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iiheap•fare scotched Ayrshire
'pretender'
HEAP FARES are unlikely to generate sufficient extra traffic to be roved worth while, a Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive irector has told the House of Commons Scottish affairs committee.
Giving evidence to the corn)ittee's rural passenger transort inquiry last week, Norman tirling, who is the PTE's direc)r of finance, personnel, and in?grated operation, said that heap fares were a "big gamle".
With cheap fares it is necesary to carry twice the number of assengers at half the current 3re, just to bring in the same ?venue, he said.
Strathclyde has tried some modest experiments" on Glasow city routes, with promotioal and off-peak fares, but these 3iled to generate much busiess, he said. If passengers ould not afford the price of the ttraction at the end of their jourey, cheap fares would not help. Glasgow bus fares are not parcularly high, compared with lose in other areas, he declared although he conceded that ley were two years ago.
Strathclyde Regional Council ighways and transportation ommittee chairman John Reid ,acked this view. The needs of Itrathclyde's public are very diferent to those in South 'orkshire, where cheap fares
have proved successful, he argued.
All public transport fares in Strathclyde would be increased overall by 10 per cent this year, he told the committee.
The needs of the community might be served better by having the PTE run the services which are provided at present by the Scottish Bus Group. This would eliminate any crosssubsidisation which persists across regional boundaries, Mr Stirling said, adding: "We are not in the takeover business, and I would be sorry to hear that the Scottish Bus Group had told you that it was."
Mr Stirling told committee chairman David Lambie (Labour, Central Ayrshire) that while the PTE is keen to get more details of SBG's costs, he agreed that the PTE's own costs did not compare "terribly favourably".
PTE controller of integrated operations Hamish Taylor told the committee that rural services are kept under constant review. At present, the PTE is investigating whether there is any scope for mixed freight and passenger services along the lines of the Border Courier services in South East Scotland (CM, February 6).