Minister's Doubts on Pay-as-you enter Fare System
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IN a letter to Cardiff Transport' Coinas.
mittee, the Minister of Transport has f.spressed "grave .-donbts". about the afficiency of the present pay-as-yoiil niter system. He granted Cardiff'S raplication to increase fares on all but me of the city's tram and trolleybus -outes from Id. 'to lid. • • • The corporation's application for the ligher fares; which was the subject of t public inqiiiry in March, was made secause of heavy losses incurred in :ecent years. The only trolleybus ,ervice to retain the penny fare is from Monument to Pier Head and the Ministry has intimated that it is not )1:erten-ed to make an order enforcing t I id. charge for workmen travelling 3n all routes before 7 a.m.
No Relief of Rates In its letter, the Ministry also pointed sat that no transfer of profits should se made in aid of local rates without :onsent, and that any surplus should ae retained in a reserve fund for the jeneftt of the municipal transport andertaking.
The Minister agreed that the payis-you-enter system should be "tested or an experimental period at the new ares," and added that at -the end of a period of, say, three months, the Minister should be supplied with a report on the working of the system, ogether, with the corporation's recommendations. .
The Minister further stated that he Felt a scale-fare system might be -more idvantageous to the undertaking and more equitable -between passengers, iRan the flat-fare system. He would reconsider the matter at the end of 12 'months front. the date of the increase to Lid. and, ,at the same time, review the linanCial positirin of the undertaking.
Urging the committeeto put the higher fares into operation quickly, the city -treasurer. Mr. E. W.Barker, said: I .do not want to frighten -members, but the bank. overdraft on the transport undertaking to-clay" is £265,000. and that is costing you £7,000 a year in bank' charges. It is imperative. you should take steps to implement the new fares as soon as possible.