Western Welsh Succeed in Part : Yorkshire Traction Apply
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DECLARING that " every endeavour should be Made to keep The Single fare down and therebykeep down the weekly, monthly and•three;monthly concession fares' froth. Which Abe' traveller
willderive the most benefit,"The Sotith . . , Wales 'Licensing Authority has granted, . .
with mOdifieations,' theapplicatidn • of Western Welsh 'Omnibus Col, Ltd.; to increase fares • on 239 ' services." The effect of• the. grant -actording • to the Licensing Authority, will be to reduce from £124,589 to "181,589 a year the amount by which•it was itiggested that revenue should 'be augmented.
• Ned' Less-Great
Although the company required additional revenue, said the Authority, the need was not as great as suggested. Whilst approving the method proposed to secure additional revenue, by adjusting single fares on a basis of tapering mileage scales and by ' fixing the ordinary return fares at a definite proportion above the single fare, the Authority suggested that the ordinary return fare, rather than the single fare, should be raised. "This fare is used by the casual traveller, while concession rates are available for the regular traveller," he said.
The applicants have, therefore, been granted permission to establish return fares on the basis of single rate plus 50 per cent. in the southern, western and northern areas around Cardiff, and at a rate of single fares plus 66i per cent, in the eastern and western valleys of Monmouthshire, to the east.
The Authority declared that the grant was made with the greatest reluctance, but "the services provided by Western Welsh constitute the backbone of road passenger transport in the South Wales Traffic Area and the economy of South Wales, both industrial and rural, depends very largely on the efficient maintenance of the many services which the company operates."
Wolverhampton to Raise Fares
For the third time in three years, fares on motorbus and trolleybus services operated by Wolverhampton Corporation are to go up, following the grant in full of the undertaking's application by the West Midland Licensing Authority. The minimum adult single fare will now become 2d., the minimum workmen's return 4d., and fares above 5d., including an odd id., will go up by id.
Lincoln Corporation have also received permission to introduce new fares. The undertaking proposed the abolition of adult 2d., 3d. and 22journey tickets, an increase in the ordinary children's fare from Id. to lid., while retaining a school fare of Id., and the addition of 4d. to 2s. and 2s. 4d. weekly tickets.
It was stated at the hearing that there a32
• was a deficit lait year of £8,018; , this year, On existing charges, the loss would be £5,834.-The.new fares would enable this to be turned into a surplus Of
£4,764. _ .
Hull Corporation have received per
misSiOn Workmen's return fares (but retaining workmen's single tickets), to --replace the children's universal Id. ticket by half-fares, and to cincrease' aerta in 'other charges. • It was stated' at the hearing that • these changes
• would augment revenue by £26,150 a year. •
'Fourteen local authorities objected last week When the application-of Yolk. shire TraCtien Co.,' Ltd.. to raise fares, came before the Yorkshire • Licensing Authority; The applicants proposed to add 4d.-3d. to certain single fares, to add Id, to workmen's return tickets up • to gd. and 2d. 'thereafter, to increase ordinary and special return fares up to Is. 9d. by 1d., and to increase Contractticket prices by 15 per cent. It was stated that these measures would augment revenue by £84,000 a year.
Dividends Too High ?
For some of the objectors, Mr. D. Karmel, Q.C., submitted that the only reason for the application was to immunize shareholders against increases in income tax or reduction of dividends. He declared that shareholders were not entitled to "astronomical dividend figures of 30 per cent., in these days of dividend limitations."
Mr. N. H. Dean, general manager, said that costs would be up by £35,865 this year. The company were naturally trying to maintain dividends at a pre-war level, but their main aim was to take into consideration the higher level of costs. Decision was reserved.
Doncaster Corporation, who still have Id. fares, are applying for higher charges on 19 services.
GLASGOW EXPECTS A SURPLUS A T the end of the current financial year, Glasgow Transport Department may have a £300,000 surplus. This was estimated by the convener of the transport committee, Mr. R. McAllister, last week. He said that a profit of £240,000 accrued from operations in the past 10 months.
The largest part of this sum would go towards the repayment of a £2m. loan. In allocating the remainder, he said, the committee could decide either to increase the instalment or reduce the maximum fare and the price of the weekly bus ticket.
CONTINENTAL TIGER CUB
2kCONTINENTAL version of the Leyland Tiger Cub is to be exhibited at the Amsterdam Commercial Motor Show, which opens on April 23, by Leyland-Holland, Ltd., a new company created to handle Leyland sales and service in the Netherlands.