Political Commentary
Page 47
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Landmarks
HEY say that London fares may go up yet again," said Maggie. " When is it going to stop? First fares, then petrol, now fares once more It only wants the Government to double the price of shoe leather and then we shall not be able to go anywhere atall."
"That is certainly not the intention of the Government nor of the British Transport Commission," I said: "The Chancellor expects every man' to pay-his duty. In fact, he has the figure all pat for the amount he hopes his 71d: will produce—£66 m. a year. The B.T.C. does not believe for one moment that anybody will be strongminded enough to stop using the buses and trains."
"I cannot feel London Transport has been very honest," said Maggie's friend Clara. "We were led to believe that the increases would be somewhere in the neighbourhood of 20 per cent., and we know that small amounts like lid. must go up, if at all, by id. or Id., but sOrne of the fares have gone up 60 per cent., or have even doubled."
"Much of the trouble was caused by poor public relations on the part of London Transport," I said. " Therehas certainly been no lack of discussion on the matter. The draft scheme went a year ago to the three wise men of the Transport Tribunal. They received objections from over 200 organizations and heard evidence on behalf of 99 of them. The public inquiry lasted for 34 days, during which time the Tribunal had inflicted upon it 45 speeches, the cross-examination of 24 witnesses and the perusal of more than 180 statistical tables, graphs and explanatory statements. The printed proceedings run to more than a million words."
"Even that is only one word to every eight members of the population of London," said Clara. "I have yet to find anybody who understands the scheme or is satisfied with its effect."
Too Ambitious ?
"Perhaps it was too ambitious," I said. "It does represent an effort to simplify fares in London. At the same time, extra revenue was needed and the scheme had to make sure it was obtained. On top of that, the three wise men were supposed to decide what contribution London Transport should make to the revenue of the B.T.C. as a whole." .
"And now the three wise men are having another think," said Maggie.
"Not at the moment," I said. "One thing, there is no shortage of committees, and the Government has passed the matter to the Central Transport Consultative Committee. According to the Government, the B.T.C. and the three wise men are for the most part a law unto themselves, but the consultative committee has power to look into the alterations of fare stages which have been responsible for a good deal of the recent acrimony."
"Do you know what I think? "said Maggie's brother Cromwell, who had so far preserved an uncharacteristic silence. "The Government made that bit up about not being able to interfere with the actual fares."
"Do you mean the fare stages? " Clara asked.
"Unfair, stages is more like it," Cromwell replied. "Until this new lark we did at least know where we were. A 1d. one was the minimum at one time. Then it was a lid. one. Now it's a 2d. one. We can take it. But let us at least be sure we are all getting the same value for our 2d."
"That is what the three wise men tried to arrange," said " They set out their intention very carefully in . paragraph 18 of their order: The Commission may (a) calculate the distance by reference to which any fare is ascertained either in terms of miles or in terms of fare stages according as they think fit; (b) appoint fare-stage points at such points along the routes operated by the services as may be convenient; provided that the fare stages into which any one of the said routes is divided shall not on the average be less than half a mile in length or as near thereto as may be reasonably practicable.' The thing could not be put more clearly. At least, perhaps it could be put a little more clearly, but the idea is sound."
Die of Homesickness "There speaks the typical non-Londoner," said Clara. " What is wrong with the public relations of LOndon Transport is, as you said just now, that London Transport no longer exists. It is just one section of British transport. The old London Passenger Transport Board would have known by instinct that the length of the journey has nothing to do with it. The Londoner measures distances as the bus rides. For him the 2d. bus ride, if that is to be the minimum, is the distance that takes him to the boundary of his own stamping ground. Beyond that bus stop he is a stranger. Haven't you noticed that London is not one place but a lot of little places lumped together. The man who comes from Tooting Bee is just as likely to die of homesickness at Tufnell Park as at Timbuctoo."
"Not Tufnell Park, Clara," murmured Cromwell. "He can get to Tooting on the Northern Line."
"Well, Shepherd's Bush."
He could take a 49 bus."
" All right, then Kensal Rise."
"That's better. He would have to change from there. Clara has the right slant," Cromwell continued. "Every time they shift a landmark they deprive us of part of our Cockney inheritance. Let us take a simple example. Suppose in a minute or so /anus and I felt like nipping out for a quick one at the 'Ivory Tower' down the road. It so happens that the fare from the top of the street has gone only from 14d. to 2d. At least I found that to be the case in the reverse lirection when I came this evening. In other words, it is still the minimum. But if it were made into a 3d. journey we should feel we were going to the ends of the earth."
"If it sometimes discourages you from visiting the 'Ivory Tower,' it might not be so bad," said Clara.
"I wouldn't say that," said Maggie, who has a good deal of simple family loyalty. "When they do go out it is nice to feel they are within call. Once they leave the district there is no knowing what they will get up to. I know exactly what Cromwell means. Up to the other week my bus. fare to the market was lid. Now I have to pay 3d. Somebody was saying that I should walk as a protest. But how can anybody be expected to walk a 3d. bus-ride?"
" Them's my sentiments,". said Cromwell as he reached for his hat.