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South Wales Commissioners Asked to Defer Ruling on Multiple Fares Applications
BECAUSE the Minister of Trankport had not given his decision on the
appeals lodged last year by the local authorities against fare awards made to South Wales bus companies the South Wales Traffic Commissioners were asked to reserve decision on the multiple fares applications presented to them at Pontypridd, on Monday.
Applications for increases throughout the country have continued to be granted by Traffic Commissioners. Amongst grants made are those to East Kent Road Car Co., Ltd.; Thames Valley Traction Co., Ltd.; United Counties Omnibus Co., Ltd. and Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd.
Applications were made at Pontypridd by the Western Welsh Omnibus Co., Ltd.; Rhondda Transport Co., Ltd.; United Welsh Services, Ltd.; Red and White. Services, Ltd.; South Wales Transport Co., Ltd., and J. James and Sons, Ltd.
Mr. Geoffrey Hocking, clerk to the Llantrisant Rural District Council, representing 42 local authorities, who objected, asked Mr. Idris Owen, chairman, for decision to be reserved until after the Minister had given the result of an earlier appeal.
He said that he did not intend to call witnesses because in this particular instance they would not oppose the applications if the increases were designed solely to balance a wage award. But, he added: "There is no weakening in the resolve of the local authorities to oppose strongly any future attempts to increase fares above a reasonable level."
Mr. F. A. Stockdale, for the companies, emphasized that the increases were sought only to recover the bulk of expenditure incurred as a result of wage increases, which became effective in May. Be strongly objected to the suggestion that decision on the present applications should be reserved. "This is not a case which should be delayed out of respect for the Minister's decision," he declared.
"Catastrophic Effects" The Commissioners were being asked to deal with a situation which would have catastrophic effects on the affairs of the Western Welsh company if not remedied at once, he said. In the case of this company, added costs which would total £205,100 in a full year were faced. Of this figure increased wages_would account for £197,400.
The application, which sought to adjust the fares structure of stage and express services and excursions, would produce a net £207,500 per year and give a yield of 8.86 per cent. on the capital of £2,264,697 employed. If the application were refused a yield of only 1.29 per cent, could be expected.
The company proposed to introduce five new single fares which would affect some 345 services. They proposed to withdraw weekly tickets where the new adult fare was less than 9d. They also advocated that monthly and quarterly season tickets, where the adult fare was less than Is. Id.. should not be issued.
58 They believed that the gap between added costs and extra revenue this year of £171,548, if the increases were granted, could be bridged by further economies. 'One-man operation would save £10,000 and a further £4,000 would be saved when the bridge on the Cardiff-Penarth road had been completed to allow the use of double-deckers.
The case was scheduled to continue throughout this week.
Children's Services Costly The " appalling " cost to the Thames Valley Traction Co., Ltd., of carrying children to and from school at peak periods was outlined to the South Eastern Traffic Commissioners, at Reading last week, by Mr. John Stevenson. traffic manager, when the company sought a revision of fares designed to produce £97,000 of the £116,800, which the recent wages and hours awards will cost the company.
A 10 per cent, reduction in the mileage scale, a rounding-off of children's half fares to the nearest penny above and a change in the minimum stage from 3d. to 4(1,, for which season tickets would be issued, were applied for. In addition it was proposed to transfer seven remaining routes from a " sub-standard " scale to the general scale and increase season ticket rates, for scholars aged 15-18, from half the adult rate to two-thirds.
An objection to the scholars' season proposal was maintained by Berkshire County Council and seven urban or rural district councils, but objections to the application as a whole, which had been lodged by several authorities, were withdrawn.
Dealing with the objection, Mr. Stevenson said: "We feel that to ask for one-sixth more from these season tickets is a very modest request bearing in mind the appalling cost to the company of carrying this class of traffic."
Efforts to obtain staggering of school hours had met with little success, he said. Only two schools in the entire territory had staggered hours after being told that the company had reached the end of its resources. Local authorities did not favour children being carried under contract at an economic rate, as it would cost them a great deal more than paying for the scholars' season tickets, he alleged. Asked if they had considered every possible source of revenue, Mr. Stevenson said of private hire: "Jungle law dominates that." Excursion and tour work was a declining side of their business, he added. Express operation would be the subject of a separate fares application which they hoped would produce another £67,000 a year.
