Scottish Fares Decision Deferred
Page 34
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APPLICATIONS to increase fares were made to the Scottish Traffic Commissioners in Glasgow last week by Scottish Omnibuses, Ltd., Western S.M,T, Co., Ltd., Central S.M.T. Co., Ltd„ W. Alexander and Sons (Midland), Ltd., and W. Alexander and Sons (Fife), Ltd. Eight Scottish county councils and 37 burghs objected.
At the end of the hearing the chairman, Mr. W. F. Quin, said that, while the Commissioners accepted the principle that an increase in fares was necessary, they wished to take time to consider fully the submissions and objections . before deciding on the actual increases to be made.
Mr. J. Amos, chairman of Scottish Omnibus Holdings, Ltd., in cross-examination by Mr. G. C. Ernslie, Q.C., stated that the group's total net income for 1961 was £2,477,408 and the estimated income for 1962 on the present fares basis was £1,919,100. If the fares applications were granted and came into force from July 29 the estimated income for 196/ would be 12,189,100. The income based on the present fares for 1963 would be £1,744,600 and: on .the. proposed fares, it would be £2,465,600.
Special permission was required from the Cyprus authorities before two A.E.C. Reliances with Duple Brittania 41-seat bodywork could be put into service on the island by Lefkaritis Bros. The normal maximum overall !engihpernsittedis 27 ft. 6in, whereas these vehicles are 30 ft. long. They are to be used on tours from Famagusta, Nicosia, Limasol, and Larnaca.
Municipal Opportunities •
Clitheroe R.D.C. invite tenders by July 28 for the supply of a diesel-engined, low-loading refuse collector of the side-loading, end-tipper type and of 10-cu.-yd. capacity.
Northwich U.D.C. invite tenders by July 19 for the supply of a Sturdiluse Glutton sweeper/collector for use with a Fordson Super Major diesel tractor.
Belfast City Council invite tenders by July 17 for the supply of six fully enclosed, hard top, diesel general duty vehicles and three chassis each of three tons capacity..
Torquay Borough Council invite tenders by July 18 for the supply of a refuse collector with Eagle 12-20-cu.-yd. Compressmore body equipped with bin-lifting mechanism and mounted on a B.M.C. 5-ton, forward-control chassis.
Essex County Council invite tenders by July 27 for the supply of three Morris Hon vans, series III, one Ford 10-cwt, pick-up, two Ford Trader tippers, and five Karrier Bantam tippers
The group operated 373 unremunerative services out of a total of 720, with a loss of 41d. per mile and a total loss per annum of £863,000 on their 46 m. unremunerative miles.
. The group operated 4,472 vehicles in 1962, and they had 320 new vehicles on order. They had not sufficient to meet the rising costs of new buses. The amount set aside for depreciation was inadequate for this purpose.
Mr. Quin: "How old are your present vehicles? "
Mr. Amos; "Three thousand of them are pre-war." Fares in Scotland, added Mr. Amos, were on average the lowest in Great Britain.
At present the group was losing *d. per mile on private hire and in the next two years this loss was expected to rise to 144, per mile; said Mr, Amos.
Mr. Quin said he noted that in the applications the trend was to place a larger share of the burden on the lower range of fares. Whatever the Commissioners decided on this occasion, if it should happen that further applications were to be made in future they suggested that the companies concerned should consider a more logical fare structure covering the complete range of fares.