Evening star., 1929-12-21
MOTOR BUS TRAVEL
SHOWING INCREASE
Steady Growth Indicated in
Number of Passengers
During Recent Years.
BY ]. c. ROYLE.
scial Dispatch to The Star.

special DlSpdLCn 10 Inc StbE'
NEW YORK. December 81. - More
than 1900, 100000 passengers will have
been carried in the year by motor
buses in the United States before 1929
comes to an end. Preliminary figures
now available indicate that this total
is conservative estimate. So wide has
been the expansion of passenger and
freight bus lines throughout the coun-
try that the greatest problem the nj
dustry faces today is the question of
interstate regulation of motor vehicle
transportation.
There are now approximately 100000
buSses in operation, of which about
10000 are used in carrying children to
and from schools. The common carrier
buses, which account for about $4,000
vehicles, transported more than l,600.-
600, 900 passengers.
Gain in Passengers.
More Americans are riding than ever
before and the gain is largely in the
motor transport field The street rail-
l5,850,000, 900 passengers this year and
this includes those who rode in buSSes
operated by the traction companies.
But this total is drop from 1923 and
shows only nominal gains over the
number carried 10 years ago. The
number of passengers carried by the
steam roads also has been almost sta
tionary. The increase in travel has
been captured, to a large extent, by the
automobile, operated either privately or
as a common carrier.
Capital invested in bus lines has
shown a steady growth from $236, 900 900
in 1925 to approximately $375, 100000 in
1929. In the same period gross revenues
of the common carrier busses rose from
$186 900 to about $480,000,0 900. The
electric railroads have combined bus
service with electric car service in hun
dredS of communities, but the outlook
for the fractions is still largely depend
ent on ability to raise sufficient sums
for expansion and improvements. The
electric railway companies, however, eX-
pect to spend fully $l49,000,000 in i'm
provementS and betterments in 1880
The growth of the taxicab habit has
been as rapid in the urban field as has
bus transportation in interurban traffic.
The taXicab has become an integral part
of the transportation system of every
city. 1t started in the luxury class, but
has progressed to use as a general con-
veyance. This has been accomplished
by improvement of vehicles and service
and lowering of prices.
When the first electric cabs were in
their glCry, there was one taXicab to
every 1900 persons In the United States.
No definite figures exist as 10 the mile
age travelled by taxicabs, but the driv-
erS in large cities count on covering
something like 1000 miles a week and
each cab is usually used by two drivers,
one on day shift and one on night
One company. operating fleet of
$500 taXicabS covered 40,427 ,682 miles
in the first half of 1929 and carried
16,100,674 passengers. This company
operates in four cities and now has
fleets totaling $3.50 cabs. 1t started in
1918 with 81 cabs, 81 drivers and one
garage. This will give some idea of the
growth Of the taXicab business.
Factor Of Roads.
Fleets of cabs now are being operated
in connection with airplane companies.
carrying passengers to and from landing
fields, in connection with railroads and
in connection with elevated and street
car lines. In addition thousands of in
dependent operators own and drive
their own cabs. 1t is roughly estimated
that there are more than $4,000 cabs
in the country. In this city there are
more than $4,000 cabs licensed to
operate. These cabs will take in, it is
estimated, about SITS, 1000. 900 this year
Total receipts for the country are con-
servatively placed at $400 100000.
Back of all improvement in bus and
cab revenues Is the basic factor of bet
ter roads and paved streets.