Fares rises for Lancs corporations
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• In Manchester on Tuesday Bolton and Widnes corporations were both granted fares increases for 12 months by the North Western Traffic Commissioners.
Bolton's borough treasurer, Mr. K. J. Bridge, said the corporation was operating at a deficit of £3,500 a week and there would be an estimated deficit at March 31, 1969, of £32,022. The increase would bring in an additional revenue of £174,100 annually and it was hoped there would be a £5,000 surplus by March 9, 1970. For the first time the council had recently agreed to contribute £15,000 towards old age pensioner's concessionary fares.
From March 5 the minimum fare for a half-mile will be raised from 3c1 to 4d and the one mile stage from 4d to 5d. In preparation for threepenny increments and large scale conversion to o-m-o, there will thereafter be only odd denomination jumps paying for each additional mile. After 1s 1d the next fare, however, will pay for two more miles.
As from March 9 Widnes will increase its minimum fare to 4d for .8 mile. All other fares will be increased by 1d or 2d so as to abolish odd denominations.
The estimated deficit at the end of the financial year 1969/1970 was given as £2,300 despite the expected revenue from the increase of £21,500 in a full year.
Since April 1967 costs had increased by £23,660, not fully offset by the last fares increase implemented on July 1 1967, said Mr. L. T. Quinn, the general manager. In three year's time 35 per cent of the fleet would be one-man operated.