BUS VERSUS TEAM

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 68, 29 September 1928, Page 26

BUS VERSUS TEAM

AN AMERICAN VIEW The opinion that fixed rail transportation will ultimately disappear from city and suburban areas is expressed by Frank B. Fagcol, the well-known American omnibus expert, in an article in tho "San Francisco Examiner." He considers that it will take twenty years to mako an appreciable change. Referring to relative running costs, ho says: "Our experience teaches us that the actual direct cost per mile of operating a modern bus of largo seating capacity is about the same as the direct cost of operating au electric car. But sinco there is a difference in the total investment per transportation unit between the modern bus and the street car of about 1 to 2 J (a bus unit with all garage and service equipment costs about £2800, as against about £7000 for a street car unit, including tracks, overhead, etc.), there ..is necessarily a difference in interest charges and amortisation anywhere .from 2d to 3M per mile.in favour of tho motor-bus. Therefore, if our present largo transportation companies will, when a considerable portion of any piece of track needs replacing or rcpaving, replace that en-

lire lino with modern buses,.using tho good cars removed on remaining trunk lines of tho system, and then use this saving of 2d to 3Jd per mile as a sinking fund, we feel that practically the entire street car investment can be amortised and returned to tho 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 possible to profitably operate a bus line when there is a fair density of traffic at an average fare of Id per bus mile. Eventually, if tho present situation is any criterion, most inter-urban bus fares are going to settle down and around this figure." Failure to put a lock-nut on the tire valve stem will cause the valve stem to pull out of tho tube, ruining tho tube.