Increases in spite of 'enormous steps'
Page 23
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• The chairman of the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners, Maj-Gen Sir John Potter, granted a fares increase application as applied for to the Barnsley-based Yorkshire Traction Company in Leeds on Tuesday.
The Commissioners heard that the company expected to have to meet increased costs of up to £500,000 in the coming year, and the only way these costs could be met would be through economies and fares increases.
Seventeen urban and rural councils, following Barnsley borough council's lead, lodged objections to the application.
Representing Yorkshire Traction, Mr Peter Fingret said the company, was taking "enormous steps" by rationalizing services, reducing expenditure, curtailing unnecessary mileage, adjusting timings and increasing one-man-operation to cushion the effect of the increased fares on the public.
A computer housed at Leeds University was being employed to re-prepare schedules and save crew timings. It was anticipated that the result of this would be a saving of fm miles this year and 14-m miles in a full year.
Clerk of the Rawmarsh urban council, Mr G. Rose, said that Yorkshire Traction should attempt to keep its fares on a par with those of Rotherham Corporation which had one of the lowest fares scales in Britain.
Some fares up to Sp will be increased by lp and those over Sp will be increased by up to 2p.
Granting the application, Sir John said the Commissioners felt that the application was "modest and reasonable and that the proposed fares would give passengers comparatively high value for their money".