New Fares for Seven Operators : Five More Apply
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INCREASED fares have now been granted to seven more undertakings, I including Aldershot and District Traction Co., Ltd., Bournemouth, Rochdale and Bradford Corporations, North Western Road Cat' Co., . Ltd., and Exeter and Plymouth Corporations and their joint operators, have proposed new fare scales.
Glasgow Corporation last week put its case for further advances in bus fares before the Scottish Licensing Authority (see next column).
At a joint sitting of the Metropolitan and South Eastern Licensing Authorities, last week, Aldershot and District suggested means for augmenting revenue by £27,000 a year. The proposals to increase the lid. minimum adult single fare to 2d., to add id. to the 2Id., 3I.d. and 4id. tickets, and to base return fares on I times the single rate, instead of 1 times, were approved.
Costs Up £35,000 , For the concern it was stated that the last fares increase, in December, 1951, was estimated to augment revenue by £44,000 a year. Since that time, however, costs had gone up by £35,000 a year, leaving the company with an estimated deficit of £26,000. The new rates would not provide a substantial balance of revenue over expenditure, but economies were being made.
Unremunerative mileage had been cut by 350,000, more double-deckers were being employed and one-man single-decker operation was being introduced. In the next three years the company expected to spend £385,000 on new vehicles, no new buses having been delivered this year while negotiations were proceeding over a new underftoor-engined type.
New fares were put into effect by Bournemouth Corporation last Monday on motorbus and trolleybus services. They are estimated to augment revenue by £66,000 a year. The new scales result in the abolition of the Ed. fare for stages up to 1,200 yds. and of id. stages above 2d. The minimum fare is now lid, for journeys up to 1,500 yds. Daily return tickets arc replaced by a weekly ticket.
No Early Concessions
Early-morning concession fares will not be issued by Bradford Corporation after next Sunday. Permission for the change has been given after a hearing on September 9. It is expected that this change will produce an additional £60,000 a year.
Permission to abolish workmen's concession fares and to introduce a new scale of ordinary fares has been granted to Aberdare Urban District Council by she South Wales Licensing Authority. The undertaking is faced with an estimated deficit of £20,000 this year.
Mr. R. B. Jones, general manager, declared that the time was long overdue when the undertaking (a statutory one) should be allowed to operate excursions and tours. Most of the vehicles were idle over the week-end.
Two other South Wales municipal undertakings—those of Caerphilly. and Gellygaer—have been granted new A28 fares. Revised season-ticket rates have been granted in each case, and the withdrawal of some workmen's fares has been authorized at Caerphilly.
New charges have been granted to Rochdale Corporation, affecting 31 independently operated services and 10 jointly worked.
One of the joint operators concerned is North Western Road Car Co., Ltd., which is. now applying for permission to vary return fares on all its services. Costs have, this year, gone up by £136,000 a year, the company declares, and it is proposed to increase by Id. existing ordinary return fares from 5d. to la., and those over Is. Id, by 2d.
Return tickets would be abolished where the increase proposed resulted in the return rate becoming double the single. It is also suggested that workmen's daily return tickets should be available up to 7.30 a.m., with the addition of Id. to existing rates, Plymouth Applies New fares have been proposed by Plymouth Corporation and Western National Omnibus Co., Ltd., affecting 78 joint services in the Plymouth area Over 100 services are concerned in the applications of nevon General Omnibus and Touring Co.,. Ltd., and Exeter Transport Department to increase single fares up to ls. by Id., those between Is. Id. and 2s. by 2d., and those above 2s. by 3d. It is also suggested that new workmen's and scholars' weekly tickets be introduced. Exeter expects a deficit of £8,000 this year.
South Shields Corporation is to seek permission to increase the statutory maximum charge on motorbus and trolleybus services to 3d. a mile for ordinary fares and 2d. a mile for work.
men's tickets. It is not proposed to seek further advances at present.
ALL-YEAR SERVICE?
A'application has been made by Halt Bros., Ltd., Sunderland, to the Northern Licensing Authority to operate its service to Coventry throughout the year, except on Christmas Day. The service is at present run seasonally.