Inderland flat fare bid hearing adjourned
Page 37
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
AN by Sunderland Corporation to itroduce one-man buses with autoicket machines replacing conductors )enefit the whole town.
was claimed by the Corporation's Mr. Louis Bloom on Wednesday le asked the Northern Area traffic ,sioners in Newcastle-upon-Tyne to go-ahead for the continental style to start on September 5 this year. The was adjourned until June 13.
Bloom told the commissioners: "This 11 save money. The public will benefit tabilized fares, there will be higher bus drivers and it will help the Corn in the stabilization of finance."
the plan passengers would pay a flat 31-d. a journey regardless of distance s would be done by selling tokens for -neys for 2s. 9d. Passengers without would pay a fiat rate of 4d. to the Children would pay a flat rate of 2d. a r but two youngsters could travel on ult token. Holders of concessionary sses would also pay 2d.
Bloom said that the scheme had rewide publicity but the only objections .d come from other bus operators and single ratepayer. He said the scheme gso help to overcome staff shortages by cutting out conductors and would help to make public transport more attractive. Unless this could be done and motorists could be persuaded to leave their cars at home, the roads would become impossible.
Bus drivers employed on the new vehicles —single deckers with front entry and centre exit—would receive up to 25 per cent more in wages when their overtime and weekend working had been taken into consideration.
"In short this is a forward looking scheme and probably the most important Sunderland transport committee has ever put forward. It commends itself to Sunderland Corporation and to the citizens as a whole", he added. Mr. J. L. R. Croft, representing bus operators objecting to the scheme claimed that Sunderland Corporation had 'kept its fares down at an artificial level by its refusal to build up a reserve fund for its transport system. This allegation was denied by the undertaking's general manager, Mr. Norman Morton.
Mr. Croft then told the Commissioners that if the go-ahead for the scheme were given it would badly hit the other operators. The Northern General company would lose about .E5,300 a year, Economic £2,000, A. L. and K. K. Jolly £3,500, while United Automobile Services would lose much less.