"Lowest .. Fares Would Rise
Page 44
Page 45
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Most," Complain Authorities
Company and Public Interest Coincide, Says Mr. Thom : £150,000 Surplus Wanted
C°MPLAINTS by local authorities that proposed increases in fares would be steepest in the lower range were overruled by Mr. H. J. Thom, chairman, South Eastern Traffic Commissioners, when they considered an application from Hants and Dorset Motor Services, Ltd., at Bournemouth last week. The company was one of numerous undertakings granted fares revisions during the week. Grants included those to Red and White Services, Ltd.; Rhondda Transport Co., Ltd.: United Welsh Services, Ltd.; Ribble Motor Services, Ltd.; Eastern National Omnibus Co., Ltd. and Southern Ve,ctis Omnibus Co., Ltd.
In answer to the complaints at Bournemouth, Mr. Thom said, "It has been said that the company is serving its own interests, but I would suggest that the company's interest coincides exactly with the public interest."
By placing the larger percentage increases on the lower range the company would ensure that the extra revenue required would be forthcoming. This would allow an efficient service to the public to be maintained, he added.
W. Herbert Harding, secretary and accountant of the company, said that the decline in passengers had been arrested last year. He agreed with Mr. Thom that this was unusual and added that it proved that the prices were right.
-A surplus of at least £150,000 was required to operate an efficient public service, said Mr. Harding. The proposed increases would raise the net operating profit to an estimated £145,270, he said.
FuIl sanction was given to a genera! increase. Single fares, with some exceptions. are to be raised by 4.d. on fares from 2id.-4+d. An increase of Id, is to be made on fares from 5d.-1s. and 2d. on those from Is. ld.-2s. A sum of 3d. is to be added to fares from 2s. ld.-3s. 5d.
Outright Grants Multiple applications by South Wales companies (The Commercial Motor, last week) resulted in outright grants being made to Red and White Services, Ltd., Rhondda Transport Co., Ltd., J. James and Sons, Ltd., and United Welsh Services, Ltd., by the South Wales Traffic Commissioners, at Pontypridd, last week.
At the conclusion of a three-day hearing the Commissioners made a grant in principle to the Western Welsh Omnibus Co., Ltd., but reserved decision to enable the company to "look again" at their proposed scales for rural services.
The Commissioners also reserved decision on the application by the South Wales Transport Co., Ltd., until further information was made available to them. Mr. Geoffrey Hocking, who represented 42 local authorities, had questioned an amount of £6,000 which the company estimated would be required as additional wages for certain clerical and administrative staff.
Mr. F. A. Stockdale, who represented the six applicant companies, stated that increased costs as a result of the last wage award would involve South W.:4es in additional expenditure of £125,400. In the case of Rhondda this factor, would cost the company 164,400.
The Commissioners advised the South Wales company to operate a half-fares scale for children as a concession to the objectors, and gave permission for the other grants to operate from Sunday.
Fares on about one quarter of the 10,335 individual fare stages on services operated in the Isle of Wight by the Southern Vectis Omnibus Co., Ltd., will be .affected by revisions granted by the South Eastern Traffic Commissioners.
The increases, which will operate from early next month, will mean 2d. more in the summer and Id. more in the winter on certain fares.
No Council Objections Granting the application, Mr. Thom said that it was noteworthy that no local councils had offered objections.
Applications to increase fares were granted to the Eastern National Omnibus Co., Ltd., and Southend-on-Sea Transport Department, by the Eastern Traffic Commissioners, at Cambridge last week.
The revisions will add 4-d, to all fares up to 6c1., and id. on fares between 8(1.-1s. Certain concessionary fares. will also be affected.
Stockport Transport Department and their joint operators were granted fares revisions by the North Western Traffic Commissioners, at Stockport, last week. Single fares from 21-41.-5d, are to rise by Id., and ld. will be added to fares of 6d. and over.
The last wage award would cost the undertaking an additional 150,000 for a full year, stated Mr. A. Blackmore, Town Clerk. The present application was designed to produce an estimated additional £52,000 per year, he said. if the application were not successful an estimated deficit of £64,000 would have accumulated by 1962. By then a balance of only £33,000 would remain in the reserve fund and some £50,000 would be required to pay -for 10 new buses to be delivered in 1962.
Fare increases designed to yield an extra £320,000 a year were granted to Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., at a joint sitting of the North Western and Northern Traffic Commissioners, at Morecambe last week. Mr. F. Williamson, chairman, said that if they had refused the increases services would have been heavily pruned, and that would not have been in the public interest.
On country services fares of 41.d. and above are to be raised by Id. On return fares a 2d, increase will be made on the full range and, adult contracts will be increased by 13s. per quarter. Children's contracts will rise by 6s. 6d. quarterly.
Fares on town services of 31d. and above will be. increased by -Id. Adult contract charges will rise by 6s. 6d. a quarter and those for children by a corresponding amount. Charges on express and limited stage services were
also revised. • 127 Letters Circulated
Mr. H. Bottomley, general manager of Ribble, said that letters had been sent to 127 local authorities and private operators informing them of the application. This had prompted only four objectors. They -were the Urban District Councils of Dalton-in-Furness, Upholland and Withnell, and Fleetwood Town Council.
For Ribble, Mr. F. D. Walker pointed out that Preston Corporation had not yet agreed to the proposals. He said that the application affected those ser vices governed by the -Ribble fares structure, and not those governed by local authority and independent operators.
At Leeds last week the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners granted fares increases to York Pullman Bus Co., Ltd., and Leon Motor Services, Ltd., Finning Icy, Doncaster. York Pullman sought to increase fares on all stage facilities except a local service from York to the racecourse, Mr. H. Foxton, managing director, said that the application was to increase fares between 2d.-41d. by not more than Id.; those from 5d. to Is. 8-1.d. by not more than Id, and those over Is. 84-d. by not more than 2d. The recent wage award would cost the company £2,882.
Additions of Id.
Leon Motor Services sought to increase and revise fares on three stage services. All fares of 5d. and above are to be increased by Id.
An increase in fares of approximately d. in Is. is proposed by Moore Bros. (Kelvedon), Ltd., who operate in the Colchester and Chelmsford areas. No change in the minimum single fare of 2d. is proposed.
Bedwas Urban District Council last Week decided to make application to the South Wales Traffic Commissioners for an increase in bus fares. It Was proposed that monthly season tickets should be issued on the basis of a minimumsingle fare of 9d.
The Wallasey Passenger Transport Committee have recommended that bus fares should be increased -by id, on charges under 5d. and by Id. on fares over that amount. The town council was to consider the proposal yesterday.