Bus takings ‘better than forecast’

Press, 8 November 1978, Page 6

Bus takings ‘better than forecast’

The Christchurch Trans- * port 'Board’s financial position was not -as bad as it j wished to make out said the Bus Action Group yesterday, j The group’s chairman (Mr* R. Wilson) said the board* had made $73,000 more during the first four months of this financial year than it, had predicted. This had been in spite of I a 15.2 per cent increase inj the distance run in thatl period compared with the ■ same period last year. This situation had risen; through .judicious budgeting and a big injection of Govlernment finance. Mr Wilson!

(was speaking on the second; idav of a hearing of an application by the board to re-; Iduce its' evening bus ser-{ i vices. The application is; jbeing heard by the No. 9: jTransport District Licensing; {Authority (Mr D. L. Hogan). ■ I The hearing will resume: {tomorrow. ; The Bus Action Group was formed in August to oppo..e the proposed cuts. It has lodged a long objection 'to the board’s decision. Mr Wilson yesterday presented Mr Hogan with a petition signed by 2416 persons supporting the group. Mr Wilson said the cuts * would affect low-income i

'earners more than anyone;: ■ else. I “It is obvious .social; {groups such as the elderly, {1 ;teen-agers, and the handi-p • capped are going to have ■ {their mobility severely curtailed,” he said. Although bus patronage ' {had been falling for many , ' years, there were signs of , 'recovery. [ In the first four months of . this financial year a drama- ■ tic reversal had started to > t become evident: in that . period sales of 20-ride tickets had increased by 42 per' Jcent over the same period, ■■last year and school-ticket!

* sales had increased by 23 : iper cent. Dr Morgan Fahey sup-* [ported the group’s submis-i sions. [ “Our research has shown: the majority of people who have accidents after 8 p.m. have been drinking in hotels rather than in private homes,” he said, in a letter to the authority. “So an increase in public transport to serve these people at a time w' <--t they are most at risk should be encouraged.” Trade unions also opposed the proposed cuts. An organiser of the Canterbury Hot“l ; Hospital. Restaurant, Club {and Related Trades Employ-

ees’ Union, Mr R. Lingard said many of his member? would be affected. The cuts would be socially irresponsible. Some unior members would be deprived of transport to get to wort and would have to give up their jobs. The secretary of the Canterbury and Westland Storemen and Packers’ Union (Mr P. Piesse) said the cuts would stop many members of his union from working overtime.

The Drivers’ Union, the Tramwavs Union, and rhe Cloth'ng Workers’ Union .also objected.