New Cuts in Concessions and Services?
Page 38
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Four Undertakings Propose Increases in Workmen's Fares: Newport Seeks Abolition
• PASSENGERS enjoying concession fares are being made to contribute 1 their Proper share to the revenues of bus undertakings. Proposals to raise workmen's fares have been, or are to be, lodged by Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co., Ltd., Yorkshire Traction Co., Ltd., Blackburn Corporation and West Bromwich Corporation.
Newport Corporation's application to abolish workmen's fares was heard last week. The South Wales Licensing Authority's six-day hearing of the applications of eight bus companies also to abandon workmen's fares was continued this week (see page 511).
Service reductions in off-peak hours and higher fares on all routes are being considered by the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co., Ltd. An application has been lodged with the Western Licensing Authority, seeking. extended headways on Certain services, ranging from two to 16 minutes, reduced stage lengths on journeys costing lid. and 2d., and ict, lid. and 2d. increases on other fares.
It is also proposed to reduce by id. certain fares over 5d., so as to remove odd id. units, to increase some workmen's fares by 2d.-24d. with the same intention, and to establish the minimum workman's ticket at 5d.
Loss Expected . It has been estimated that on current • figures of revenue and costs, there will be a net deficit of £400 next year. The total sum which the corporation f which is joint operator of the services) will have to find from the general rate fund will amount to £69,200. The new variations proposed are estimated to augment revenue by £155,675, leaving £32,325 to be found from service economies.
Nine local authorities were the objectors at the hearing, last week, of the application of the Yorkshire Traction Co., Ltd., Barnsley, for fares variations. The concern proposed to raise Id. fares to lid., to add Id. to fares up to Is. 4c1., and 2d. to fares above Is. 4d.
It was also suggested that workmen's rates up to lid, should go up by id., and those over lid, by 2d. If approved, fares would rise on 165 stage-carriage services and two workmen's services.
Costs Rise by 08,000 The concern last applied for higher charges in April this year. Since then, costs have risen by £78,000 a year. It was now proposed to augment revenue by £63,000 a year. On present fares, reeeipts in 1952 would result in a loss of -0.03d. per mile, a total of £1,282.
It was stated at the hearing that on three workmen's services the company was incurring a loss of 3d. a mile, amounting to £5,000 'a year. In all, workmen's services would result in a loss of £23.000 this year.
When the objectors' representative suggested that express-service fares, and not workmen's charges, should be raised, the Yorkshire Licensing Authority replied that workmen could not have it bothways.' Only last week, the applicant had asked for-more express-service
114 vehicles because workmen could not afford railway fares. Decision was deferred.
The Northern Licensing Authority has granted Stockton-on-Tees Transport Department permission to withdraw monthly return tickets and to issue daily tickets instead. There had been much abuse of the monthly tickets, it was stated. The proposals concerning other fares included an increase of 4d. on most tickets and of Id. on the remaining 10 per cent.
It was stated that this was the first general application for higher charges made since 1921. Since April this year, wages had gone up by £24,000 a year, fuel costs by £24,000 and other materials by £4,000. Since 1938, costs generally had risen by 230 per cent., and income by only 144 per cent Workmen's fares were not affected by the application, decision on which was reserved.
The application of Chester Corporation for a general advance in fares has been modified by the North-western Licensing Authority after hearing the corporation's proposals in November.
• The new proposals suggest an addition of id. to all fares, with the minimum workman's ticket established at 2d. The corporation hadsuggested an addition of Id. to some tickets, and a longer stage length for the lid, tickets than • the Authority proposes. The new variations are to be considered by the corporation. The South Wales Licensing Authority last week considered the proposals of Newport Corporation to amend some • single fares and to abolish workmen's tickets, On existing charges the department would incur a deficit of £35,560 this year. An additional £38,625 a year was expected to accrue froth' the • modified fares scales.
• Last year there had been a deficit of • 133,123. In the meantime, wales had gone up by £29,860, 'material coils' by £15,735, and fuel costs by £875, whilst receipts had dropped by £12,000.
Reserving his decision, the Authority suggested that some •concession should be considered • for the docks route. where workmen would have to pay over 100 per cent. more if the application were granted.
For the first time in its history, West Bromwich Transport Department is to apply for augmented charges. For the year ending March 31, 1953, a loss of £34,000 is expected.
In that year,. loan charges would be abnormally low, because of the exceptionally long period for which existing vehicles would have been maintained. The vehicle-replacement programme would, however, throw a heavy burden on the department, so that an estimated deficit of £193,000 would be incurred by 1955-1956. The proposed modifications would augment revenue by £55,920 a year.
An Extra id.
It is suggested that the Id„ lid., 2d.. 3d. and 4d. tickets should cost Id. more, with the children's minimum fare established at Id. Ordinary returns up to 9d. would be increased by Id. and by 2d. thereafter. Workmen's returns up to 21d. would be abolished and others raised by -1-(1.-2d.
Blackburn Corporation has decided to apply for higher charges. The modified fare scales would retain many of the existing id. tickets, but other single fares would go up by id., workmen's return rates would be raised to equal the single fare plus 50 per cent, with a minimum of 3d., and ordinary return fares up to 5d. would be abolished. Requn fares over 6d. would go up by Id.
After long debate,. Coventry City Council has rejected the transport cornmittee's proposed new scale of charges. • This suggested the abolition of the workmen's return facility and its replacement by an early morning 3d. concession ticket.
Sheffield to Apply At Sheffield, the city council has approved proposed revisions, and an application is to be lodged. Details of the changes suggested were given in " The Commercial Mptor " dated November 16.
An application by Barton Transport. Ltd., to abolish concession fares for children aged between 14 and 17 years is to be opposed by Derbyshire Education Authority. This body considers the application to be a test case, and • has decided to "resist strongly" any move of this kind.
Venture Transport Co., Ltd._ has applied for higher rates on 37 seTvices. The proposed increases are from Id.-4d. in the ease of single and return fares. and ln per cent. in the case of 12-journey tickets.
To bring its charges into line with those of Northern General Transport --Co., Ltd., Sunderland District Omnibus • Co:, Ltd., .has filed an application affecting 38 services. •