RATE SUBSIDIES FOR TRANSPORT?
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FOLLOWING the suggestions in Sunderland and Belfast (The Commercial Motor last week) that public transport should be rates-subsidized, the principle has been advocated elsewhere.
At a Hull City Council meeting last week the town planning committee chairman, Ald. W. E. Body, said the time Was fast approaching when public transport in cities would be free, in order to encourage people to leave their private transport at home. It was inevitable that some restriction be placed onindividual vehicles, he said, and impossible for public transport to make a profit in present circumstances, adding: " It has got to come on to the rates at some time".
The transport committee chairman, Ald. J. Henson, said the burden of perhaps 10s. on the rates to pay for public transport would not be tolerated. No effort was spared to make the undertaking pay, but people could not be compelled to travel by bus.
ClIr. J. M. Stamper called for an intensive drive for more passengers. including lower off-peak fares.
When Grimsby and Cleethorpes joint transport committee last week discussed applying for higher fares on all routes to obtain an extra £85,000 a year the chairman, CHr. G. H. Pearson, said the question was whether the money should come entirely from bus users or from the ratepayers as a whole.'Aid. G. R. Sinderson said he was in favour of the undertaking paying its way, to which the chairman replied: " Then it means that we must have an increase in fares ".
It was reported that services were still losing passengers; there were 163,000 fewer last month than in March, 1963.