SUBURBAN BUS SERVICE.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 October 1917, Page 6

SUBURBAN BUS SERVICE.

TRAMWAY ENGINEER'S REPORT. The borough tramways engineer, Mr. R. H. Hartley, has submitted for the consideration of the council the following report: RE PROPOSED VOGELTOWN MOTOR BUS SERVICE.

In any passenger transport service there are four outstanding essentials, viz.: Frequent service and reliability, demanding reliable and adequate plant. Moderate charges, demanding ample scope for business (population), comfortable travelling (in the case of motor buses, good roads). It will therefore be seen that in the proposed service two buses will be necessary, one being chiefly a stand-by. The capital cost of a suitable petrol motor bus would not be under £I4OO landed in New Plymouth. Interest at 51/2 per cent., £77; depreciation at 20 per cent., £280; sinking fund at

1 per cent... £l4; fire insurance at £3 JOs approximate, £SO; overhead charges £421. Mileage per year (estimated), 32,000. Therefore the capital charges per 'bus mile are 3.15 d.

Running costs and maintenance per annum: Fuel, 10 miles to the gallon (average) 3200 at 3s, £480; wages, motormen, two at £3 10s per week, £364; tyres, £200; repairs and maintenance, £220; lubricants, £SO; cleaning, £3O; traffic expenses and management, £80; housing, £3O; total £1454. Running and maintenance costs per mile, lO.fld; therefore total costs per mile, 14.05 d. In considering the Vogeltown route, in which we have a long and heavy grade, also rough road conditions, it would not, in my opinion, be safe to estimate the total costs per mile at less than Is 6d. This would then allow for overhead charges on the second bus required to ensure reliability. A moderate charge per passenger fare per mile should not exceed 2d; it will therefore be necessary to carry an average of 0 passengers per mile to make the system self-supporting. This is a very high average to expect a suburb like Vogeltown to support, and I have no hesitation in saying that it cannot be done. The best that can be expected is an average of 2 or 3 passengers per mile, and this would show a loss of £I6OO per year. My calculations for the mileage are allowing an hourly service, that is 60 minutes headway, or approximately 10 journeys in either direction per day for six days a week. It will be readily seen from the figures given why petrol-driven motor buses will not pay except in densely populated areas, and where the grades are light and the road conditions are good. In many towns in England petroldriven buses arc being replaced by electric storage battery vehicles, and, according to recent records, these are doing well and proving more, economical. It has become quite practical to operate these electrically propelled vehicles over 100 car miles a day. Owing to the far greater reliability of the electrically driven bus over the petrol bus, it has been found possible from experience to carry on a service with each vehicle run> ning not less than 07 to 98 per cent, of the maximum possible, and in applying this in the case in question one bus with a spare battery would suffice. The cost compared in the same manner as the petrol bus is as under: Capital cost of bus complete in New Plymouth, £1500; spare battery £450, approximately; total, £1950; interest at 5y 2 per cent., £lO7 ss; depreciation at 12% per cent., £243 15s; sinking fund at 1 per cent., £l9 10s; fire insurance at £3 10s per 100, £6B ss; total, £438 15s. Mileage per year, 32.000. Therefore the capital charger per mile, 3.29 d. Running costs and maintenance per annum: Electric power at 2 units per mile at iy 4 d per unit, £333 Cs 8d; wages two motormen at £3 10s per week, £364; tyres, £9O; repairs and maintenance, £4O; lubricants, £3; distilled water and electrolyte £5; cleaning, £10; traffic expenses and management, £80; housing, £2O; total £945 6s Bd. Running and maintenance costs per mile. 7.09 d; total cost *per bus mile, 10.38 d.

It will be clearly seen that not even can the electric-driven bus show a reasonable prospect of being self-support-

ing. This route will not materially assist the tramways, as it cannot be termed a feeder, and should any proposition be considered with motor buses it could only be deemed a temporary expedient as ultimately the tram system must go to Vogeltown, and can be run at a total cost of 7d to 8d per route mile.