Eastern National trims services
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EASTERN NATIONAL is to cut a large number of bus services because of the refusal of Essex County Council to provide the level of support requested by the company. The package of cuts—and service changes—drawn up in consultation with the county council, Is now being discussed with trades union representatives.
Last year Eastern National lost about £885,000 and support promised by the council for 1976/77 now totals £320,000. Mr Charles Mercer, Eastern National general manager, told CM: "We could no longer • afford to keep many of our loss-making services running, although we continued with them in the hope that the county council would meet our request for revenue support. Now that we know how much money is available there is no alternative but to cut some.
"Other services will be diverted where possible to serve people who will lose their existing service." THE GEORGE EWER GROUP increased its pre-tax profits last year by £100,000—and pushed its extraordinary profit to £5,000 from a loss of £5,000 in the previous year.
A spokesman for the group said that it had a good year for coach tours in Britain and price rises on vehicle sales had pushed the turnover to £12,394,000 from £9,800,000 in the previous year.