INCREASED RIVALRY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 12, 5 September 1931, Page 4

INCREASED RIVALRY

("Post" Special Commissioner).

EXPANSION IN MOTOR SERVICES DESPITE • DEPRESSION TELLING FIGURES

WELLINGTON, Thursday. Notwithstanding the depression, there was a • considerable expansion in the motor transport services running over defined routes during the year ended March 31, 1931, statfes the annual report of the Transport Department, which has been presented to Parliament. ' The number of vehicles engaged increased from 2172 in January, 1930, to 2430 in January 1931. • f The following figures summarise the positioii for-the year 1980-31 as compared with 1929-30: —

These figures are in striking contrast to similar figures for the railways over the same period, as giv6n hereunder: —

♦Excluding motor transport services.Rail Business Decrease "While rail transport business during the year showed recessions in both the passenger and goods branches as well as in total "operating reyenue, organised motor transport showed substantial gains in the volume of goods business and total revenue, and a slight decline in the number of passengers handled," states the report. "Freights handled by coastal shipping during the calendar year 1930 showed a drop of 3 per cent. from the figure for 1929. "The outstanding. point dmerging from the foregoing figures is that the economic law of substitution, which 'is inevitable in economic progress, is particularly to be observed in the field of transport to-day. ^he plairi fact appears to be that organised road motor transport is rapidly gainirig ground, while the rail and coastal shipping facilities are barely holdiiig their position. It is true that the presept depression has caused a shrinkage in the national yolume of bofh goods and passenger traffic, and the fact that the motor transport business has expanded in spite of this drawback is evidence of the dynamic conditions in the industry," The report also shows an increase in the number of motor-omnibuses. Omnibuses running on routes substantially parallel to railway routes carried 8,100,000 passengers, an increase of 100,000 over the precedirig year, while the receipts totalled £413000, as against £380,000 for the preceding year. Those which ran along routes not parallel with railway lines carried 16,700,000 passengers, and the total receipts were £334,000, against £356,000 for the preceding year, The number of service cars for the year ended March 31, 1931, was 564, and the number for the preced'ing year 523. The number of passengers carried was 1,240,000, agaiiist 1,220,000, and the receipts rose from £507,000 to £539,000. The average service car ran 2000 more miles in 1930-31 than in 1929-30, and 100 less passengers for , a drop of £13 in total receipts. Of the 564 service cars operating in January, 1931, 260 were running on routes that paralleled the railway. The operations of these vehicles during 1930-31 accounted for 11,000,000 miles, of 67 per cent., out of a total vehicle mileage for all service cars of 17,300,000; 705,000, or 5 per cent. of the total service car passengers (1,240,000) ; and £327,000, or 61 per cent. of the total receipts for service cars (£539,000). The annual receipts from these vehicles operating qn routes that do not parallel the railway increased by approximately 10 per cent, in 1930-31 as compared with 1929-30, while that from vehicles operating on routes that parallel the railway increased by 4 per cent.

Freight Services In the earlier stages Qf the development of motor transport passengqr and goods services on defined routes, passenger services developed more rapidly than the freight services. Recent years, however, have witnessed increased organisation in the freighthaulage business, with rapid increases in the number of time-table services over defined routes. The number of vehicles employed on these routes during the year ended March 31, 1931, was 1160; the monthly average number of trucks (including all classes from small delivery vans to the heaviest types) licensed during th^. same period was 25,294. These trucks on the organised services ran 11,700,000 miles during the year, and carried 1,038,000 tons or freight for a revenue of £708,000: Compared with the preceding year, these figures show gains of 19, 18, and 8 per cent. respectively.

Motor freight services along routes which substantially parallel rail routes carried 354,000 tons, as against 326,000 tons for the preceding year, and the receipts rose from £276,000 to £292,000. The report points out that, on the basls of total receipts,approximately 60 per cent. of the organised motor freight business is located on routes unserved by the railway, and that the average length of haul is considerably shorter on these routes th^in on those paralleling the railway. This is in contrast to the case of both Gmnibus and service car services, where the services on routes paralleling the railway account for more than half of the busi- ' ness. ih-Ijmh iwi,*! ■ inni .■■■JiMiwiarwwpi

Item 1929-30 1930-81 No. of vehicles • 2,172 2,430 Vehicle mileage 40,300,000 45,700,000 Passengers carried 26,500,000 26,000,000 Goods carried (tons) 900,000 .1,053,000 Receipts £1,947,000 £2,031,000

Item 1929-30 1930-31 ■Ord. rail passengers* 8,469,038 7,265,912 Season tickets 667,132 600,440 Goods carried (tons) 7,796,209 6,963,073 Revenue* £7,473,993 £6,781,388