"Lifts to Work" Danger to Bus Revenue
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nNE of the most acute problems facing
road passenger transport is the man who buys a car and then realizes the full extent of the-drain on his pocket. He is not willing to forgo the convenience of running his own transport, so he looks round for ways of easing his burden, and the easy money to be had by carrying neighbours and fellow-workmen at fares undercutting those of buses is a temptation.
This view was put forward by Mr. Robert Carlisle, assistant traffic manager of the Ulster Transport Authority, in a paper delivered to Newry Chamber of Commerce.
He said the U.T.A. thought the practice of private car owners carrying paying passengers was increasing. So was " pirate" haulage in Northern Ireland and, as a result, the public transport services were imperilled. The result could be that the U.T.A. would lose so much revenue that the railways would have to be abandoned, and road services would have to be cut.
No matter what the circumstances might be'', in the end the general public were the sufferers—they had to pay higher fares or lose their transport for the private gain of lawbreakers.