ROAD MOTOR SERVICES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 252, 7 October 1932, Page 5

ROAD MOTOR SERVICES

GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT. THE HASTINGS-NAPIER ROUTE. The annual report of the N.Z. Railways Board refers to road motor services as follows: — The year’s operations resulted in a loss of £2,951, as compared with a loss of £5,841 in the previous year. Details of the loss and fluctuations in revenue and expenditure are set out hereunder: 1931-32 1930-31 Decrease £ £ £ Revenue .... 72,740 103,348 30,608 Expenditure • 75,690 109,190 33,499 Variation -£2,950 -£5,842 £2,891 It is to be noted that the loss as above tabulated is calculated after interest has been debited on the capital invested in the services. The results of operating the NapierHastings service were as follow: — 1931-32 1930-31 Decrease £ £ £ Revenue ... 12,146 12,505 359 Expenditure 12,646 16,259 3,613 Loss £5OO £3,754 £3,254 The passenger journeys totalled 370,514, as compared with 359,469 in the previous year, an increase of 11,045, the increase being confined to intermediate passengers. The through traffic between Napier and Hastings was subject to severe competition by a fleet of taxi-cabs, and the receipts from the Department’s service suffered accordingly. In view of the competition, steps were taken to reduce expenditure, and the mileage was reduced during the year by 56,096 bus-milds. The taxi competition has now ceased, and satisfactory financial results may be expected from the future operations of this service. A loss of £978 is shown in the operations of the Hutt Valley service.