Govt. giving counties more money for buses
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from our Parliamentary correspondent IN virtually every case bids from the counties for increased bus revenue support have been met, Dr John Gilbert, the Minister for Transport, told the Commons last week during a spirited defence of the National Bus Company.
Dr Gilbert said he could not give details because the transport supplementary grant letters had not yet gone out.
Mr John Ovenden (Labour, Gravesend), who asked—unsuccessfully—for an inquiry into the financial structure and financial targets of the NBC, said that the increases in fares made this year were quite out of proportion to the general rate of inflation. They would inevitably lead to an accelerated decline in public transport.
Dr Gilbert said the NBC had been very active in keeping prices down, as part of successive governments' counterinflationary policies.
Mr Peter Fry (Tory, Wellingborough) said that in many places crisis point was rapidly being reached over bus services.
Mr Roderick MacFarquhar (Labour, Belper) suggested that the Minister should consider instructing or advising Traffic Commissioners not to grant schoolchildren's fare increases until the Education Secretary had finally made his decision on school transport. Dr Gilbert promised to take note of this idea.
Mr Nigel Lawson (Tory, Blaby) wanted the Minister to break the monopoly of the NBC and do away with the Traffic Commissioner system.
Dr Gilbert replied that he thought the Company did an admirable job in extremely difficult circumstances.
Mr Stephen Ross (Liberal, Isle of Wight) asked why the Government could not introduce a general concessionary fare applying to all people who qualified.
Dr Gilbert told him that this point was still being considered but very considerable difficulties were involved.