THE FIRST TOWN TO ABOLISH TRAMCARS,
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Keighley Town Council's Decision to Replace its Tramway Undertaking by a Trolley-bus System.
KEIGHLEY is likely to lay claim to be the first town to abolish tramcars in favour oi trolley-buses, the Keighley Town Council having, by a unanimous vote, decided to apply to the Ministry of Tre.nsport and other Government departments concerned for powers to run trolley-buses on tha existing routes in the borough and on routes upon which the council have ruaning powers lnit have not laid down track. The council approved the removal of the tram rails and authorized the Highways Committee to proceed with the work of reinstating the roads' with a view to the whole of the roads being maintained as main roads by the West Riding County Council.
The success of the service in Birmingham with trolley vehicles designed by 'tailless, Ltd., has led to this drastic step being taken in view of the serious position of the tramways undertaking, due to the bad condition of the track at the present time, and the necessity for an expenditure heavier than the undertaking can bear, not only on repairs to permanent way, but on the repair of the road for a distance of 18 ins. on each side of the track. An expert opinion is that of the six miles .of route operated at least 2 miles need relaying, the foundations.being in a very bad state. This would necessitate an expenditure of £29,200 at present-day prices. Further, other portions of the track would cause heavy expenditure in the way of 313,ainterrance estimated at £1,500 per year, together with an annual expenditure of £2,000 for renewals. These two sums to be provided annually, together with interest and sinking _fund on the £29,200, would mean that £6,150 would have to be raised every year in respect to the track -expenses. This is a sum which Keighley cannot afford, it is. pointed out.
In the adoption of trolley-buses it is proposed to purchase six double-deck buses, convert five single-deck vehicles of a type now in use in the trolley-bus services in the borough, but which are no longer in service, and purchase three new single-deck vehicles, in addition to converting the esisting overhead equipment. In taking up the rails, it is estimated that the cost will be £2,000, but that there will be a credit of approximately £2,790 for the sale of the rails. The borough engineer has given an estimate of £12,000 for putting the road into condition again, but it, is thought that the work can be carried out for less. In installing the new system it is estimated that £15,060 would lee spent en the six double-deck, covered-top trolleybuses, £3,640 on converting the overhead equipment, £4,800 on converting the live trolley-vehicles not now in use, and £4,350 spent on five new single-deck hoses. This estimate puts the total east of £27,850, as against the £29,200 on the reconstruction of the n miles of track alone.
The estimated receipts and expenses on the railless system in the borough and on the two routes in the out-districts now worked by Cedes 'soilless vehicles is put as follows :—Income: In the borough (new service), £10,660; Sutton and Cross Roads routes outside the borough, £6,000. Expenses: Interest and sinking fund on cost of new installation (£27,500), £4,038; interest on present Cedes installation, £2,922; working expenses on new Tailless installation, £10,770; working expenses on present Cedes system, £4,960. The total income is thus estimated at £25,660 and the expenses £22.690. This shows an estimated net profit of £2.970 after paying capital charges on the new railless undertaking, and this profit would cover the capital charges, on the superseded tramway undertaking.
In view of the drastic step which is being taken, it is interesting to compare. the figures given in the annual report of the manager of the Keighley Corporation Tramways (Mr. C. Jackson) for the year ending March 31st last, especially
as the department has in service. not only the trams but selfless vehicles and petrol motor omnibuses. An apportunity to contrast the working costs of the three services is thus provided, although it should be remembered that the conditions under which the three services work are somewhat different. The cars run on three routes, which radiate from the centre of the town. The trolley vehicles act as feeders at the termini of two of the ,routes and run into the out. districts, while two motorbuses are kept en a route to the outlying district of Oakworth, which presented a severe test for the trolley-buses owing to the heavy gradient.. The trolley-buses in use are not of the type which it is proposed to adopt in the centre of the town, being the only ones of their kind in this country having revolving motors in the back wheel. In respect to the tramways the borrowing powers have been exercised to the extent of £48,677 and on the trolley vehicles to £21,301, while the capital expenditure on the motorbuses was £3,125. The amount of debt out. standing on the tramways at the and of the year was £15;249 and on the trolley vehicles £10,925. Thf ,motorbuses were only purchased,aelittle everia,iyear ago. The purchase,price is to be extinguished in six years. Last year a balance of £131 was brought forward, and this year £520 was transferred from the net revenue account to the capital account. In the year under review the tramways showed a net profit of £1,429, after paying off all sinking fund and interest charges, while the railless shows a, loss on the revenue account of £1,710, which, after allowing for sinking fund and interest and taxes, reveals a net loss of £4,468, the receipts on the undertaking amounting to only £3,389. The motor omnibuses showed a netsprofit of £1,604. The running costs and traffic'revenue are of particular interest. On the tramcars the total revenue amounted to 19.997d. per car-mile, on the trolley vehicles 18.097d., and on motorbuses 28.038d. The working expenses, inclusive of power costs or petrol, were: Tramcars, 15.751d. per car-mile; trolley vehicles, 27.229d., and motorbuses 17.466d. The average number of passengers per carmle were : Trams, 15.91 • trolley vehicles, 5.55; and motorbuses, 02.
Undoubtedly track and road maintenance costs were responsible for the derision to abolish the tramcars, but the principal reasons which influenced the decision in favour of the trolley-bus rather than the petrol-bus was that the trolley-buses of the Birmingham type have covered tops and would thus enable heavier loads to he carried in wet weather, and with trolley-buses it is possible to use energy from the corporation's electriciter station rather than purchase petrol. The cost of electricity is 1.75d. per Board of Trade Unit, and on cars 1.72 units per ear-mile were consumed as compared with 1.18 units per ear-mile in the ease of the trolley-buses. On the buses 4.65 miles were run to a gallon of petrol.