Pay Increases Mean All round Fare Changes
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Arbitration Tribunal's Award Adds to Operating Costs. Many More Applications to Raise Fares pROVINCIAL bus workers
numbering over 150,000 are to receive wage increases as a result af the decision of the Arbitration Tribunal, which considered bus workers' pay scales on November 24 and December II. Drivers, conductors, skilled and semi-skilled workers will receive an additional 7s. 6d. a week, whilst Grade 3 employees—washers and labourers—will receive another 6s. 6d. a week. No date has yet been fixed for the operation of the new rates.
Negotiations regarding the applications by the Transport and General* Workers' Union for pay increases for London bus employees were to be resumed this week.
To Find £360,000
One of the companies most seriously affected by these wage increases is Scottish Omnibuses, Ltd., which will have to find another £360,000 a year. A total of 27,000 Scottish passenger transport workers is concerned in the decision. •
Other companies and municipal undertakings will be affected as follows:—
Glasgow Corporation, £160,000; Liverpool Corporation, £140,000 (including increased wages for electricians and craftsmen); Manchester Corporation, £135,000; Edinburgh Corporation, £80,000; Crosville Motor Services, Ltd., £67,000; Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., £60,000; Leeds Corporation, £57,143; East Kent Road Car Co., Ltd., £50,000; Newcastleupon-Tyne, £45,000; Wolverhampton, £40,000; Bradford, £35,000; Leicester, £30,000; Aberdeen, £24,000; Birkenhead, £20,000; Halifax, £18,000; Hull, £18,000; Wallasey, £17,000; Huddersfield, £16,000; Sunderland, £15,0013; Barrow, £5,500.
Bristol Fares Up?
Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co., Ltd., announces that an application is being prepared for submission to the Western Licensing Authority to raise charges on country services, modifications having been made some months ago to the city-service fares.
Many such applications for increased fares will undoubtedly follow, and the Devon General Omnibus Co., Ltd., has already intimated that one will be made. No account can yet be made of the effect which the higher cost of tyres and lubricating oil, announced last Monday, will have on passenger undertakings.
Fares increases have been granted in the past week to the following operators:— Crosville Motor Services, Ltd. (West Midland area services); J. James and Sons, Ltd., Ammanford; Rees and Williams, Ltd., and West Wales Motors, Ltd., permitting id. and Id. to be added to single fares, and Id. and 2d. to return fares. Sixteen r o u t es are A36 affected by the decision applying to the James company.
Northampton Corporation, at a hearing last week, was granted permission to modify its fares structure by reducing stage lengths. Children's id. fares were also abolished, and period tickets increased by 20 per cent.
A general increase in stage-carriage fares was granted to United Counties Omnibus Co., Ltd., with the condition that a report on the results of the increases be furnished to the East Midland Licensing Authority in 12 months' time. The new rates came into operation last Monday.
Sheffield Corporation has also been granted authority to add id. to ordinary fares up to 4Ad.
Affecting co-ordinated services operating in the Luton area, a decision of the Metropolitan Licensing Authority has enabled Luton Corporation and the Eastern National Omnibus Co. Ltd., to modify their rates. It was stated at the hearing of the application that the corporation had been losing £450 a week. The new rates came into operation last Sunday.
Sargents of East Grinstcad, Ltd., and the Aldershot and District Traction Co., Ltd., have been granted variations of fares. Barton Transport, Ltd., Chilwell, Notts, has received authorization to modify rates on 10 services based on Beeston.
Joint Services
The joint services operated by the Burnley, Colne and Nelson Joint Transport Board, and Ribble Motor Services. Ltd.. numbering 26 in all, have been affected by a decision of the North Western Licensing Authority. Charges on 31 services operated by the Joint Transport Committee are also to be varied.
No decision was given at the hearing of the application of the Lincolnshire Road Car Co., Ltd., for fares changes in the East Midland Area. It was stated at the hearing that 142 out of 206 routes were operated at a loss.
The East Midland Authority .has granted the company permission to increase by 7 1/7 per cent, the rates charged on express services from Cleethorpes to London. Fares its Lincolnshire were raised on Monday, and the application concerning routes in the Yorkshire area has yet to be heard.
New applications lodged with the East Midland Authority concern the following operators:—Barton Transport, Ltd. (one service); K.W. Services, Ltd. (11 services); Mansfield District Traction Co. (35 services); Midland General Omnibus Co., Ltd., Nottingham (85 services); Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Traction Co. (six services); Messrs. C. H. Allen, Mount Sorrel (five services); and Messrs. A. Basford, Towcester (five services). Gliderways Coaches, Ltd., has approached the West Midland Authority to amend fares on two express services.
Leicester City Transport has now lodged a modified appEcation concerning early-morning and workmen's fares, proposing to replace them by cheaper single fares available up to 8 a.m. Thirty-four routes are included in the application.
Coach Fares
Associated Motorways, Ltd., has now applied for permission to raise rates on coach services in various parts of the country to 25 per cent. above the prewar level. Mansfield District Traction Co. has also applied for variations of fares in the Yorkshire Traffic Area, together with the Midland General Omnibus Co., Ltd., which seeks variations on 27 routes in that area. Halifax Corporation has applied for amended charges on contract and scholars' tickets.
A blanket application, covering over 260 routes, has been lodged by United Automobile Services, Ltd., Darlington. with the Northern Licensing Authority.
Liverpool Corporation now seeks amended fares on services operated jointly with Ribble Motor Services. Ltd. These number 38 in all.
Revisions are also sought by Ashtonunder-Lyne Corporation, Manchester Corporation, Statybridge, Hyde, Mossley and Dukinfield Transport and Electricity Board, and the North Western Road Car Co., Ltd., covering routes not included in previous applications by Ashton-under-Lyne.