Students lose concession

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34026, 15 December 1975, Page 5

Students lose concession

Students, who used to' he able to travel at half fare on Christchurch’ Transport Board buses,; lost this concession at a meeting of the board. The board passed a recommendation that the school and' student ticket be renamed theschool ticket and be available: to primarv and secondaryl school pupils only. The chairman of the board (Mr M O. Holdsworth ) said I that students were in a posi- ! tion to pav the full fare, which, for a regular user, would amount to about SI a week. Because of poor patronage the special student bus had been discontinued and one only needed to look at the car parks at the university to realise that students could 1 afford to pay full bus fare, he said. Another recommendation.

I'that at the next fare rise the • individual rate for the school itickets be raised from 30 per (cent of the adult cash fare to >137.5 per cent, was deferred until the February meeting , for a decision. j Mr Holdsworth opposed .the proposed rise, saying that [ihe would rather see people non the buses instead of a fall- • off in patronage because of a (fare rise. The board’s general manl ager (Mr M. G. Taylor) dis--I'agreed, saying that the school • ticket holders were predomin- , antly secondary school pupils . who travelled at peak times. iiA drop-off in patronage by •: these low-return passengers ; could save the board money I because buses could be taken l i off the runs.