T HE Newport Corporation transport undertaking were experiencing such difficulties that
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their "sole means" of getting out of them was to increase fares. said Mr. Hubert Clifford Davies. the borough deputy ,treasurer, at a public inquiry before the South Wales Traffic Commissioners at Cardiff this week.
He said that without the increase it was estimated the undertaking would incur a deficit of 120,000 each year. Mr. Davies added that the council were so seriously concerned about the situation that they had contributed £26,000 towards meeting the accumulative deficit of 147.000. This was equivalent to a 4d. rate.
Mr. Francis John Barnes, representing Newport Transport. said that when the fares were revised in April last year it was estimated that additional revenue of 00.000 would be forthcoming. "In fact they brought in only 115,000," he said.
The proposed fares structure was estimated to bring in an additional 125,000 which would be used to offset the deficiency. Mr. Barnes added that chaotic traffic conditions in the town was one of the contributory factors for the increase in fares and that the number of passengers travelling on the corporation's
R.A.C. House Opened
j ORD MOUNTBATTEN, president of 1--1 the Royal Automobile Club, formally opened R.A.C. House in Lansdowne. Road, Croydon, On Monday. The imposing, new 12-storey office block will be used to accommodate some of the departments of the Club's Associate Section, which has been expanding steadily with all-time record recruitment in recent years.
Present at the ceremony were Mr. Wilfrid Andrews. chairman of the Royal Automobile Club, and Alderman Mrs. C. G. Kettle, LP., the Mayor of Croydon. transport decreased between to 4% every year.
"What was once a hoary joke has become a painful truism," he said. "People find it easier to get off I of a mile from the town centre and walk rather than sharpen their nerves in traffic jams."
Mr. Idris Owen, chairman of the Traffic Commissioners, said that the number of passengers who used the corporation's transport last year was only 381m. compared with 551m. in 1950, and he asked: "Increased fares will not encourage more passengers, will they?"
Mr. George Trigg, chief assistant to the transport manager, replied: "Perhaps not. But it is the chaotic traffic conditions which are discouraging people. We are catering mainly for those people three or four miles away. People near the town centre prefer to walk because it is quicker."
The Traffic Commissioners granted the corporation's application but decided that the 31d. fare should remain the same and not be increased to 4d. as proposed, Mr. Owen said: "We are as sorry to have to grant it as your people are to make it."
Fares for Cardiff Corporation buses travelling within the Newport borough boundaries will be revised to bring them in line with the granted increases.
New Five-minute Washing Plant
A MERICAN vehicle-washing equip
ment which can wash cars and light commercial vehicles in from 3 to 5 minutes has been installed at St. George's Garage, 250 Brompton Road, London, S.W.3. The system is known as the Chem-Therm, and the sole distributors for the United Kingdom and the Continent are Auto-Magic Five Minute Car Wash (Distributors), Ltd., of St. George's Garage.
Although intended primarily for cars, vehicles up to 7 ft. I in. high can pass through the equipment, and vehicles can be washed, dried and cleaned inside at the rate of one every 15 seconds. The complete installation costs over £25,000, of which approximately 60 per cent. is for the Chem . Therm equipment itself. Cleaning prices vary from 12s. 6d. for single tickets to £6 for a hook containing 12 tickets.