Some 32 per cent, of their mileage was unremunerative. Their policy, had always been to preserve services, and, in fact, they had yet to surrender a single licence. So far as possible that policy would continue.
*Thames Valley Succeed Granting the revision as applied for, Mr. H. I. Thom, chairman, said the Commissioners had no hesitation in saying that the money was required. They considered that the extra burden on scholars' season fares was not unwarrantably high. The Government had said that education authorities should bear the cost of scholars' travel and therefore that burden should not be laid in part on the rest of the travelling public.
The new rates come into effect today.
The South Eastern Traffic Commissioners, at Canterbury on Monday, granted an application to increase fares by the East Kent Road Car Co., Ltd., after objections lodged by local authorities had been withdrawn.
The application was made on the ground that the recent wage award would cost the company £128.000 in a full year. Mr. Thom said that the company were asking the travelling public to contribute only £92,000 of that amount. No fare would be increased by more than 2d.
United Counties' Rise
Fares will be increased by the United Counties Omnibus Co., Ltd., following the grant of an application by the East Midland and Eastern Traffic Colntnissioners, at Northampton last week.
The company's representative, Mr. W. R. Hargrave, said that the recent wage award would cost about £160,000 a year, but they expected to recover £105,000 as a result of increased fares. They proposed to absorb the balance. Nobody. he said, would have to pay more than id. extra for a single journey, subject to taking a return, weekly or season ticket.
For purchasing vehicles out of revenue reducing the minimum fare from 2id. tc 2d. and effecting economies of £16,50C by the operation of one-man buses, the Huddersfield Joint Omnibus Committee were congratulated by Maj. F. S Eastwood, chairman, Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners, when he granted the undertaking a fares increase, at Leeds last week.
He also praised trade union officiah for the part they had played in helpirq to effect economies. Without their helr the undertaking could not have operate(
the one-man buses so successfully, he said.
The minimum fare on vehicles of Newcastle. upon Tyne Transport Department will .become 2d. as a result of a grant made by the Northern Traffic Commissioners last week. All halfpennies have also been removed from the fares table.
Leeds Transport Committee has disagreed with a proposal from Bradford Transport Department that bus fares on jointly operated services between the two cities should be increased.
Applications for fares revisions have been made by Luton Transport Department and United Counties Omnibus Co., Ltd., to the Eastern Traffic 'Commissioners. Single fares, weekly tickets and scholars' term tickets are listed for amendment.
The annual surplus of Todmorden Joint Omnibus Committee had fallen £2.000 below expectations after the last fares increase, the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners were told, at Leeds; On • Monday. The undertaking, jointly administered by Tocimorden Corporation and the British Transport Commission, were granted their application for fares increases.
Maj. F. S. Eastwood, chairman, commented that the application was a very. modest one, particularly having regard to the undertaking's bus replacement programme, and the cost to the undertaking of the wages and hours award, which was estimated to total £8,500 a year:
DOUBLE-DECKERS MIGHT BE DANGEROUS—TOWN CLERK
QPPOSITION to proposals of the .North Western Road Car Co., Ltd., to replace single-deckers with doubledeckers on the Sharston-Attrincham route, was voiced by the town clerk of Altrincharn at Manchester on Monday. Double-deckers might prove dangerous on the route, be told the North Western Traffic Commissioners.
Mr. W. Woolley, traffic asSistant of North Western, said that until now singledeck vehicles had operated the service, which was mainly for workpeoplc in engineering industries. The introduction of a shorter working week for these people meant that the necessary travelling facilities could be provided only by double-deck buses. It would mean a 50 per cent. saving of vehicles, represent 1,800 fewer miles covered and 1,750 staffhours saved.
• Mr. G. Pearson, an assistant engineer of North Western, pointed out that there was no .objection by the Cheshire Constabulary, but the borough council thought that there would be difficulties regarding bends in the road and several hump-backed bridges.
Mr. F. Williamson, chairman, said that double-deck vehicles were no wider than single-deekers and for every two vehicles running now one could be operated. Ile said he would inspect the route before giving decision.