BUSES TO REPLACE TROLLEY-BUSES.
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Details of Proposals of the Tees-side Railless Traction Board.
TMPORTAINT proposals relative to _Ube replacing of trolley-buses now operated by the Tees-side Railless Traction Board by a fleet of up-to-date motorbusea at a cost of £14,000, were put forward at a meeting of the board on Tuesday last. The general manager, c44 Mr. J. B. Parker, reported to the meeting that the time was now particularly opportune for reviewing the system in its entirety and its future iirospects. He estimated a further deficit on the running of the trolley-buses this year. This deficit, he said, was occasioned
by the increasing competition which the undertaking is suffering at the hands of private bus companies. The chief difficulties facing the undertaking were the limitation of its area both by the route-length of the overhead equipment and by Acts of Parliament and the old stock now comprising a large part of the fleet.
He suggested that the remedy was for the board to purchase eight modern 40-seater motorbuses at a cost cif approximately £14,000 and to dispose of 16 of the old-type trolley-buses. The five modern machines should be retamed for the time being, together, of course, with the overhead equipment. The trolley vehicles, he contended, should be employed for the purpose of supplementing the bus services.
A New Central Garage for Cardiff's Buses ?
The Cardiff Tramways Committee has had under review the possibility of effecting an economy in the working of the municipal bus and tram services. With regard to the bus services, the report presented to the committee showed that in the two months to June 30th last the traffic receipts had increased by £401, in comparison with receipts during the corresponding period of 1927. The corporation now runs 75 -buses as against 66 in the comparable period of 1927, and the increase in the bus wages bill was £2,745 for the two months.
It was decided to adjust the servicee to meet certain adverse conditions in connection with unemployment through trade depression, to reduce mileage and to ask . the drivers and -conductors to work three-quarter time so as to avoid the need for dismissals.
Mr. Horsfield, the tramways manager, drew attention to the fact that £2,000 per annum could be saved on the bus services in administrative costs if more centralized service and office accommodation were provided. The city engineer's recent plans for a central building for this purpose, -with equipment, were based on an estimated cost of £120,000. In view of the need for economy, Mr: Horsfield drew attention to the, garage for 100 vehicles recently erected at Chesterfield at a cost of £26,000, and he thought a similar building could be erected at Cardiff.