TRAMWAY STATISTICS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1866, 27 September 1913, Page 14

TRAMWAY STATISTICS.

NAPIER'S REMARKABLE RECORD. Evon the most- pessimistic residents of Napier arc-beginning to feel enthusiastic about the future of the now borough enterprises. The tramway returns aro surprising, and tlie , traffic seems to havo settled down now to a steady tiling. People who declared that they would never uso tho cars are to lie seen standing at the Post Office regularly ovcrv evening waiting to pay their penny and ride up the hill, and once tlie tram habit is formed it is not easily broken. Elsewhere in this issue the daily returns for the first fortnight arc given. Samo additional statistics havo 'been prepared by Mr. Callaghan, tlio traffic manager,, and arc of exceptional interest. The principal figures are as follow-:— Passengers Carried. First week 35,589 Sccond week 28,541 Total for 2 weeks... 64,130 • Earnings. £ s. d. First week .'. 239 13 10 Second week ......... 185 14 4 Total 452 8 2 ■ Car Miles Run. Miles. First week 2.197 Sccond week .■■■! 2621 Total ; 4818 Receipts Per Car Mile. First week • 26.18 d. Sccond week 17.00 d. Average for fortnight 21.19 d. Receipts Per Car Hour. First-week 14s. Od.

Second weok' 9s. 9d. Averago for fortnight lis. 9d. . The operating expenses cannot yet bo arrived at, as it has not heen possible to ascertain v/hat proportion of tlio powor-liouse expenses will bo chargeable against' tlio tramways aiid what against tho electric lighting, sewage pumping, etc. Tho wages bill and general expenses of tho tramways work out at about Bd. or 9d. per car mile,' and an outside cstimato of tho charge for power would bo 2d. per car mile. This' would make in all, say, lid. per car mile. "It will thus bo soon that tlio operating expenses on this basis will absoru billy about two-thirds of tho receipts talcen during the second week of the service, when tho traffic had settied down to something approaching its normal proportions.' If this really romarkablo return can be maintained, the 'Napier tramway system should bo aoout tho most successful in New Zealand. Two weeks' running is; of courso, too short a period on which to baso estimates as to tho future, but tho indications are that Napier borough will make money, and not lose it, on its trams.