The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-02-27
Bus Industry Earned
$4,000, 900 In 1881
,726 900, 900 Passengers Road Total of lO,88S,OOO
Miles-Tax Outlay Is Millions

New York-The highway motor
carrier industry in 1881 trans
ported 1, 726.0OO,o00 paying pas
sengers 1888, 100000 miles and
earned $31O,O0O,O0O. Intercity op-
erations were the chief source If
revenue for the industry last year.
Bus operating companies in the
Unite States number $3.50, ac-
cording to the publication. The total
compares with 5,875 companies in
1890 and includes 4,944 independent
operators; PSI electric railway COM
panies and SIS steam railroads. The
number Of buses in public carrier
service at the end of 1881 number
ed 45,4O0, an increase of $50 over
1880. The total is divided into
three groups. including 14.O50 in
city service; 28,35O in intercity serv-
ice, and 5000 operated by sight
seeing lines.
Interstate lines earned less than
$4,000, 900 Of the total revenue of
the bus companies last year. Buses
in interstate service, operated by
$40 companies, carried 38 million
passengers u total distance of g.
$50, O0O,0 900 miles. These companies
operated $500 buses over 10000
miles of route extending to all of
the states and paid taxes totaling
$5,040,000 In 1881.
Miles OF route covered by the
buses in public carrier service last
year totaled 100000, as compared
with 367, 900 in 1880. OF the total
Nf fndonnndanf rn
tors served 1850; bus lines owned
by electric railways served 1860;
and lines owned by steam railroads
operated over 1900 miles of route.
or the total route distance, 10000
miles are in cities; 356.400 in inter-
city service, and $4,000 miles in
sightseeing service.
Volume Of bus traffic fell off in
the course of the year from to 8
per cent. The 1891 total of 1,726,-
900, 900 passengers compares with
1884, 100000 in 1880. The average
fare paid by each passenger
amounted to slightly more than IT
cents. The average rate Of fare per
mile last year was 2.85 cents. This
compares with 2.89 cents in 1880
and three cents in 1929. BY far the
largest proportion Of bus passen-
gers in 1881 completed their rides
within the boundaries "f the COM
munities in which they originally
boarded the buses. There were in
all 1926, 100000 of these city pas
sengers. Intercity service bus lines
collected 395.000.000 fares while
100000 persons patroniZed the
sightseeing buses of the nation.
Exclusive of revenue-earning
buses in operating last year, there
were $500 buses in school serv-
ice. These served 1900 schools;
operated over 100000 miles of
route and carried 500,000,000 pas
sengers In 1881. as against 100000
900 in. 1880.
Manufacturers delivered All
school bus bodies in 1881. a total
higher than any other year on rec
ord. The Independent bus compan-
les purchased 1868 buses In 1881,
as compared with 2,755 In the pre-
vious year; electric railways bought
1,148 last year. as against 1,614 in
1880, and steam railroads acquired
Is new buses in 1881. In all. the
companies carrying passengers for
hire invested $25,000,000 in new
equipment in 1881.
Statistics Of the entire bus in
dustry. including public carriers
and school buses, indicate that
there are $4,000 operating compan-
les. as against 23.490 In 1880; 9S,-