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Trigger mechanisms fail to keep pace

25th July 1975, Page 22
25th July 1975
Page 22
Page 22, 25th July 1975 — Trigger mechanisms fail to keep pace
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

WITH the ever-widening gap between income and expenditure for all large bus operators, it now seems that a large-scale withdrawal of services is rapidly becoming inevitable unless local authorities can find the funds to support the services they need.

Although fare rises are now made easier by the " trigger " mechanism, the amount of money coming in is barely enough to keep the revenue increase the same as the rate of oast escalation. Thus bus companies never have a chance to try for an overall increase in revenue to get ahead of the spiral.

If the money cannot be raised to subsidise bus operations from Government or local authority funds there seems no alternative to substantial service cuts.

Fortunate PTEs

The Passenger Transport Executives and London Transport are in a more fortunate position than the National Bus Company.

This year the Government is giving county councils some £140 million support in England and Wales for bus services, mostly accounted for by the PTEs and LT and leaving only £9m for all other areas. But these other areas have 61 per cent of the population.

As 'the NBC is unable to charge viable fares or obtain sufficient revenue support it has no option but to withdraw services.

The increase in the general standard of living in the past two decades has meant that passengers now have to be wooed on to the buses by artifically low fares.

Fare increases in turn bring a rapid decrease in passengers. In Hertfordshire this year London Country Bus Services have called for a subsidy to meet an anticipated £1.7m deficit, yet the county has only set aside Elm for this use. The county council regards the bus services as socially necessary and sent a deputation to the Transport Minister to plead for more funds •to be made available.

Southdown and Midland 'Red have both planned service cuts as the local authorities have failed to come up with sufficient cash support. Peak-hour services are likely to meet with more drastic cuts as the vehicles are used only for a couple of hours per day.

The county councils have a statutory duty to develop policies for public transport to meet the needs of their areas. NBC subsidiaries are all at present drawing up plans to reduce mileage on services that are least well patronised, to be put in operation unless councils decide to increase grants for their continuance.

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