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Government Against Higher Fares .

27th June 1958, Page 50
27th June 1958
Page 50
Page 50, 27th June 1958 — Government Against Higher Fares .
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A NY. proposalfor . raising London -M. Transport fares will be faced with stiff Government opposition, it was announced -this week. Both Mr.R. A. Butler, Home Secretary, and Mr. Harold Watkinson, Minister of Transport, statedthat the L.T.E. would have to use other methods to cover the new pay awards arising from the settlement of the sevenweek London bus dispute, which ended last Saturday.

Mr. Butler said the L.T.E. had indicated that there would be a minor increase in fares later in the summer to bridge part of the gap between the money available and the new wages to be paid following the strike settlement and the country bus crews' review. • "We must remember that fare increases may well he inflationary,"' he pOinted out. Any excessive reliance on this method will not only be less effective but will also cause more suffering than direct economies."

Later, Mr. Watkinson summoned Sir Brian Robertson, Chairman of the British Transport Commission, to the House of Commons, to add his weight to Mr. Butler's warning. He asked Sir Brian to convey these views to Sir John. Elliot, chairman of Lon[han Transport.

Talks on the pay review for country bus crews will end next Wednesday. The object of the discussions, according to the strike settlement, is to provide "an upward trend in wage levels." The increases which are bound to follow will be pay-able from July 2. The 8s. 6d. award for central Crews was payable from last Saturday, when services resumed,' and the increase for Green Line drivers will be back-dated to the same day.

Instead. of the proposed 10 per cent. cut in services. the L.T.E. have agreed to join the Transport and General Workers' -Union in studying the whole operation of their services with a view to adjusting them to meet the demand. It is expected that traffic will drop by 5-10 per cent.

PROFIT DESPITE 51n. PASSENGERS

LOST • •

I NCREASING use of private transport, television and resistance to higher fares cost Sheffield Transport Department some 5m. passengers in the year to March 31 last. .

Nevertheless, the undertaking showed a net surplus of £24,809, nearly £5,000 better than in the previous year. Higher fares and additional traffic on new housing-estate routes accounted for increased revenue amountingto £160,000.

In presenting the accounts and report,. pule . Sidney Dyson, chairman, of the transport committee, said that the indica7 . tions of the pattern for the ensuing. year was likely to be, on the one hand, demands for higher wages and on the othei. declining traffic.

The transport committee are continuing their policy of building up a renewal fund for replacements to the large fleet of immediate-post-war buses. The fund now stands at £608,708.


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