East Yorks Best for Seven Years
Page 29
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THE number of passengers carried by East Yorkshire Motor Services Ltd. in the
year ended September 30 last was the highest since 1957, reported Mr. John Spencer Wills, chairman of the company, at the annual general meeting on Wednesday. This was largely attributable to the better weather compared with previous years, claimed Mr. Wills, and since the record year ate number of passengers had fallen by 10 per cent. The drop would have been even greater, he thought, hut for the continuing development of fresh housing estates in more attractive locations Which involved road travel to and from work as well as for many other purposes.
• Speaking of the continuing fuel tax, Mr. Wills said that for many years successive governments had claimed to be struggling with the problem of salvaging public transport in rural areas on the one hand, and on the other of encouraging it M urban areas, having regard to its very high efficiency, in terms of road space, in comparison with other types of vehicle. In spite of all these professions of good intent, all that any of them had achieved was to force the industry to contribute heavily to the large excess of road taxation over road expenditure. In this direction he welcomed the move of the present Chancellor in announcing that the extra 6d. fuel tax introduced in the November Budget would not be allowed to fall on stage carriage services (88 per cent of total operations in the case of East Yorkshire). There could be no doubt that a principle had been established. The evidence presented by the T.H.C. to the Geddes Committee showed most convincingly that road users contributed heavily to the general revenues of the State, far beyond the State's expenditure on the road system, Mr. Wills continued.
Speaking of the claims for higher wages for platform staffs now being negotiated, Mr. Wills warned that the granting of the record increase being requested would involve an increase of 16 per cent in the total wage bill. He trusted that the unions would not forget that fares would strongly effect traffic and jobs.