Big Loss on Rejected "Returns" Plan?
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er HE North-Western Traffic Commis1 sioners have refused to sanction a scheme of return fares submitted to them in November by Ribble Motor Services, Ltd. Ordinary return tickets of three months' availability are to be issued daily at the rate of single fare and a half.
This ruling eliminates the reservations on the issue of return tickets at week-ends, which have long been a feature on the 160 routes concerned in the application, and which were allowed on appeal. That appeal hearing lasted for four days and the decision of the Minister of Transport was expected to have ended a controversy which had dragged on for years. But it was discovered in November that the appeal decision given in March had not been enforced.
Mr. E, S. Herbert, who submitted the new scheme on behalf not only of the Ribble concern, but also Burnley, Colne and Nelson Joint Transport Corn tnittee and Accrington, Bury and Rawtenstall Corporations-, explaining the delay, stated that the appeal decision left matters to be determined by the Commissioners. One set of figures required in connection with the scheme had kept 16 men with calculating machines busy for 120 hours each.
The scheme now rejected would, Mr. Herbert estimated, involve a loss of £3,339 a year. The original plan was estimated to produce increased revenue of £1,692. The effect of the appeal decision would be to reduce the Ribble revenue by £7,971. The elimination of the week-end reservation would mean a minimum loss of £11,538.
The scheme which the Commissioners now reject proposed three months' availability for return tickets of 11d. and upwards, and retained the weekend reservation on return tickets of a value below 11d. These would be issued for return on the day of issue.