"Persistently Obstructed "—South Wales Transport Chairman
Page 32
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
ADDRESSING the annual general meeting of the South Wales Transport Co., Ltd., the chairman, Mr. Raymond W. Birch, recalled in detail some of the recent battles which his company had had in attempting to obtain fares increases and said "I have no quarrel with the idea that bus fares should be controlled and that local
authorities should have the right to mak( reasonable representations on behalf o the local public, but I deplore greatly the unfair tactics adopted by some loca authorities in South Wales, who appeal habitually to abuse their rights of objec tion to our applications to the Traffic Commissioners, and deliberately use the machinery of the Road Traffic Act 196( to obstruct and delay in every possible way the introduction of reasonabk increases in fares.
"We are a commercial undertaking,' said Mr. Birch. "No such undertaking can be kept in a healthy condition if it is to be persistently obstructed in its efforts to recoup rising costs." He went on to say that the total of the company's unbalanced cost increases—comprising the outstanding portion of the May, 1961, wage increases which they were still bearing, the further 3d. per gallon on the fuel tax, and the cost of the latest wage settlement—forced them to make an immediate application for further increases in certain fares.
"Is it too much to hope that this time our application will receive a father more objective examination by our previous opponents?" he asked. "If they want to attack anyone, I suggest they attack the Chancellor of the Exchequer—if he would remove enough of the fuel tax we would gladly withdraw our application for higher fares."