Tyneside free-fare battle on again
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• A temporary lull in the battle over the disputed 0.8p in the £ which the Tyneside Passenger Transport Authority says is necessary to finance a free-fares scheme for old-age pensioners in Newcastle will end today. A special meeting of the PTA will decide on its next step after considering the advice of its legal department.
The PTA's monthly meeting on Monday considered a letter from Newcastle Corporation's solicitors which disputed the amount of the precept necessary to provide the scheme, due to start on April 1.A decision on the next step was deferred until legal advice could be obtained.
The Tory Corporation is prepared to pay the 3:4p in the £ while the Labour PTA is holding out for 4.2p in the £. The PTA has already turned down a request from the Secretary of State for the Environment to lower its precept, which would cost Newcastle ratepayers £470,000 a year.
Meanwhile, Dr Tony Ridley, the PTE's director-general, has said that if Newcastle will not pay the full amount the scheme will not operate in the city. A meeting of the North-East Transport Advisory Committee in North Shields last week was told that some pensioners had said that the free-fares scheme smacked of charity. Mr H. Thompson, the PTE's secretary, said that there was no need for anyone to feel they were getting something for nothing.