Fares Increased Without Hesitation
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Whesitation, any hestation, the Western Traffic Commissioners granted fare increases to the Bristol Omnibus Co., Ltd., for their city and country services, which include Bath, Gloucester and Cheltenham, at Bristol on Tuesday. Of 86 local authorities who signified opposition to the proposals, only three, Bath, Bathavon and Street, gave evidence at the inquiry. The remainder withdrew at the last moment.
For the company, Mr. T. D. Corpe said they did not intend to abolish the 2d. fare, but this would now take passengers only 0.8 of a mile instead of 0.9 as before. Of the fares raised in May, 1959, only those over 9d. would be subject to certain further increases.
The total cost to Bristol of the recent wages award was £176,440, and the pregent proposals would still fall about £20,000 short of meeting the bill. Of the country services operated by the company, it was stated that the new conditions would add another £218,000 to the operating costs annually, and the fare increases would bring in £209,000.
Mr. Cyril Buckley, traffic manager of the undertaking, said that the company realized the wage claim was something that was needed. They had a "crying need" for bus drivers in town and country districts and were losing men because they were able to earn higher wages in other industries.
Because of the difficulty in persuading industrial concerns to stagger hours of work, large numbers of buses had to be employed for rush hour work only. The company hoped to introduce one-man buses wherever possible in future.
During the hearing Bath Corporation and Bathavon withdrew, but, for Street U.D.C., Mr. B. E. Walters said that his council objected strongly to all the burden being placed on lower fares. They thought that an increase of 25 per cent. could have been justified, but not that of 33i or 50 per cent. as proposed.
Granting the applications, Mr. S. W. Nelson, chairman, said that he considered the company had "scraped the barrel" for economies. The fact that nearly all the original objectors had withdrawn " indicated a piece of good public relations" by the bus company. It was abundantly clear that operating buses was not a money spinner. It was inescapable that passengers in the lower fare group had to bear the bulk of any increases because they were in the great majority. To put increases on the higher fares would not achieve the desired results. The increases will operate from Sunday.