Brum fares appeal fails
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• The Minister of Transport has dismissed the appeal of Birmingham Corporation against a decision of the West Midland Traffic Commissioners.
The Corporation had applied to introduce fares increases to provide the increased revenue of £1,270,000 a year which the undertaking required. Much of the annual deficit, it contended, accrued because of the free travel facility granted to the elderly. The Commissioners, however, took the view that the burden of a free-travel concession ought to fall not only on the travelling public, but also on the general ratepayers: they were willing to sanction increases calculated to yield £965,000 a year.
In her decision, Mrs. Barbara Castle agreed with the Corporation that the Commissioners were not entitled to concern themselves with the amount of the contribution towards the cost of travel concessions to be made from the general rate fund. They were, however, entitled not to sanction an excessive fares increase.
The Minister agreed that before exercising the power to make a transfer from the general rate fund an accurate figure would have to be calculated.