Fewer Bus Passengers But Greater Revenue

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30286, 12 November 1963, Page 7

Fewer Bus Passengers But Greater Revenue

1 Although the number of passengers carried on the 1 Christchurch Transport Board’s services in the four weeks ended October 13 . dropped by 87.730 to 1,566.030, i compared with the corres- ; ponding period last year, revenue increased by £4484 to £ 50,573, according to a report presented to the board's : finance committee yesterday. Operating expenses showed lan increase of £2486 to £51.992 (compared with £49.506 for the period last year) leaving a net loss of £1419 (£3417).

The board’s deficiency for the 28 weeks up to October 13 showed a drop of £4542 to £84.606. The deficiency was ; £89.148 for the same period [in 1962. The chairman of the committee (Mr E. J. Bradshaw) said the decline in passengers ! for the four-week period. I compared with last year, was i largely because of the inj crease in bus fares from April 1 1. The drop in passengers I was not as serious as had j been expected. j Mr H. E. Denton said there were various reasons other than the fare increase for the decline in passengers. These included continued decentralisation and increasing use of private cars. “Passengers will continue to decline. This is very bad for the Transport Board, but it is a measure of the prosperity of tiie people," Mr Denton said. Mr J. R. Smith agreed that the increase in fares was only one of the factors in the decline in bus passengers. In the last year there had been a very marked increase in the number of cars driven into the city by businessmen and workers.

Cars were now parked all day along Worcester and Gloucester streets as far as Barbadoes street, and nearly to Fitzgerald avenue. Previi ously, they did not have to park further from the city than Barbadoes street. I Mr K. T. Marriott asked what measures the board would take if there was a continued decrease of passeni gers. “This year we have saved the position by a fare increase. If passenge'rs numbers continue to drop what is going to come?” he asked, j Mr Bradshaw said it was a matter for the future to i show up the trend. Although there had been a decrease in passengers in the period it ! had not been as much as ex- ! peeled. i Commenting on figures ‘which showed a general over I'all improvement in the

board’s scheduled passenger route operations for 28 weeks to October 13, compared with last year, Mr Bradshaw said the board could once again thank the fare increases. Passengers carried during this period totalled 11.077.520, a drop of 921,899, but the net loss was only £2591, compared with £10,468 for the period last year.