L.T.E. Maintenance Costs Rise
Page 39
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
'WHEN the inquiry into the proposed 1'V bus and rail fare increases for the London area was resumed before the Transport Tribunal in London on Tuesday, Mr. P. G. James, chief financial officer of the London Transport Executive, said that maintenance costs had risen by £210,000 per year.
Although maintenance costs of road services had fallen by £40,000, those for railway, electrical and civil engineering had increased by £120,000, £60,000 and £50.000 respectively.
The Executive seek to retain the 3d. minimum fare introduced at the beginning of the year to Cover the Suez emergency increase in fuel tax, also to introduce a new 4d. fare for journeys of 11 miles, and raise the present 4d. fare for two miles to 5d.
No change in fares of from 6d.-1s. 4d. is proposed, but there may be additions of up to 5d. to higher denominations. There are 41 objectors.
It was also stated that the increased price of coal added £300,000 a year to the Executive's electricity generation expenditure.
2d. DEPARTURE CHARGE "UNFAIR"
IN a statement to the transport committee, Halifax Borough Treasurer has described as " unfair " a charge of 2d. per vehicle departure levied upon company-owned stage-carriage vehicles using Cross Field bus station.
This sum was decided by the Minister of Transport upon an appeal, but the committee have now advised the Corporation to protest strongly to the Minister and to send a deputation to discuss the matter with him.
Halifax Transport Department use six stands at the station. Halifax Joint Bus Committee 12, Hebble Motor Services six, and the Yorkshire Woollen District Transport Co., Ltd., six. The Corporation wished charges to be assessed partly on a timetable and partly on a stand-occupancy basis, whereas private operators wanted the charges to be reckoned wholly on a timetable basis.
FUEL PRICES FALL
THE wholesale price of petrol was reduced by Id. a gallon and of oil fuel by id. a gallon by Shell-Mex and B.P., Ltd., on Wednesday. A company spokesman explained that the reductions were made possible by recent decreases in basic supply prices.
The cut in the oil-fuel price will save London Transport £102,000 a year on 32.5m. gallons.
Other big oil companies have also cut their prices.
TRIPLEX AT FULL STRETCH
THE safety-glass factories at Birmingham, Willesden and St. Helens of the Triplex Safety Glass Co., Ltd., are back on maximum production. Extra staff has been engaged and the whole company are working overtime.
" P.T. A FAILURE"
PURCHASE tax on commercial vehicles had failed to increase exports and limit home demands. In 1950, when it was imposed, Britain exported 164.909 commercial vehicles out of 262,702 produced, and last year 130.593 out of 298,609.
This was stated by Mr. G. Nabarro (Cons,, Kidderminster), in the House of Commons on Tuesday, when he presented a number of familiar arguments for the abolition of the tax.
Mr. Enoch Powell, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, promised that they would be studied carefully by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.