New School Bus Fares Amended

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31177, 29 September 1966, Page 3

New School Bus Fares Amended

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, Sept. 28. The Transport Charges Appeal Authority, Mr J. H. Luxford, has amended sections of the Wellington City Council’s new public transport fare schedule.

Monthly school passes which were increased from 7s 6d to 12s 6d have now been cut back to 10s 6d. He has also allowed some pupils to use specially issued monthly school passes up till 630 p.m. on week-days. Other pupils will be able to use their school passes on a daily basis up till 6.30 p.m. by producing a chit from their headmaster. Previously passes were tenable to 4.45 p.m.

The amendments are contained in a reserved decision from a hearing of appeals to

the new schedule which was introduced on September 5. The Transport Act stipulates that changes become operative from the date of the decision, in this case last Saturday. Cr. J. H. Turk, chairman of the Wellington City Council’s traffic committee, said today it was “absolutely ridiculous” that a lay body could upset a decision by the council.

He said the council had made a full investigation before making the decision to raise city bus fares. The Transport Act should be revised to safeguard such decisions.

He said he was not satisfied with Mr Luxford’s decision, but could not say whether the council would exercise its right of appeal to the Supreme Court.