Eastern National Told Fares Increase Bid "Premature"
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AT a resumed hearing in Cambridge last week, the Eastern Traffic Commissioners refused the majority of fares increases applied for by the Eastern National Omnibus Co., Ltd. They granted Southend Corporation's application, however, for increases affecting almost half the present fares. The Joint Traffic Committee of Essex Local Authorities objected.
For Eastern National, Mr. M. A. B. King-Hamilton, Q.C., said the reasons for both applications were the wage award and increased National Insurance costs, which would mean total additional expenditure in a full year of nearly £150,000.
Mr. E. T. Mather, for Southend Corporation, said that the increased wages and costs would mean a loss to them of £11,850 in the current year. The increased fares, however, would raise the revenue by £27,950 in a full year.
For the local authorities, Mr. S. W. Hill said that although the Corporation needed increases, the .company might not. "It would be very serious indeed if a small increase were given to Southend fares, and the company thereby had increases 10 times that size, simply to maintain uniformity of fares. Eastern National would be granted increases not because they needed them but to keep them in line with the Corporation."
Mr. B. A. Francis. Town Clerk of Chelmsford, submitted that apart from the Southend area there was no need for the company's fares to go up. Their estimates showed a trading profit of over £217,000 for this year, "which I have little doubt the Commissioners will find sufficient."
The chairman. Mr. W. P. S. Ormond. said: "We feel that on the figures available it would be premature to grant the full fares increases applied for by Eastern National."