Regrade London Bus Fares•
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AS London Transport is a British Transport Commission undertaking there is the possibility that the need for bolstering up railway finances will lead to increases in. bus fares. These are often critized by visitors as much higher for comparable distances than those in other urban areas.
What is needed is a complete overhaul of the fares structure. Where is the sense in a scale of fares of 2d., 30., 5d., 7d., 80., 10d., is., etc., which does not always give even the same number of stages for each gradation? When the London Passenger Transport Board was formed in 1933 it took over van'ous fare scales and neither it nor its successors recast a simple, logical structure for the London Transport Area—not even for the Central Buses area.
There has been a regrettable departure from the workable basis adopted by the London County Council and London General Omnibus Co. over 30 years ago. Routes had stages of about equal length, adjusted to coincide with natural traffic centres.
Two stages could be covered for Id., four for 2d., six for 3d., then more for each penny multiple. Most became traditional and there was a great outcry in 1952 when many were altered. Mostly they are again fixed at the traditional points, but illogical gradation of actual fares largely nullifies the value of the stage system, leading to argument and ill-feeling between conductors and passengers. It may add, too, to the difficulties of traffic operation in an unsuspected way.
For example, to travel from Holborn to "The White Horse," Brixton, costs 5d. From there to Thrale Road, Streatham, is also 5d. If, however, a traveller from Holborn to Thrale Road changes at Brixton Church—the obvious point—he must pay 7d. for the first section and still 5d. for the second. As similar instances apply to other routes passing down Brixton Road, people in increasing numbers change at "The White Horse." It would be far better if they could change at Brixton Church. Here there has always been a substantial changeover with many terminating their jour-, neys, leaving room for others to board.
When people try changing at "unnatural" points to save money, there is the possibility that because of difficulty in boarding vehicles for the second part of the journey, there will eventually be a demand for short workings which are not justified by the volume of traffic.
A return to ld. gradations (if only for single stages) above the basic 2d. would help to increase revenue, even if at first it would seem to decrease takings by, for example, cutting 30. to 3d. Regular travellers are becoming aware of snags in schedules and will walk a few yards to save lid.— especially if it means lid. twice or more a day. On the other hand, many caught between the 30. and 5d. stages would pay 4d. instead of dodging the portion above 30.
There is no justification for continuing earlymorning cheap fares under present conditions. They do not help peak-hour traffic, rather the contrary: they merely subsidize not those poorly paid but those whose working hours happen to start at a certain time.
If early-morning fares were abolished and the system of equal gradations in the fare scale revived (without the maxima applicable in pre-war days) London Transport would have a reasonable chance of making both ends meet and of levelling off some of its peaks.