Concessions Must Go, Say Commissioners
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CONCESSIONARY fares operated by Sunderlanct and West Hartlepool Corporations have been drastically amended by the Northern Traffic Commissioners. Sunderland's "universal transfer returns are to be increased immediately to 10d., and after three months the price will go up to Is.
At West Hartlepool, twoand fourjourney returns, which are available before 9 a.m., are to be abolished. The two-journey ticket will be retained for six months at 6d., but the four-journey fare of Is. will be discontinued after only three months.
These changes were announced on Wednesday in reserved decisions on the undertakings' applications for higher fares. In both cases it was pointed out that for the past four years it had been
held in various parts of the country that concessions should be removed before the general fare-paying public could be justly called upon to pay increases.
Discussing West 'Hartlepool's position, the Commissioners stated that the depart
ment were faced with a deficit of more than £20,000, with only £4,765 reserves to meet it. Their new fares still appeared too low to cover fluctuations which normally fell cm such undertakings.
"In our view the fare tables would be unreasonable if the concession fares were allowed to continue. Concessions should be continued for a limited period and gradually reduced in order to miti gate the effect of the increase," they said.
On Sunderland's application, the Commissioners declared that the department's circumstances were no different from those of many other similar undertakings where concessions had already been abolished. The only point was that their fares had been so low that the abolition of the "universal return" would mean some passengers paying increases of more than double.
"The margin separating the universal ticket ought to be reduced very consider ably in order to spread the cost evenly over the whole of the fare-paying passengers," said the Commissioners.
[Other fares news on Page 5271 REVIEW OF LICENSING
IT is understood that Mr. Gerald Nabarro, M.P., president of the Road Passenger and Transport Association, has been in discussion with the Minister of Transport over a revision of the licensing system, with particular reference to ancillary operation and the alleged underemployment of vehicles it entails. Mr. Nabarro is said to be preparing figures to put before the Conservative Parliamentary Transport Committee.
HULL—CONTINENT DELIVERY
DELIVERY of a 1250,000 order for oilexpelling machinery to mills in Belgium and Holland was started on Monday by Rose, Downs and Thompson, Ltd., Hull. Fifty machines are involved. They are being carried on trailers to Tilbury and ferried to Antwerp.