Glasgow Fares Revised: Edinburgh to Seek Extra £400,000?
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TWO fares which were increased by Glasgow Transport Department because of the Suez crisis are to be cut again. The Scottish Traffic Commissioners last week agreed to fare revisions which would include a td. reduction on the threeand five-stage charges, dropping them to 4d. and 6d., from next Sunday.
Mr.. E. R. L Fitzpayne, general manager of the transport department, . said that last year the department had a total loss of £135,415. Increases in wages and costs since the start of this year would amount to £221,000 in a full year. The tramways lost 1299,000 last year, but surpluses were made on the motorbus, trolleybus and underground services. The actual deficit last year was 152,000. In the financial year ended May 31, it had been estimated that the undertaking would show a surplus of £12,000, but since the year began there had been the Suez crisis, plus heavy increases in operating costs.
Edinburgh's Transport 'Committee have decided to recommend the introduction of £2 Ss. monthly season tickets on their routes, and a return to the 3d. minimum and 6d. maximum fare scale. This scale, compared with the old one, would be: Two stages, 3d. (2d.); three, 3d. (3d.); four, 4th (3d.); five, 5d. (4d.); six, 5d. (4d.); maximum, 6d. (Sd.).
Mr. W. M. Little, transport manager, told the committee that the neW together with the season tickets, would produce £400,000 a year. This took into account the fact that the season tickets would reduce revenue by about £80,000 a year. On Cardiff municipal bus routes, some 3d. fares may' be reduced to 2d. next month, but the number of reductions will be few. The transport committee have decided to follow the advice of the South Wales Traffic Commissioners (The Commercial Motor, May 24) that the 2d. fare should apply for three-quarters of a mile, instead of half a mile.
In the Leeds area, Samuel Ledgard, Ltd., are to ask the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners for permission to put their .fares on a mileage basis. This would result in fare cuts in a few cases. Fares governed by protective agreement with other operators would not be put on the new scale.
Darlington's new mayor (Cllr. Lloyd George Turner) has warned that serious consideration will have to be given to another increase in the town's bus fares unless costs stop rising. Last week he pointed out that an estimated £10,000 deficit on the undertaking this year would have to be met out of the £33,000 reserve fund.
This would still leave a healthy financial position, but if costs rose as rapidly as they had done during the past two years, there would probably have to be a fares increase to combat them. However, Darlington was one of the few towns to have retained the 11d. minimum fare so long.
Twenty-one ideal authorities in the nodh-east are to appeal against the decision of the Northern Traffic Commissioners to allow United Automobile Services, Ltd., to introduce a new fares structure.