BIRMINGHAM FACES BUS DEFICIT OF £1,216,000
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BIRMINGHAM Corporation has lost 83 m. bus passengers in the past six months, the West Midland Traffic Commissioners were told this week in Birmingham. The department would be £1,216,000 in the red by the end of the year unless fares increases, which would bring in an additional £1,270,000, were granted.
Mr. J. Graham QC., for the corporation, said an application had been held over since last August in view of the Government's severe restraint policy. But the corporation could no longer offset increased costs if it were to run the transport undertaking on business lines.
Sutton Coldfield Town Council and one private individual were the only objectors. The Commissioners reserved their decision.
On the same day West Bromwich Corporation applied for increases which would yield £89,100 in a full year. Mr. R. Hinton, for the corporation, said the undertaking was losing about £6,000 a month. The present application, if granted, was only a stop-gap measure for "possibly a Year".
Like Birmingham, West Bromwich had made a great sacrifice in the national interest and had lost £40,000 as a result of deferring a fare increase application last August because of the economic situation.
Without the increases, the deficit for 1967/68 would be in the region of £75,000. The Commissioners again reserved their decision.