BUSES FIRMLY ESTABLISHED AT COLCHESTER
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The First Complete Year's Working of Buses Since the Abandonment of Trams Reveals a Useful Profit THE year ended March 31st, 1931, was the first in which Colchestez Corporation relied solely upon motorbuses for meeting local passenger-transport needs, the tramcar services having been completely abandoned in the previous year. That the vehicles are giving a good account of themselves and proving popular is clearly borne out by figures contained in the recently issued annual report of the general manager of the B38
municipal transport undertaking, Mr.. W. H. Soulby, Minst.T.
During the past year the buses were operated at a gross profit of £6,123, a sum which is sufficient to pay £1,356 for interest on loans and £3,760 for the repayment of loans, leaving a balance of £1,007, the actual net profit, when bank interest is included, being £1,051. In the previous 12 months, when buses and trains were working in conjunction, the net profit was £1,828, a sum £1,500 higher than the profit of the previous year, in May of which the bus services were inaugurated. The revenue account shows that income totalled £32,990 (12.44d. per busmile) and operating expenses 1.26,867 (10.13d. per bus-mile), repairs and ffiaintenance accounting for 15,170 and petrol for 14,510 of the latter.
In the year the buses covered an aggregate mileage of 636,140, as compared with 570,132 for both trams and buses in the previous 12 months. The number of passengers increased by 460,467, the figure for the past year being 4,082,672. The buses are being used on eight distinct routes, the average traffic receipts on them ranging from 4.97d. per bus-mile to 16.30d. per bus-mile.
As a sidelight on the growth of the travelling habit, it is-interesting to note that 37 per cent, of the number of tickets issued during the year (4,682,672) was in respect of 1d. fares. The average fare paid per passenger was 1.61d.
Colchester Corporation runs a fleet of 23 buses, 19 being of Dennis make and 4 A.E.C.s, 10 vehicles being 4S-seater double-deckers. During the past year the average number of buses in use per day was 17, and each vehicle worked an average of 12.14 hours per day, covering 104.43 miles per day. The gross capital expenditure on the municipal bus system up to March 31st amounted to a sum of £38,583..;