FIXED RAILS.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19463, 9 November 1928, Page 5

FIXED RAILS.

WILL ULTIMATELY DISAPPEAR. The opinion that fixed rail transportation will ultimately disappear from city and suburban areas is expressed by Frank E. Fageol, the well-known American omnibus expert, in an article in the San Francisco "Examiner." He considers that it will take 20 years to make an appreciable change. Beferring to relative running costs, he says: "Our experience teaches us that the actual direct cost per mile of operating a modern 'bus of large seating capacity is about the same as the direct cost of operating an electric car. But since there is a difference in the total investment per transportation unit between the modern 'bus and the street car of about 1 to 2J (a 'bus unit with all garage and service equipment costs about £2BOO, as against about £7OOO for a street car unit, including tracks, overhead, etc.), there is necessarily a difference in interest charges and amortisation anywhere from 2d to 3Jd per mile in favour of the motor-bus.

"Therefore, if our present large transportation companies will, when a considerable portion of any piece of track needs replacing or repaving, replace that entire line with modern 'buses, using the good cars removed on remaining trunk lines of the system, and then use this saving of 2d to 3£d per mile as a sinking fund, we feel that practically the entire street car investment can be amortised and returned to the owners in a period of 15 to 20 years. "Regarding inter-urban 'bus service, it is apparent that the modern, large capacity motor coach is going to play a very large part as a practical substitute for the majority of fixed rail local transportation lines between cities, perhaps even up to distances of 200 to 300 miles. To-day, with large modern 'buses, it is posible to operate proiitably a 'bus line when there is a fair density" of traffic at an average fare of Id per 'bus mile. Eventually, if the present situation is any criterion, most inter-urban 'bus fares are going to settle down and around this figure.