Liverpool Seeks Higher Fares Despite

1st October 1948, Page 66

1st October 1948

Page 66

Page 66, 1st October 1948 — Liverpool Seeks Higher Fares Despite

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Strong Opposition

AANY factors making an increase in 1.Virevenue desirable were put forward on Monday when Liverpool Corporation applied to the North Western Licensing Authority, over which Mr. J. R. Williams presided, for various fare revisions. The application was strongly opposed, and criticism was voiced of the policy of changing over from what was formerly a substantially tram system to an increasing degree of bus operation.

Objectors included Bootle Corporation, Oberland Urban Dis t r ict Council, Huyton-with-Roby Council, and various trade and political associations. .

Mr. P. S. Harvey, deputy town clerk, said that Liverpool required variations in fares not because of any decline in revenue, but through increases in wages and costs of materials, and on account of the slowing down of the conversion from trams to buses.

Less of 1207,738 Expected

The estimated deficiency for year ending March 31, 1949, was £207,738. In the year ended March 31. 1948, the deficiency was £144,887, plus a debit balance brought forward from the previous year of £151,908. -The undertaking could not expect any increase in the number of passengers, and it would be unfair to ask Liverpool ratepayers to subsidize people who used the town's transport and were not ratepayers. Several objections had been received to the proposal to alter the time of workmen's tickets from 8.30 a.m. to 8 a.m.

Mr. John Ainsworth, city treasurer, said there had been no transfer of profits of the undertaking to rates since 1929; from 1901 to 1929 there were transfers amounting to £1,300,000. There was an application for certain increased fares in July, 1946, and this was authorized 12 months later.

Since 1941, Liverpool ratepayers had subsidized the undertaking to the extent of 1223,707; of that figure £180,673 were charged to rates in the past two years.

Reserves Well Down

In the last financial year before the war, 1938-39, there was a profit of £61,426. In 1945 internal reserves amounted to £339,396; since that time the transport committee had called back in reinforcement of revenue a consider, able amount of that sum and reserves had sunk to a low level. The whole of the increase would be needed to meet the expenses of the undertaking.

The buses in 1943-46 made a profit of £10,746; 1946-47, £47,221; 1947-48, £102,981; 1948-49 {estimated), £93,682. Replying to later questions, Mr. Ainsworth said the income of the department in 1939 was £1,790,000, against which the 1948 figure was £3,240,000. Employees -in the past financial year totalled 7,162 and they received £2,167,000; those earning over £500 p.a. numbered 33 and the amount paid to this section was £24,220.

Mr. W. M. Hall, general manager, /532 said it was proposed to revise the tram fares, to alter the time of the workmen's concession fares and to increase the lower fares of the bus undertaking. He was subsequently closely crossexamined by various objectors, on the policy of conversion from trams to bus operation. • £213,000 front Higher Fares Proposals to increase the fares were estimated to yield a total of £213,000, divided into £120,000 for the buses, £67,000 for the trams and £26,000 for reversion of workmen's fares to their statutory application. The present application was mainly concerned with the increase of Id. bus fares to lid. Mr. Hall said that he could not agree that the people of Liverpool were being made to pay for a change-over which they did not want.

Bus fares over Id. and 2d. stages had remained unaltered for many years, said Mr. S. Royle, traffic superintendent. Authority was now asked to increase the id. fares to lid. and 2d. fares to Zicl.; no alteration was asked for in the case of the higher fares.

Objections on behalf of Bootle Corporation were voiced by Mr. F. Uffendell, who observed that the Liverpool Corporation, bus service was run at a profit; if the buses were making a reasonable profit, the fares should not be increased to subsidize the trams. What was wrong was that the tramway service had had its day.

Insult Added to Injury Ald. J. J. Cleary, J.P., representing Liverpool Trade Council and Labour Party, said that, if the application were granted, half the increase would be obtained from the buses, which were already making a profit. It had been decided as a matter of council policy to ask the bus companies to increase their fares in order to come into line; this was adding insult to injury, and would affect those who did not use the corporation transport at all.

New difficulties were a challenge to efficiency, rather than an invitation to pass the cost on. Those difficulties were common to many cities in the country, but it was not common for repeated increases to be requested.

Mr. Filwand and Mr. Soster, Communist Party,. said that supporters of a petition signed by thousands of residents had expressed resentment that the time of the inquiry was such that ordinary members of the public were unlikely to be present.

In his final 'address, Mr. Harvey requested that, as six months of the financial year had already gone, decision should be expedited as far as possible. s

After Liverpool Corporation's application had been completed, Crosville Motor Services, Ltd., made a conditional application for increased fares to bring its rates into line with those proposed by the corporation_

Decision was reserved.

CIE. STOCKHOLDERS WANT GUARANTEED DIVIDEND NAEMBERS of the Irish Transport LVI Stockholders' Association have sent Sir James Milne a memorandum asking for a guaranteed minimum dividend from stock in Coras lurnpair Eireann.

Although the -Association "is not enamoured of nationalization as such," its members consider that nationalization, with full compensation to stockholders at the par value of their holdings, would be preferable to the present situation, in which wages and conditions oPemployment are fixed by statute, whereas the company is not allowed to increase fares by way of compensation or to eliminate uneconomic services.

OBITUARY

WE regret to announce the death, last VV week, of Ma. E. C. KNY, of Q Vehicles, Ltd. In 1937 Mr. Kny, then joint managing director of the concern, formed a scheme for renting traction batteries with electric vehicles. This scheme, which was operated by Q Vehicles, Ltd., before the war, catered for the maintenance, repair and replacement of the battery throughout the life of the vehicle. 'Mr. Kny was a pioneer in the field of battery-electrics. He was 61 years of age.

Ma 1. E. C. &WES, managing director of W. J. Boyes and Son, Ltd.. London and Home Counties distributor for E.R.F. vehicles, died on September 27.

VEHICLE BREAKERS REGRET ...

RE6RET that he was unable to report a large increase in membership of the Motor Vehicle Dismantlers' Association was voiced by the chairman, Mr. Thomas Robertson, of Edinburgh, at the Association's annual meeting at Blackpool.

It wasdecided to inform the Minister of Transport that the Association heartily supported the suggestion, under consideration by him, that the registra-. tion book be endorsed by the local taxation authority when a vehicle was the subject of a hire-purchase agreement.

MORE VEHICLES FOR U.K.? EPRESENTATIONS are being

I made by Coventry are of Commerce to the Association of British Chambers of Commerce on the matter of increasing the quota of new commercial vehicles for allocation to the home market.

WAGES 1144,500 HIGHER A CCORDING to a statement by the 1-1 Minister of Labour in the House of Commons, last week, 626,000 transport workers received an estimated increase in weekly wages of £144,500 between the beginning of March and the end of August this year,

To-day, Walkers and County Cars, Ltd„ opens its new London office at 166, Weir Road, Balham, S.W.12. The office at 311, East Lane. Wembley, closed yesterday.