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IT COULD be a right dodgy affair. At least if the past is anything is to go by.
Page 7
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The House of Commons has before it a Private Bill authorising the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive to charge bus-fare dodgers at least 50p. On the face of it, a simple little local measure which should go through without a great deal of bother.
After all, Manchester loses about E2m a year through people travelling further than their tickets allow, and no lawmaker can have sympathy for deliberate fraud.
But if recent history is any guide, the Bill could run into trouble.
As did the Merseyside Passenger Transport Bill which, back in 1977, contained similar provisions. There was a right to-do over the "over-riding" penalties — including a near three-hour speech from a Tory who did not like the idea — and in the end it got nowhere.
Even then everything did not appear to be lost, for it was promised that the Labour Government's Transport Bill.
would deal with fare dodgers.
Alas, it did not. At least not until Norman Fowler, then chief Opposition spokesman on transport, introduced a suitable clause during the Committee Stage of the Bill.
It didn't last long. When the altered measure came, back to the whole House for approval, a Tory successfully asked for that clause to be taken out — explaining that this would put right a mistake made in Committee.
William Rodgers, the Minister, accepted this. Mr Fowler, needless to say, was not so accommodating. He saw no justification for failing to act against fares evasion, which was costing the public millions of pounds.
Well, one estimate of present-day losses is £20m, and as Mr Fowler is now the boss, he might well be able to do something about it, even if there are still some MPs who have their doubts.
Indeed he is being positively encouraged to take action — the Confederation of British Road Passenger Transport, for instance, is pressing for the Bill to be applied nationally.
Only time will tell. But even if the Manchester Bill does not become law, all is not necessarily lost. The Merseyside traffic commissioners are now going ahead with a plan to demand "economic fares" — not fines — from over-riders, a move which does not require Parliamentary sanction.