Off-the-peg bus fares will rise
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DoE warning for 1977
THE DOE has warned local authorities that they must steadily decrease the amount of money they spend on bus revenue support.
Consequently, "where such fare-pegging policies have been pursued, fares will have to continue to rise more steeply than bus operating costs," the DoE warns in its latest circular, "Transport Supplementary Grant Submission for 1977/78," which gives guidance to local authorities about the submissions and layout of applications for grants for these years.
"Only levels of expenditure decreasing in line with Government's policy objectives for the reduction in level of local authorities' revenue support for buses will be accepted in support of policies to keep down fares," says the circular.
Cash available for Transport Supplementary Grant for 1977/ 78 and also 1978/79 might also be reduced below the predicted figures given in Command Paper 5879, it says. "It would be prudent for authorities to assume that within the reduced overall resources likely to be made available, revenue support for 1977/78 and 1978/79 might also be reduced." The amount for 1976/77 was cut to £91m at November 1974 prices. It had been intended that the level of support would be halved in the three years beginning 1976/77.
This emphasis on making bus fares rise seems rather to contradict the intention ex pressed in the next paragraph of the circular, which says : "Counties should consider measures to increase the attractiveness of bus services and to reduce their operating costs by giving them priority in traffic management schemes."
The DoE is also concerned to improve the layout of the actual TSG submissions. In particular, it finds fault with the way the counties present, first, "the clear and logical development of the programme from stated policy objectives, ie the planning process "; and, secondly, "the statement of priorities within the programme."
In the 1976/77 submissions, counties were asked to submit programmes within a range given by the Government. Most did in fact submit a base programme at or below the lower guideline and a preferred programme below the upper guideline.
The circular says that revised guidelines will be issued after the publication of the 1975 Public Expenditure Survey.
Some counties are criticised for not making statements of their priorities between the different schemes included in their TPPs. This, says the circular, made it difficult for the Secretary of State to make a comparative assessment of the proposals of all the authorities.