Transportation Costs

expendituie viz. Rs. 65,591. Calculating on a mileage
basis, this works out at 9 pies per mile. The share of
Administration, Management and Control and Repairs,
Renewals and Eeplacements work out to 2 and -4 pies per
mile respectively. Tolls are responsible for a further
2 pies per mile.

The average salary of a driver varies between Rs. 20
and Rs. 50. There were 162 of these on the U. M. S.
besides conductors on a pay of Rs. 10—20 per month.
In Travancore there are regular scales of pay for the
various incumbents. There, the starting pay of a driver
is Rs. 30 increasing by annual increments of two rupees to
Bs. 40. The pay of conductors scale is Rs. 25—1—30. Prom
a study of the existing conditions in this Presidency, Rs. 30
may fee taken as a rough basis for drivers and Rs. 15 for
conductors. In certain undertakings, usually operating
long distance routes, as in North Malabar, the drivers are
paid on a daily basis. In the Punalur-Quilon Motor
Transport Service, a driver is paid Rs. 1-12-0 per day.
Needless to say, as there is no guarantee of continuous
employment, the wages have to be sufficiently high.
Similarly, for a conductor, the daily wage is 12 annas.
There are instances in certain undertakings like the
0. M. S. where efficiency is repaid and encouraged by a
system of bonuses. In the welcome address presented to
Mr. G. T. Boag on the opening of the bus station at
Palladam, the Managing Agent of the U. M. S. averred
that twenty to thirty thousand rupees are spent annually
on bonus.

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