Limited Grant to West Riding: U.A.S. Costs _Up by £240,000
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A LTHOUGH. permission had been tt sought to .advance by id. all existing single and scholars' special.return fares, West Riding• AtItomobile "Co., Ltd., has been authbrized to increase by id. only fares of these classes up -to, and including, 7fd: Nevi/ I2-journey and monthly contract-ticket rates have also been granted by the. yOrkshire Licensing Authority. Over 250 services
arc affected. . , Last week, the Northern Licensing Authority deferred decision on the fourpart application of United Automobile Services, Ltd., to vary charges so as to augment revenue by £124,200 a year. The concern proposed (a) to add Id. to all single fares of 6id. and over which included an odd 4c1.; (b) to add Id. to return fares from 6d.-1s. 6d., with proportional increases on fares over Is. 6d.; (c) to raise by Id. workmen's single fares up to 44d. and by Id. those "up to 9d.; and (d) to increase by Id.-2d, workmen's return fares.
£242,450 Surplus The case of U.A.S. was that costs had gone up by £240,000 a year since fares were last increased. The gross income for the current year had been estimated at £3,930,450, whilst expenditure would be £3,688,000, leaving a surplus of £242,450.
"If it is decided that this is a proper . surplus," said Mr. J. L. R. Croft, representing the applicant, "there will be no revenue available for the payment of " income tax, none for reserve and working capital, nor any reasonable return to the British Transport Commission."
Half of the 16 local authorities which had registered intention to object, withdrew before the hearing, Dundee Corporation's proposed new fare structure, based on mileage, with a basic stage of 0.66 mile, was discussed before the Scottish Licensing Authority last week. It was suggested that fares on trams and motorbuses run by the undertaking should be based on two stages of 0.66 mile for 2d., four for 3d., seven for 44., up to a maximum of 13 for 6d. This fare table would enable the undertaking to make a profit of £70.435 on the tram system, although the overall surplus would be only £2,245.
No CORCIESSIOILS at Dundee ? •
Other points of the proposed fare scheme were the withdrawal of concession tickets—now used by only I per cent, of the passengers—and the introduction of two standard children's fares, ld. where the adult fare was 2d. and 2d. where the adult fare was 3d. or over The Licensing Authority, who reserved his decision, asked whether the corporation had considered the future of trams and buses, whether economy A32 projects were . under review, and -whit was the '"poliey with regard to the
• renewal of trarh tracks out of -reVenUe. Cllr.. Hardie, convener Of he "transpoit committee, regied that the new fares ould, it Was hoped, Provide a breath
ing • 'space ' to consider, • ftiture 'development. . • .
Last yeat the undertaking incurred a deficit of £24,372, to be met out of the general rate fund. This year a loss of -£68,995 is expected.
Thirty-eight services are affected by the application of Venture Transport (Newcastle), Ltd., Consett, Co. Durham, for permission to remove odd Id. units from the single-fare tables by the addition of Id., to advance other single fares by Id. and to increase return rates.
ROADS COULD BE AS SAFE AS RAILWAYS '
ROADS could be made almost as safe as railways if highway engineers were permitted to go ahead, said Mr. Henry Spurrier, president of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, when he spoke at the annual dinner of the Yorkshire division of the Motor Agents' Association last week.
"Road transport, employing nearly 2 million people, is Britain's biggest industry," he stated, "and the Government is raking in £373m. from motor taption annually. Unless the road plan goes forward, there may be mounting, not falling, accident figures. Congestion can lead to a sharp decline on the home market for manufacturer and agent alike, and the Government will experience an all-round drop in revenue."
TAXI OWNERS SHARE RADIO IT is understood that 15 independent taxi proprietors in Edinburgh are co-operatively running a two-way service for their mutual benefit from premises in Merchiston Mews. Each vehicle is radio equipped and the -owners work eight-hour shifts in the control room during the week. At week-ends, w h c it all vehicles are required on the road, part-time assistance is used to operate the transmitters.
NEW TROLLEYBUS FOR HULL A SUNBEAM 54-seat double-deck
tr olleybus with two power-operated doors, of the type exhibited at the 1952 Commercial Motor Show, has gone into service with Hull Transport Department. The body was built by Charles Roe, Ltd., to the specification of the general manager, Mr. C. H. Pulfrey.
PLAN TO RAISE BRIDGE
PLANS have been put forward for raising the height of the GlasgowGourock railway bridge over the main road west of Langbank, Renfrewshire, to an overall 15 ft. 6 ins. This would allow double-deck buses to use the road and avoid the need for high-laden lorries making a detour around Kilmalcolm.