south Wales Fares Appeal . Ends
Page 45
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rHE hearing of a three-day appeal by
South Wales local authorities into icreased bus fares ended at Cardiff last riday. The inquiry was held by a 4inistry of Transport inspector, Mr. !. A. Bailey, whose report will be subflitted to the Minister. A decision will e announced later.
Thirty-one local authorities appealed gainst a decision of the South Wales 'raffle Commissioners granting increased arcs to the South Wales Transport Co., -td., and the Western Welsh Omnibus Ltd.
When the hearing continued yesterday, Ir. Alun T. Davies, Q.C., for the local iuthorities, said that errors in the estinated 1959 returns by Western Welsh mounted to £56,000, and £29,000 in the ase of South Wales Transport.
" It was only 'cross-examination and irobing that resulted in an explanation eing forthcoming. The reason given vas that the weather had changed," he aid. Such an explanation was "wholly nadequate."
Estimates " Depressed " Mr. Davies went on to say that the .pproach of the transport companies was o try to produce as gloomy a picture as hassible. There had been a " depressing " tithe estimates and that the true picture vas " blurred."
Mr. E. S. Fay, Q.C., for the transport iperators, speaking on Friday, referred o Mr. Davies' allegation that the estinates contained errors. Mr. Fay said hat when Western Welsh produced the igures "they were looking forward into he future.
"Mr. Davies had called the picture blurred' but," said Mr. Fay, "if you ire looking ahead a long way, your view oust be less precise. You have to form in estimate of judgment on what you :now."
Mr. Fay added that one of the difficulies of looking forward was to know what he effect of a fares increase was going o he. Fares charged by the two operators vere reasonable because "in terms of onstant currency" they had not gone tp but down.
Insufficient Evidence Mr. Fay went on to say that there vas no justification for criticism of the .:ommissioners for the procedure they tad followed. The Minister in his lecision had not said that the fares were vrong, merely that the evidence was nsufficient.
Referring to the evidence of the transiort operators, Mr. Fay said that it was is submission that evidence was neither edious nor unnecessary.
South Wales Transport, he said, was sking for a change in fares to seek a eturn on their capital that they had njoyed in the past. The company had or some years enjoyed profits of the ame order as those they had asked for a 1959.