BURDEN ON BUSES

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 34, 10 February 1933, Page 8

BURDEN ON BUSES

TOO MUCH TO BEAR?

The increase in the petrol taxis going to hit motor transport very hard, according to Mr. C. L. Bishop, secretary of the Motor Omnibus Operators' Association. This increase, together with the increased price of tires, oils, and other commodities will, it is stated, force many who are now on the borderline out of existence. The public are no longer travelling for pleasure to any great extent, and to pass on the increase in the way of increased fares will place further restrictions on travel. "If the whole of the increased charges are passed on to the operator, Ihe alternative t6 increased fares in toy opinion, will be to restrict timetables," said Mr. Bishop, "but even this will be most difficult, and in. any ease lessened, running per bus will have the.effect of increasing the fixed charges per mile, as in most cases it Is not possible to reduce these fixed charges.

"The figures of the Eastbourne Borough. Council for the past financial year will give some idea of the taxation omnibus operators are called upon to meet," Mr. Bishop continued. "Petrol tax cost approximately £800 and heavy traffic fees £500. To this must be added various licence fees, together with the Customs duties on the various articles, such as oil, tires, and spares. To the various taxes must be added the compulsory third-party insurance fees, bringing the total charges to over £2000.

''The increased imposts, if passed on to the operators, will mean for the East-' bourne bus services an additional £300 for petrol lax, and probably another £.200 to meet increased charges for other items. Approximately 30 per cent, of the total revenue'; for the year will be eaten up before one can say that a wheel has turned.

"While the; private car owners will no doubt consider they are being harshly treated, they will not have the same grounds for complaint as the commercial'operator," continued Mr. Bishop. "Private cars and light vehicles do not pay heavy traffic fees, and when one understands that the heavy motof vehicle uses proportionately more petrol and pays various licence fees, and exceptionally heavy third-party insurance premiums, the levying of heavy traffic fees is an imposition on the commercial vehicle operator winch is," in' my opinion, most unjust. '..'•■"

"A heavy bus, for instance, may do eight miles to the gallon of petrol, as against the average car's twenty miles per rgallon. The bus owner, therefore, pays two and one-half times the petrol tax paid by the private car owner, and with the speed of the car practically unlimited, road damage by cars in many cases is more serious than that of the bus, as undoubtedly speed is a big factor in road damage."

Mr. Bishop said that application for some relief, either by exemption from the increased petrol tax or remission of heavy traffic fees, was being made to the Minister of Finance by the omnibus operators. Unless some relief was. obtained many operators would have great difficulty in continuing in business upon the present lines.