Commenting on the suggestion of certain objectors that the operation of extended tours should be restricted to the quantum actually run in 1934, the Commissioners state: " It is a form of restriction that is illogical in itself and which becomes more illogical and less defensible with the lapse of time."
-The fact that an operator ran a fantail tour in 1933 and 1934, or even an occasional tour of this type in the days prior to the raising of the speed limit, provides, in the Commissioners' view, no justification for allowing him to continue to do so.
if operators of fantail tours cannot show that they wish to offer some additional facility, which, in itself, meets a reasonable public need, the Commissioners propose not to allow them to run more than one local excursion from any centre in the Area.
Only One Local Excursion.
The "Commissioners would welcome the taking of this matter to appeal. Accordingly, they propose to attach a condition to the licences of Mr. J. H. Robinson, Yelloway Motor Services, Ltd., Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., and Crosville Motor Services, Ltd., stipulating that " not more than one local excursion shall be operated by the holder of the licence from any centre in the South-Eastern Area."
In other respects the licences will be backed in the terms approved in the primary area. Should the matter go to appeal, the Commissioners would be prepared to withhold the proposed condition pending the Minister's decision.
As regards all other applications now before them, the Commissioners are willing for the current season to back whatever licence is granted in the primary area.' Towards the end of the• year they propose to review the back ings of licences for extended tours.
LATEST MUNICIPAL BUS RESULTS
THEfollowing are the latest results, of municipal transport operation during the past year
Middlesbrough. The net profit rose from
£7460. in 1934-35 to £24,575 fast year, The gross profit. at k421,55r, Was 115,346 higher: than in the previous year. The total receipts amounted to £99,417—an appreciable rise on the previous year's result--whilet working ex, pen.ses dropped from 166,012 to £56,866. The working' cost per him-mite was 8.01.3. last year
and 8.9.3. in 1934-35. • The number oi 'passengers carried rose from 14,750,000 to 16,250,000, the mileage run showing a decrease of 71,322 to 1,707,9.38. After paying £16,839 in connection with the tramways debts, the department still showed a surplus of 17,736. The general manager is Mr. Frank Lythgee,
Leigh. Piloted by Mr. 3. Atherton, A.M.Inst,T., general manager, the municipal transport department. earned a gross profit of 113,755 (12,161 lese than in 1934-35.1, the net profit being 11,354 (£1,889 less than a year earlier). The figure set aside for depreciation and renewals has, however, been increased by £545.
Last year, operating costa, at £43,085. worked out at 9.08.3. per bus-mile, compared with 139,648 and 8.46d. respectively a year earlier. The number of passengerscarried increased from 6,577,473 to 6,922,243, whilst the 'mileage rose from 1,125,039 to 1,137,74,8. The corporation Ileed Leyland and Crossley buses, including a number of oilers.
Ipswich. The transport committee reports a net surplus of £3,374 on the buses and a deficit of 13,247 ors the tramways.
Leicestar. The passenger-transport department showed a profit of 118,156 on the trams and buses. The surplus is to be devoted to the purchase of new buses. Last year's surplus was 14,944. The balance-sheet showed a. profit on the trams of £3,505, compared with a deficit of 1555 a year ago, and a surplus of Z14450 on buses, compared with a surplus of 15.499, Total receipts from the trams were .8273,184, and from the buses 1146,436, the aggregate from the two sources of 1419,620 being £14,6418 more than in the previous year. Tram pass.engers totalled 45,975,188 and bus •passen_ gets 22.798,7,96, the combined figure of 68,773,984 being an increase di 2,515,487 over the previous 12 months' result.. Trani .mileage was 4,085,300 and be mileage 2,552,164. The aggregate, 6,637,464, was an increase of 136,536 over the previous year's figure.
THE "ODD MAN" EARNS THE PROFITS.
" IF every bus last year had always I carried one passenger fewer, there would have been practically no profit at all . . . . it is the `odd man in every bus who earns the whole of the profits for the company."
This remark, emphasizing the narrow margin of profit on which bus companies work, was made by Mr. J. S. Austen, chairman of the British Electric Traction Co., Ltd., at the company's 40th ordinary general meeting. Nevertheless, the company's profits for last year showed an increase of £32,000 on the previous year's figure and, for the first time, the gross receipts topped the £500,000 mark.
BIG "THAMES VALLEY" STRIKE.
LAST Sunday, 'some 600 employees of the Thames Valley Traction Co., Ltd., took strike action in connection with their request for higher wages and improved conditions. The drivers asked for a rate of 1s. 4old. an hour (instead of 1s. 2d., rising to 1s. 44. after 10 years' service, as at present), conductors is. 3d. (instead of 1s. 24. rising to is. 3d.), and cleaners is.
The men, not having returned to work by 10 a.m. on Tuesday, were regarded as having vo1untaril3r terminated their employment.
Licences were granted by the Traffic Commissioners for duplicate services to be ran by ,other operators.
Special 'arrangenients were made by the local operators and the railway companies to miniinize" inconvenience to the public a.nd particularly to those visiting Ascot for the races.
BRISTOL CO. TAKES OVER.
A T midnight on Friday last, the PA-Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co-, Ltd., officially took over control of Gloucester Corporation's bus undertaking on a 21-year lease.
STRICT CONTROL OF TROLLEYBUSES.
AS foreshadowed in The Commercial 111-ntor, a Select Committee of the House of Commons has prepared a report advocating the control of trolleybuses by the Traffic Commissioners.
Anticipating a wide extension of the operation of trolleybuses, the Committee points out that, as the Conunissioners are not authorized to licence trolleybuses, there may be a lack of coordination and possible hardship to owners of competing public service vehicles.
A report advocating the replacement of trams by trolleybuses has been presented to Belfast Tramways Committee by Majcir R. McCreary, general manager, of the undertaking.
HIGHER WAGES FOR 260,000 WORKERS
AS from the first full pay period of July, 260,000 municipal transport operatives are to receive, higher wages. As the result of negotiations by the National Joint Industrial Council, adult drivers and conductors will be paid an extra 2s. 6d. a week, and conductors under 21 years of age, and other adult grades, an additional is, a week. These terms have been approved by the executive committee of the Municipal Tramways and Transport Association.
An appeals committee is to be appointed to consider appeals from undertakings which have recently increased wages, or claim that they cannot pay the higher rates. Before the appeals committee's recommendations become operative, they must be endorsed by the committee which has negotiated the general settlement Sir John Timpson, J.P., has been appointed chairman of the appeals committee, and Mr. T. McLean vicechairman.
ACROSS ETHIOPIA BY COACH.
ACOACH service across Ethiopia will shortly be available, writes -an Asmara correspondent. The traveller landing at Massawa will find a comfortable coach ready to take him to Asmara, whence he will be able to conthine his journey to Adowa, Makalle, Dente and Addis Ababa. The journey from Massawa to Addis will take live to six days.
The coaches will have two separate classes, one for European travellers and one for the natives. The.charge will be approximately per mile for Europeans and about id. per mile for the natives.