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Total figures are appended below:-
TERMINAL THROUGH TRAFFIC.
No. of Passengers
Revenue
UP
DOWN
417,353 UP 526,644 DOWN
TOTAL
943,997 TOTAL
SECTIONAL THROUGH TRAFFIC.
.§ 921,918.00 1,066,709.00
.$1.988.627.00
.8 246,816.00 262,042.00
No. of Passengers
Revenue
UP
DOWN
153,536 UP 160.725
DOWN
314,261
TOTAL
Total Terminal & Sectional-1,258,258
TOTAL
..$ 508.858.00 Total Revenue $2,497,485.00
17. Local passengers conveyed during the eleven months were 596,292; revenue from this source amounting to $530,610.00. Owing to shortage of rolling stock and difficul- ties of maintenance, it was only possible to run a curtailed local service during most of the period, and this affected the number of passengers carried. The service was improved on November 16th and still further improvements were made on March 1st. 1947. There was also intense road competition as numerous lorries operated on the Taipo Road, and although not licensed to carry passengers, most of them did so. Representations were made to Government for a tightening up of control over these lorries and it is hoped that these representations combined with the increased service will result in a rise in revenue. There was also a decrease in the New Territories population in the early months compared with pre-war years, as many who left for free China during the Japanese occupation only returned gradually.
The open-
ing of a road in Chinese Territory from Tamshui to Man Kam To Bridge also affected rail travel as numerous passengers, who prior to the war travelled to Tamshui and Waichow via the Railway to Taipo and thence by launch to Sha U Chung, were diverted to the new Bus Route.
was
18. Through goods traffic amounted to 184,236 Kilos., revenue earned being $690,053.00. The bulk of this cargo conveyed on behalf of UNRRA, commercial firms, and Chinese Government Organizations such as the Ministry of Communi- cations and the Canton-Hankow Railway. The amount of goods traffic carried was restricted owing to shortage of wagons and locomotives and non-return of wagons from Chinese Territory where they were used as covered storage. In other cases this non-return was beyond the control of the
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Railway Authorities as frequent military movements north of Canton resulted in the commandeering of goods wagons. Mercantile firms also laboured under great difficulties as the rapid decline in the value of Chinese Currency, and various Chinese Government restrictions imposed from time to time on imports and exports made normal commercial trading difficult. Down goods traffic was very poor being practically confined to vegetables and farm produce. Since December this traffic has ceased due to difficulties experienced by the vegetable merchant in Canton with the Customs and Railway authorities over examination of cargo. Details of up and down traffic are given below:-
Up Traffic
Down Traffic
*Ministry
of
Communications U. N. R. R. A., Canton-Hankow Kilos. Revenue Kilos. Revenue Railway, Other Chinese Gov- *182,923 $679,877.00 1,313 $10,175.00 ernment Depts. (Military etc.)
Commercial.
19.
Receipts from local goods traffic amounted to $48,680.00 the quantity conveyed being 7,260 Kilos. This was consider- ably less than prior to the war due to a variety of circumstances, chief among them being marketing and control of vegetables by Government who arranged direct conveyance from the New Territories to the market by lorries, the lack of fishing in the Taipo area owing to shortage of junks, and road competition.
20.
RATES AND FARES.
Prior to the cessation of through traffic in 1938, fares could normally be divided into two classes, those applicable to local traffic and to stations on the Chinese Section other than Canton, and the purely terminal fares in operation between Kowloon and Canton. Owing to intense river com- petition, it was necessary to keep these latter fares at a very low level indeed in order to attract passengers to the Railway. Since the re-occupation of the Colony and the re-opening of the Railway, competition by river companies, due to lack of shipping, has greatly declined, and the result has been that the train accommodation available has been taxed to the . uttermost. It was therefore possible to abandon the employ- ment of special low terminal through fares, and to apply the normal fares in operation to local stations and sectional stations to all terminal passenger traffic with an additional charge of 20% for travel on the Express trains. It will thus be seen that economic conditions have resulted in a complete reversal of pre-war methods for the time being, and whilst the comparatively high fares prevailing has not deterred passen- gers from travelling, it is realised that eventually reductions for terminal traffic will have to be made when river competition becomes more intense. Passenger fares varied
46.