LT: Lords to decide
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HREE DAYS have been set aside next week for the House of Lords o consider the Greater London Council's appeal against the Appeal :ourt's judgement that its fares subsidy to London Transport is legal.
The Council lodged its appeal ist week, and although the Law ords already have a full list of ases arranged which would ocupy them until early next year, le importance of the Fares Fair earing (CM November 14) de-landed its early consideration. The GLC's decision to cut LT
bus and underground fares by 32 per cent and levy a supplementary rate to pay for the reductions was condemned by the Court of Appeal, led by Master of the Rolls, Lord Denning, as unfair and an abuse of power.
Last Tuesday's unanimous ruling by Lord Denning, Lord Justice Oliver, and Lord Justice Watkins, was a victory for the Conservative-controlled Bromley Borough Council in its legal battle against the GLC's public transport policy.
But the judges granted the GLC leave to challenge their decision, and the appeal will involve a detailed examination of the GLC's powers under the 1969 Transport (London) Act which transferred LT to the GLC's control.
LT, which is continuing to charge the low fares meantime, says it could take until April to convert its underground ticket machines to accept increased fares. Together with the awesome task of packaging the increased fares in a marketable form it ccold result in LT fares rising by as much as 200 per cent if the Lords uphold the Appeal Court decision.