THE PRESS THURSDAY, JULY 15, 1982. Halving bus fares

Press, 15 July 1982, Page 16

THE PRESS THURSDAY, JULY 15, 1982. Halving bus fares

Christchurch is well served by its bus system when compared with other cities of similar size. In spite of the good efforts of the Christchurch Transport Board and its staff, the accelerating decline in patronage over the last three months has shown that Christchurch residents are reluctant to avail themselves of the service. The proposal now before the board, to reduce by half the fares for travel in off-peak periods, is a bold attempt to attract more passengers.

Passenger journeys fell by more than 60,000 last month; revenue from the service increased as a result of the higher fares introduced in January. If the progressive reduction in the number of passengers is a reflection of public resistance to that increase in fares, the half-fare proposal might redress the balance a little, but it could cause some resentment from many patrons who have remained faithful.

The intention is to reduce the fares between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., and again after 6 p.m., bn week-days, and at all times on Saturdays, Sundays, and on statutory holidays. As a result, most of the Transport Board’s regular passengers will not be able to take advantage of the proposal. The change, if adopted, will also mean a further step away from the proposition that half the cost of each bus journey should be paid for from rates and half from fares. Ratepayers, who are being asked this year to provide almost $7.5 million to keep the system going (an

increase of $1 million on last year), will be subsidising an even greater portion of the cost.

Dissatisfied ratepayers have a solution in their own hands. By using the buses they get something back for their money in the form of a fare of which they have paid more than half already. If more people, including more ratepayers, used the buses, the enforced contribution from the city’s property owners would be smaller. Bus fares are not dear, even after the increase last January. An average trip can cost as little as the telephone charge for calling a taxi. Concessions already exist for groups that society regards as deserving them, such as pensioners and schoolchildren. The relative cheapness of fares and these concessions could seem to argue that fare reductions are not warranted, but public transport has a social role as well as a duty to be as efficient as possible in its finances. Declining patronage can imperil the social role by turning marginal services into economically unjustifiable ones.

The present freeze on wages and prices provides an opportunity to experiment withhalf fares while costs are stable. The. Transport Board’s wage bill has increased by more then 120 per cent in the last six years. As long as this bill and other board spending continued to increase at such a rate, the experiment might have been very risky. In the present circumstances, the board is justified in testing the theory that half a fare is better than none.