Tse of One-man Buses to Avoid Losses
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Five Big Undertakings Put Their Cases for New Advances in Fares Levels
When the present proposals were formulated 101 local authorities were notified of the reasons for the increases. Of these 28 offered no objection, 24 said that they opposed increases, and no reply was received from the remainder. Of the objectors, only Bethesda Urban District Council were represented.
Replying to Mr. Williamson, chairman, Mr. Niblock said that unremunerative mileage totalled more than 12m. miles a year. This represented 30.56 per cent. of the total. The black spot was Welsh country services.
Granting the application. Mr. Williamson said that the expected yield on the capital employed would be between. 5 and 6 per cent., which was considerably less than that enjoyed by the majority of other companies.
At Leeds, last week, the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners granted fare increases and revisions to the Yorkshire Woollen District Transport Co., Ltd., Dewsbury, and Hebble Motor Services, Ltd., Halifax. Mr. W. R. Hargrave, for Yorkshire Woollen District, said that recent wage increases would cost an estimated £74,222 in a full year. Total additional expenditure would be a little over £80,000 and the amount received from fare increases would be £71,989.
"Public Should Know" Maj. F. S. Eastwood, chairman, said that the application was a reasonable one and the public should know that 27 of the company's services operated at a loss. Provisions of the increases were that no existing adult single fare, up to 54d., would be increased by more than IA. and those in excess of 5+d. by more than Id. The minimum adult single fare would be 2d. and no return fare would be increased by more than 2d.
Proposals approved for Hebble left the 2d. fare unchanged.
Halifax Transport Department and Halifax Joint Omnibus Committee have been granted fare increases designed to produce an additional £70.000 annually. Expenditure on both fleets had risen by some £74,000, it was stated, and increases of +el. and Id. on various stages were proposed. Representatives of old-age pensioners and trade unions opposed the proposals, but Maj. Eastwood said they were reasonable.
Fares of the North Western Road Car Co., Ltd., and associated operators, involving 28,000 stages, are to be increased as a result of grants made at a joint sitting of the North Western and East Midland Traffic Commissioners, at Buxton, on Tuesday. Objections from 20 local authorities were all withdrawn with the exception of that by the Urmston Urban District Council.
Mr. S. D. Herington for North Western, said that the company wanted to introduce a rational fares scale. The
new increases would range from Id., for fares under 8d., to a maximum of 5d., for charges over 3s. Workmen's concessionary fares would be increased by amounts varying from Id. to 6d.
The application resulted from additional costs totalling £176,912. Of this £170,219 conld be attributed to increases in wages and salaries. If granted the new scale would produce £150,783, which would leave a balance of £26,129.
Mr. D. L. Fytche, traffic manager of North Western, said that during 1959-60, 64.13 per cent, of stage services operated below cost. Estimated net revenue for 1961 would be only 3.2 per cent. of the capital employed if there were no change in the fares structure. If the application were granted net revenue would still be only 10.67 per cent, of capital employed. Compared with 1959, traffic this year was declining.
Granting the applications, Mr, F. Williamson, chairman, reserved decision on Urmston fares, and noted that the balance of £26,129 would be met by adjusting non-stage fares at a later date.
Full implementation of a previously accepted fares scale )01 be sought by the Southern Vectis Omnibus Co., Ltd., when they apply to the Traffic Commissioners next Thursday. They hope to obtain permission to raise those fares which are at present below the level of the scale. They will also seek a minimum adult single fare of 2d., to operate from September 12.
Fares on services operated jointly by Southend-on-Sea Transport Department and the Eastern National Omnibus Co., Ltd., will be the subject of applications for increases to the Eastern Traffic Commissioners. In the event of a grant the 2d. fare would not be affected, but those between 2+4-6d. would be increased by +-d. Those between 7d.-11d. would be raised by Id. Workmen's return fares would be withdrawn on certain services and replaced by weekly tickets.
Eastern National are also applying for revisions on certain country services and Ipswich Transport Department have applied for increases to single, weekly, children's and cheap fares.
Swindon Needs £22,600 Estimated additional revenue of £22,600 a year, which Swindon Transport Department hope to collect if their fares application is granted, would do little more than cover the estimated deficit for 1961-62, said Ald. F. R. Allen, chairman of the transport committee, last week.
Recommended increases are -}d, on the present 31(1.. 4d. and 41d. charges and Id. on all fares above 5d. Children's fares would become half the adult fare with fractions of a penny counting as a full unit.
A new fares scale has been drawn up for operation in Luton by the joint operators, Luton Corporation and the United Counties Omnibus Co., Ltd. Increases of +d. on some lower fares and Id. on higher charges will be sought.
Wolverhampton Transport Department are to seek fares increases to offset additional wages, which will cost £90,000 a year.
In a bid to secure additional revenue of £168,450 per year, Nottingham Transport Department will seek higher fares. West Bridgford Transport Department, who run joint services on some routes, have also applied for revisions, and in order to fall into line in the West Bridgford area, the South Notts Bus Co., Ltd., want increases on their NottinghamLoughborough route.
A spokesman of West Bridgford Transport Department commented last week that with existing fares their fleet was running continuously at a loss.
Nottingham propose to put 2;d. fares up to 3d. and Id. on fares from 4d.-7d. Increases to existing 2d. and 3d. fares are not planned and there would be no change in two-mile journeys costing 4d., or four-mile journeys for 6d.
On special services to the city's two football grounds fares would go up from 3d. to 4d.. while works service fares of 7d. and 8d. would be increased by Id. Some children's rates would also be increased.
If the application were granted, trolleybus fares would be revised to fall into line.
Yorkshire Operators Apply Four more applications for fare increases have been submitted by Yorkshire bus companies. West Riding Automobile Co., Ltd., seek to increase or revise ordinary single fares by the introduction of a new mileage scale. In the fares range from 2d.-1s. the increase would not exceed id. and fares over Is. Id. would not be increased by more than 2d. Special schoolchildren's fares would be withdrawn and return fares for children travelling to and from school would be at the adult single fare.
The York Pullman Bus Co., Ltd., propose that no existing fares from 2d.-41(1. would be increased by more than +4; no existing fares from 5d.-1s, 81d. would be increased by more than Id. and no existing fare over Is. 8+d, would be raised by more than 2d.
Increases of id. and Id. are proposed by the Farsley Omnibus Co., Ltd., for fares on the Tinshill-Pudsey service, while Leon Motor Services, Ltd., Finningley, near Doncaster, have applied to increase all fares of 5d. and over by 1(1.
Manchester Transport Committee on Monday recommended increases in fares to bring in £387,000 a year. Clir. C. R. Morris said that the latest wages award• would cost £400,000 a year. He hoped that the 2d. minimum fare would be retained. Long-distance fares would rise by Id. and some intermediate rates would be increased.