Eight Operators Raising Fares: Bournemouth Awaits Result
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FROM next Monday, charges on the services operated by Scottish Omnibuses, LW., Central S.M.T. Co., Ltd., Western S.M.T. Co., Ltd., W. Alexander and Co., Ltd., and David Lawson, Ltd., will go up.
About 75 per cent. of the stage services operated in Scotland by the group will bear higher fares, as follows: I d. and 2d. single -fares not 'raised last March will go up by Id., return fares lesS than Is. 6d. will rise by id., between Is. 6d. and 2s, lid, by 2d., 3s. to 4s. 11d. by 3d., and over 5s, by 4d. Weekly 10-, 12and 24-journey rates
will also be raised. Permission to advance children's fares has been refused.
South Shields Grant
Fares on South Shields Corporation services will be increased to-morrow. A 2d. minimum single adult fare wi.11. replace the former lfd. minimum and the children's 20-journey 6d, ticket will be replaced by a id. single ticket. The workmen's minimum fare of 23d. will become 3d.
Rotherharn Corporation has also had its application for higher charges granted, In consequence, the ld. fare has disappeared, and all single tickets up to 8d. now cost id. more, whilst those over Bd. cost Id. more. The new charges came into operation last weekend and affect 52 services, On November 9, Rochdale Corporation will introduce augmented charges, which, it is hoped will add £70,118 a year to the transport department's revenue. This is the third application for higher charges granted to the corporation in three years.
Bournemouth Corporation recently applied to the South Eastern Licensing Authority for permission to vary charges so as to avoid a deficit of £52,000 in the current year. The new charges, if granted, would not completely Wipe out the deficit on the Current year; but would enable a surplus of £4,000 to be made next year.
1id. Minimum Permission was sought to replace the present Id. fare for 1,200 yds, by a lid. rate, to remove Id, stages in fares over 24., to replace workmen's tickets by 10-journey or 12-journey tickets and to modify children's tickets and the charges for dogs and luggage. In the past year, economies of £22,000 have been made. Mileage has been reduced by 380,000, and any further curtailment would, the corporation claims, cause loss of efficiency.
Since the last application for higher fares was made in November, 1950, wages have risen by 17 per tent, for the operating staff and by 24 per cent. for skilled workers (without taking the recent award into account). Oil fuel now costs 48 per cent, more, petrol 49 A28 per cent, more and coal up to 24 per cent, more. Decision on the appEcation was reserved.
An application by Pontypridd Urban District Council has been partly granted, and decision on the rest of it has been deferred. It was stated at the hearing that the transport department was losing £8,000 a year on some services. Services to the Treforest Trading Estate were also unremunerative, . The general manager declared that a rational way of dealing with the problem would be to withdraw services where alternative railway facilities existed, Experience showed, however, that many workmen did not use the railways, even when train fares were comparable with the bus rates, Glasgow Corporation has now decided on a new scheme to augment revenue by a further £300,000. A minimum fare of 4d, on the motorbuses is recommended to cover journeys of four stages, instead of three covered by the present 3d. minimum fare, Weekly and night-service tickets will also be increased in price if the transport committee's plan is approved by the council and the Licensing Authority. A reduction in the length of journey now possible with the 2d. tram and trolleybus ticket is also suggested.
All these changes are in addition to the increases put into effect on October 5, and to the application for higher motorbus charges yet to be heard by the Licensing Authority.
Plymouth Corporation has decided to apply for higher charges. A deficit of £95,780 has been estimated for the current year. Another £122,780 is required to meet all costs. It is proposed to apply for a 2d. minimum fare and to reduce by two stages the availability of fares of 3d. and over.