Manchester Gets £495,000 Fare Increase : First Since 1951
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THE North Western Licensing Authority on Monday gave permission to Manchester Corporation and a number of joint operators to increase bus fares. It was Manchester's first application since 1951. Under the proposals, which are expected to yield an extra £495,000 to the city transport undertaking, the ordinary 21d. fare is abolished, and the 3d. and 4d. fares are reduced by one stage and higher fares by two stages. The maximum fare is raised from 8d. to 9d.
There is to be no special early-morning rate where the ordinary fare is 2d or 3d., and adjustments will be made for higher fares.
Cheap day tickets are raised from Is. 6d. to 2s. for adults and from 9d, to Is. for children, with adjustments in fares on limited-stop services.
Mr. C. A. Marsh, deputy town clerk, said that no section of passengers who bore the burden of the 1951 increases
would Fhoulder it this time. If the application were granted, there would be not more than Id. increase in any ordinary single fare.
The proposed increases were necessary to maintain the undertaking in a sound financial condition. Since 1951, wages alone had increased by more than E800,000 a year. Because of "colossal increases" in costs, a surplus of E74,000 in March, 1955, was reduced to £718 last March. Despite economies, the department faced a deficit of £223.000 in the present financial year. This figure took no account of an increase of .1130,000 a year expected as the result of an application for a local wage increase for platform staff, a national claim for further wages and salary increases, and higher rates.
The chairman said it was clear that the fare; could be pegged no longer. The corporation needed an increase in revenue and the proposals seemed beyond reproach.
The increases in fares will not come into effect for several weeks.
NUNEATON BUS STATION OPEN
A NEW £53,000 central bus station in Harefield Road, Nuneaton, was officially opened, last week, by the chairman of the West Midland Licensing Authority, Mr. W. P. James. Only the first stage, costing 125,919, has so far been completed. It includes 19 bus stands, which were used for the first time on Sunday.