Increased Fares for Ribble: Crosville Cuts to Draw Traffic
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FARE increases designed to yield £175,000, which were sought by Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., at a joint sitting of the Northern and North Western Traffic Commissioners, have been granted, it was announced last week .(The Commercial Moror, March 20). The Yorkshire Commissioners will hear the application early next Month, but as there are no objectors in their Area and in view of the other Commissioners' decision, they have granted a 'dispensatiOn foe Ribble to introduce the increases on their West Riding services.
Single fares up to 10d. will not be increased except for cerlain 7d., 8d. and 9d. fares for which return tickets arc not issued. These will be increased by Id., and so will fares over 10d.
Return tickets now issued at less than double the single fare will be increased. Those up. to Is. lid, will go up by Id., 2s. to 2s. I Id. by 2d., and 3s. and over by 3d. Some new return fares will be introduced where necessary. The cost of contract tickets is also to be increased.
£110,900 Extra Wages
At the inquiry it was pointed out that Ribble had to meet £110,000 extra wages and additional National Insurance contributions of £28,000, besides making proper provision for the replacement of rolling stock.
An application to encourage the public to " leave their bikes at home" was made by Crosville Motor Services, Ltd., to the North Western Commissioners at Chester last week. Mr. G. H. P. Beames, for the company, said about 90 per cent.
• , of the fares concerned in the application would be reduced by at least Id., whilst the remainder would be raised. Since 1951, traffic had been decreasing and the company now wished to create new business and keep' it.
The application affected 245 licences. There had been no objections from 101 local authorities or from 68 other operators who had been notified. A number of additional return fares would be introduced, and new stage points arranged to serve housing estates.
-Mr. F. Williamson, chairman, granting the application, said it represented a bold experiment which he hoped would have the desired effect in obtaining more traffic.
Bristol to Apply
The Bristol Omnibus Co., Ltd., have decided to apply to the Western Commissioners for increases (The Commercial Motor, last week). Mr. Ian Patey, general manager, told a meeting of Bristol Joint Omnibus Committee that if the application were granted only 17.4 per cent, of fares would be affected —those over 4s.
Glasgow ratepayers' and tenant' associations put up strong opposition when Glasgow Corporation applied to the Scottish Commissioners for motorbus fare increases last week. Mr. A. M. G. Russell, for the corporation, claimed that there could be no other solution to a26 the estimated loss of £689,000 on the present financial year.
The corporation proposed to abolish 4d. and 6d_ tickets and to increase the maximum fare from 8d. to Md. A new mileage scale would mean an increase of Id. and, in,some cases, 2d, on present fares. They also wanted to abolish the 24-journey weekly ticket costing 10s. in favour of a 12-journey weekly ticket at 8s.
Mr. Russell said the increases should yield £830,000 to offset the deficit. Last year's wage awards were costing an extra £358,000. Another reason for the loss was the high capital charges faced by the department—reinstatement of roads cost £891,000. In addition, there was high capital expenditure through conversion from trams to buses, expenditure which would continually increase until 1963. If the application were granted, the corporation might have a surplus of £81,000.
Mr. E. R. L. Fitzpayne, general manager, said the cost of conversion from trams. to buses would cost about £8,298,000. Every effort had been made to effect economies and the department had made considerable savings. For instance, the maintenance staff had been substantially reduced. The corporation proposed to continue the ld. concessionary fare for aged people, although he himself had recommended an increase to 2d.
Objections were lodged by 20 organizations, mainly from outlying housing areas. All claimed that hardship would result. They suggested that revenue should be found from other sources, Mr. W. Quin, chairman, said he was satisfied that there was a case, but the protests had been noted and decision would be reserved.
South Shields Transport Committee are recommending that scholars' fares should be increased. They do not propose to abolish the existing 2d. minimum ordinary fare for adults.