Birmingham beats the bilkers
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• Since Birmingham City Transport introduced o-m-o double-deckers on route 95 five weeks ago, fare dodging on the 24miles service from Fiveways in the city centre to Ladywood has ceased, and takings are up by £40 per week. This was revealed by CUL Donald Lewis, chairman of the transport committee, on Monday. The revenue increase, if spread throughout the undertaking, would mean an annual increase of £600,000.
Cllr. Lewis said that he was staggered at the increased revenue. The system was begun as an experiment, but it had proved such a success that they would presS on as hard as they could, he commented.
The method of fare collection employed in the experiment is the use of fare boxes. These have a Perspex top and passengers insert the fare in view of the driver, the coins dropping on to a drawer beneath the box. This drawer is located to the left of the driver and slightly in front of him, When he pulls the drawer the coins drop into a special container. To facilitate fare collection a flat fare of 6d has replaced the 4d and 8d fares previously employed. Drivers are provided with change. No tickets are issued.
A spokesman for Birmingham City Transport told CM this week that the department "was looking forward to extending one-man-operation on certain routes as opportunities occur". Service 95 lent itself to o-m-o as it was a comparatively short route where flat fares could be employed. Difficulties would be encountered on longer major routes, where graduated fare scales would have to be retained, needing more sophisticated fare collecting equipment. - Nevertheless, Birmingham has 100 Daimler Fleetlines on order which will be fitted with front entrance, central exit 72seater bodies designed for o-m-o and built by Park Royal Vehicles Ltd. Delivery of the first of these buses is expected next month.