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coaches' Call for SBG inquiry
Page 58
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after higher fares plea
A CALL for the Secretary of State for Scotland to mount an inquiry into the affairs of the Scottish Bus Group has been made by Kirkcaldy and District Trades Council. The move follows an announcement by SBG that it is to apply to the Traffic Commissioners for further fares increases despite making a record profit of £.3m in the past financial year.
The Trades Council is seeking support from local authorities and MPs and is planning to mount its own survey in order' to produce information which would be used against a further fares increase. Its chairman, Mr Murdoch Taylor, a former bus conductor, said: "We should try to find out more about this faceless group of people, the Traffic Commissioners. They seem to rubber-stamp almost automatically every application to charge the public more for bus service."
The move follows an announcement by the Scottish Office that it is to look into SEiG's application. It said: "Ministers are aware that the Group have applied to the Commissioners for a further small increase in fares, largely to meet the cost of threshold payments. The Group have a statutory obligation to assume their revenue is sufficient to meet the cost of their services. The position is being discussed with the Group."
SBG is asking for rises (which would be its third this year) of 10 per cent on fares of 42p and over and for permission to increase fares of less than 40p to cover future threshold payments.