PURCHASE OF BUSES

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 129, 27 November 1926, Page 8

PURCHASE OF BUSES

THE EASTBOURNE PROPOSAL,

(To the Editor.)

Si rj —The entry of tho Borough Council into the motor-bus business is contemplated, and next AVednesday the ratepayers of Eastbourne are to bo asked to sanction tho purchase of the buses. Hio that there will be no misunderstanding on tho matter in the future, I, as a councillor, wish to place before the ratepayers my ideas on the matter and my objections to tho proposal. When tho matter was first mooted it appeared to me, judging by tho facts then available, that the purchase and control of the motor-bus services would bo a good investment for the borough. Since then I have been making inquiries into the cost of operating a bus service such as this, comparing the operating conditions when privately and municipally owned. I have come to the conclusion that owing to the. particular conditions pertaining to this service, such as the length of the run, tho traffic being practically all terminal loading, the small carrying capacity of each bus, and the small population to be catered for, it will, in my .opinion, bo impossible to make the buses self-supporting. This means that the ratepayers of Eastbourne will have, to be .rated to" make up the losses each year. -Passengers in wayside bays will demand that tho present time-table be maintained, and if it is refused they can put their own buses on tho road. This means that the Eastbourne Borough. cannot control' the bus service on the road, and therefore why should we shoulder another burden and not have complete control? If we provide the bus service, then we' shoulder all the responsibility, while we cannot rate or call oil.outside passengers to assist in making up the losses, exactly-the same as is the case with tho ferry service. Before the ratepayers sanction the' proposal the}' should demand^ that the fullest information be obtained and placed before them, of the cost of working a bus service under borough management, tho results of working a combined boat and bus service, the costs of installing terminal garages and a repair shop, the. annual amount required to' be set asido for depreciation, and maintenance of the buses and other plant, and the general cost for supervision. In order ..to guard . against similar mistakes with tho consequent loss of money that were made on the boats and the last bus adventure, it is imperative that a fully qualified manager be appointed to advise on the buying of the buses and plant and to take charge of the services, as'-the' present staff has, as far as I know,'-had no experience with a bus service. ._ This' man would not drive a'bus, and is an. additional charge on the buses, because the present owners drive tho buses. Really, the position-is that ratepayers are now asked to invest their money in a bus compauy with unlimited liability and they arc pledging their sections, and houses as a guarantee. I also wish to point out that a large sum of money has to be found very shortly to . pay off tho sum owing on the tennis courts and the property alongsido the pavilion. . Also that the rates have to be increased next year topay off the overdraft on .the ferry account.-' At the pace we are going, the borough will soon bo rated up to the maximum allowed by law, without the borough bqing provided with the greatest necessities for the health of the people, that-is, water and sewerage Systems. ■ In conclusion, I wish to point out that the Palmerston North buses, which aro working on short runs under ideal conditions and serving a large town, recently had to bo subsidised out of rates.' AVh at puzzles me is why tho present owners should allow _ the council to purchase the business if it is such n, .profitable undertaking.—l am, ClC "' COUNCILLOR R. G. HOLMES.