Local Squalls
Page 29
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POST-MORTEM examinations of munieipal ttansport accounts are now in progress all over the ouritry.
Political wrangling over trans port has shifted from central government to local government and members of opposing parties are happily engaged in scoring points off one another.
In doing so, some councillors are exposing surprising ignorance of the economics and operation of transport, for which they hold themselves responsible to the public. Their main concern seems to be to please their electors—an ever-present temptation—rather than to entrench their transport systems in a sound financial foundation.
They forget the elementary fact that it is the manager's duty to manage. Transport committees are appointed to watch the broad interests of ratepayers and to settle policy, and not to interfere with the management of an undertaking. Most councillors lack specialized knowledge of transport and often for political or other reasons they blindly refuse to admit the basic truth that extortionate taxation is the principal cause of financial instability.
Unsound Finance In one instance, the borough treasurer has had to administer a sharp reproof to a transport committee for using the depreciation fund to make good working losses. Any company that adopted such a policy would rapidly become bankrupt. In some other towns, the earning of a small profit after a period of losses has brought precipitate calls for a reduction in fares, despite the possibility of an increase in wages in the near future.
In the case of Leicester, however, a drop in charges is amply justified, for the undertaking has returned a handsome profit for two consecutive years. This success has received widespread publicity and it reflects great credit on the general manager, Mr.' J. Cooper. He has been encouraged by a bold policy on the part of the transport committee, which may be one of the secrets of his achievement.
The situation in Some other undertakings is far Discussions on Municipal less comfortable. Nottingham Accounts Reveal Importance of City Council have, as a gesture Non-interference by Committees inquiry into the conduct of the municipal transport department, whilst I3irmingham is also grappling with a large accumulated loss. .Part of Birmingham's deficiency is attributed to the failure of an unknown number of passengers to pay the proper fares. The chairman of the transport committee blames conductors for slackness in collecting fares and a -campaign to impress their obligations on both staff and passengers has been inaugurated.
Appeals to Conscience Nobody has ever produced a reliable estimate of the amount of money lost to bus undertakings by the non-payment of fares, but it may be appreciable. Unfortunately, honesty campaigns are difficult to sustain. Appeals can be made to the consciences of operatives and passengers, but, if repeated frequently, they lose their effect Boxes on buses for uncollected fares, are not generally favoured by operators, and probably the best that can be done, apart from enforcing staff discipline, is to post in each vehicle a prominent notice explaining that default in payment may bring prosecution. It should then not be allowed to remain an idle threat.
Enforcement of payment, the use of low-viscosity oils, the simplification of administrative work and other economies do no more, howeyer, than nibble at the vast bill that faces every bus operator. Only a substantial reduction in taxation can bring any appreciable relief. FOr this reason it is difficult to understand why some local -authorities refused to support their association and exhibit on their vehicles posters explaining to the public the effect of taxation on fares; It is essential that when pressure on the Chancellor of the Exchequer is resumed in the' autumn, all operators, company and municipal, should exert their influence to the full. Taxation is not a matter of party politics: it is a question of national housekeeping, and local authotitico in particular have a duty to the public to ensure that' family budgets are relieved of rising fares.