TRAM FARES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 208, 28 May 1920, Page 7

TRAM FARES

CITY COUNCIL INCREASES CHARGES FOR CASH AND CONCESSION RIDES • WORKERS' CONCESSIONS ABOLISHED The City Council spent a good deal of time in committeo last night considering the report of the tramways manager, Mr. ,W. K. Morton, on the proposed alteration to the tram fnies. Finally the council adopted tho report as follows:— • According to an estimate whoih has been prepared, the cost of the concession in wages and conditions recently granted to the Tramways Union and tradesmen, 'together with an allowance to cover increases in salaries to the officers of the .'department, will amount to approximately £10,000 per annum, Seeing that the 'agreement with the union included baok pay at the new rate* to January 1 last, it is imperative that steps bo taken at oneo to secure an increase in the revenue cf the undertaking to meet ihieso higher operating costs, and J therefore ibeg to submit tho following proposals for consideration:—

(1) Increase in ca3h fares aa per • schedule No. 1, attached hereto. (2) Increase in prico of concession tickets ns set out on schedule 1. (3). Abolition of workers' concession tiolcetfl. . . (4) Increase in price of tickets supplied to the Post and Telogiupli„Department for conveyance if messengers and postmen. (5) Increase in prico of tickets supplied to corporation departments, . (&) Increase in car mileage oharge , to Miramar Boroughi. . By referring ifco schedule I it will bo noted that it is not proposed to jngrenso thq cash fare for one section riders, but ill the case of two and throe section riders the fare is increased by one penny. As the maximum faro allowable by tho Orders-in-Counci'. for tho various lines is 4d. for the existing four sections it is not proposed to increase the four section cash faro at present, but Steps should bo taken to obtain an Order-in-Council which would permit the enforcing of higher maximum fan's in case ■thiß Incomes necessary dn the near

future. 'By referriuff to the schedule it will d" Been that it is proposed to increase the price of all the concession tickets. The price of the one section ticket is shown increased from Is. 3d. to Is. fid., or IJd. to lid. per ride, and the ■ two, three and four section tickets are advanced by Gd., whilst the five, and six section tickets used only on the Karon line are given nn increase of 3dIn connection with the proposal to abolish workers' tickets I beg to point, out that persons using these tickets are still being carried at less than one halfpenny per mile. Although the council applied in .August last to the Government for power to increase'.the price of these tickets by 6d., it is only recently that permission was obtained, and the * necessary formalities to enable tho increase to ob' given effect to are not yet

completed. ■ ■ ' . ' Under the conditions now prevailing I am strongly of the. opinion'that the special concession granted to persons hoarding cars which leave termini be'fore 7.30 a.m. should be withdrawn, leaving one system of concessions available for all persons using the cars. It will be necessary to apply to the Government for power to make this alteration. Under proposals Nos. i and 5 it ie suggested that the special tickets issued to the Post and Telegraph Department and tho various corporation departments should bear tho same increase as that placed on the universal one section card. Regarding proposal No. 0 I have to point out that the cost of operating the Miramar Mid Seatoun lines for the year ended Moron 31 last was 15.566 pence per ' car mile,. and tho revenue' from the car mileage averasred 13:486 pence per car,mile, leaving an'average loss of 2.08 peace, which amounted to •£650 9s. Id. on the year's running. , Due to the recent increases in pay tho oost of operating will go up approximately 2,5 d. per car mile for the wholo . system. If tin's figure is applied to the Mtaimar mileage 'tho present deficit would bo increased to 4.5 pence per mile, which, based pi last year's mileage of 75,000 miles would mean a loss of .£I4OO for.the current year. Taking into consideration, however, the lower current consumption on tjse Miramar and Seatoun lines, and the fact' that the latter are feeders for the city system, I coni eider that an increase in tho mileage charge from Is. ljd. to Is, 4Jd. would meet the position tor the time being.

As far as oan be estimated, tho proposals outlined above, excluding No. 3, but allowing for tho increased rate on workers' tickets already approved, will amount to about ,£32,000 per annum. In view of the fact that double rates aro now being paid to tho tramway -employees for work ■ performed on Sundays, the question of introducing a special fare for Sunday travelling is deserving of consideration, bursas this would bring about complications'in the fare system. J am of the opinion that this matter" should stand over until it is ascertained wheher the revenue- from the above proposals is sufficient to meet the increased wojking expense*. As there has been nn exceptionally heavy salo of concession tickets during the past week f beg to recommend that the proposals be immediately adopted and brought into force on May 31. Arrangements have been made for the new priced concession tickets to be available for the public on May 26, Schedule 1, covering tho alterations to ■faro system, is as under: - PARE SCALE. CARS. Present. Now fare. 1 section , 2d. 2d. , 2 sections ~ 2d, 3d. 3 sections 3d. 4d. , , 4 sections 4d. 4d. 5 sections sd. Sd. 6 sections sd. id. BY CONCESSION TICKET. Present. Now fare. Pare per' Faro per Price, rido. Prico ndc. s. d. d. s. d. d. 1 section 1 J 1} 16 1$ 2 sections 2 6 1J 3 0 21 3 sections 3 0 2 4-7363 4 sections 3 6 3 4 0 3 3.7 5 sections 4 6 33-7 4 9 41-14 6 sections 5 0 4 2-7 5 3 4J Previous to tho adoption of the report, Councillor J. Hutchison moved the following amendmont:—"That as the recommendations submitted to the council to increase passenger fares are based on tho new sot of wages agreed to by tiie council to govern the members of the Tramways Union, and as such have not had a practical trial, the recommendations as submitted be deferred for three months, and if at the termination of such period tho financial position warrants extra receipts, the council laka into consideration tho question of striking a graduated levy on the unimproved land values to make up such deficiency." Mr. Hutchison said that by what tho council was proposing to do it was oniy becoming involved in "the vicious circle," because it was increasing the cost of living, Eeally, tho council would bo guilty of profiteering. Mr. It. A. Wright opposed Councillor Hutohison's proposal, which, ho said, would have the effect of putting up rents.

Mr. P. Fraser spoke in favour of tho amendment.

Amendment Defeated. The Mayor said the effect of Councillor. Hutchison's amendment was really that the' cars should bo free to the public. The increases given to the employees in the service would mean an outlay of not "far short of X 40,000, and that sum 'had to be got out of the tramway under- : taking. It should not be a tax on one portion of the community only. The tramway concern was a business undertaking, and was carried on for the purpose of giving the community the beueiit of the oheapest fares possible. No one section of the community should enjoy special privileges. Ho did not think it right that some people should find .tho extra money so that other peoplo might travel cheaply. Tho tramways concern should be able to pay for all the obligations arising out of the undertaking. Tho amendment was lost by 13 votes (to i. the supporters being th» labour rnembera of th« wunciL