No Easy Road to Higher Fares
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QTAT1NG that a substantial number '-'of applications for increased fares had been made by Scottish concerns, the Scottish Licensing Authority, Mr. W. F. Quin, last week warned operators that permission to raise fares would not be granted lightly. "Increased fares would mean the destruction of the Government's policy of wages restraint," he continued, and, referring to the application he was hearing-that of Glasgow Corporation-said that it !night mean a slight increase in unemployment in the city.
Mr. E. R. L. Fitzpayne, general manager of the undertaking, submitted figures to support his view that it was impossible for the department to continue with any hope of balancing its accounts, apart from raising fares. Asked whether concessions for old people had been considered, if higher fares were granted, Mr. Fitzpayne said titer a lead should be given by the State and not by the municipal undertakings.
It was also stated that raising the minimum tram fare from Id. to lid. would discourage 25 per cent, of the present Id. fare travellers from using the trams. On the bus routes the loss was estimated at 20 per cent. In all, the department would lose 75m. passengers a year. An additional £300,000 was expected to accrue from increased tram fares and £270,000 from the buses.
Concluding his hearing of the application from Scottish Omnibuses, Ltd., a day earlier than expected, Mr. Quin said that a number of local authorities, objectors to the application, had agreed to negotiate privately with the group, to arrive at a decision on adjustment of fares on short journeys in their own areas. It was stated that the former Scottish Motor Traction group had lost £500,000 in the past two years.
The proposal by South Shields Corporation to increase fares by id. at the week-ends, estimated to increase revenue by £12,000 a year, has not met with approval. The corporation intends to continue with the scheme.
New applications for higher fares have been lodged by Chesterfield
Corporation; Brown's Motor Ltd., Tunstall; and by Salopia Co.,aloon Coaches, Ltd., on nine routes in the Whitchurch area, where fares on the routes of Crosville Motor Services, Ltd., are the subject of an application. Plymouth Corporation and its joint operator, Western National Omnibus Co., Ltd., have also lodged an application.