No Decision on Scottish Fares
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WHEN the Scottish Omnibuses group applied for increased fares at Perth last week, objectors included 40 town councils and nine county councils, and when Highland Omnibuses made similar applications at Inverness on the following day four county councils were among the objectors. In both cases the Traffic Commissioners reserved their decision on the applications, which included id. or Id. increases on single fares between 34d. and is. lid.
At Perth, Mr. W. M. Little, chairman of the group, said every possible economy was explored; last year 412 services out of 772 were unremunerative and the loss on these was £997,000. The recent wage award, he saia, had increased the group's annual wage bill by £857,000. , For 35 of the objectors, Mr. J. M. 0. McKenzie said bus fares in Scotland were becoming unreasonable; he said this was the fourteenth application for increases since 1950—one a year. He asked that the increases proposed on fares up to 7d. should not be granted.
At Inverness, Mr. F. P. Bruce, for the objectors, said that fares increases led to traffic decreases and asked whether it was not time to break the vicious circle by attempting a reduction in fares to encourage passengers back to the buses.
Mr. G. C. Emslie, for the applicants, said Highland Omnibuses had lost £26,739 in 1963 and if fares were not increased the loss in 1964 would be £35,000 and would amount to £38,000 in a full year.