Bus-grant cut would hit fares

Press, 4 April 1985, Page 5

Bus-grant cut would hit fares

Christchurch bus users may be faced with higher fares, higher rates, and service cuts because of an expected cut in Canterbury’s urban transport grant. Policy changes by the Urban Transport Council meant that the grant would probably be cut by more than $1 million, said the chairman of the Canterbury United Council’s urban transport committee, Mr Mel Foster. Regions with low bus fares would be penalised and the new policy would only apply to buses, not rail, he said. Mr Foster asserted yesterday that the Government wanted to pay for all urban rail services, particularly in Wellington, and so had*to cut costs in other areas. “The effect (of the new policy) is to reverse the Urban Transport Council’s moves towards a more logical and equitable subsidy system. z s

“Wellington rail commuters will receive the benefit of high taxpayersourced subsidies, low fares, and nil rates,” he said.

Mr Foster said he would ask the United Council at its meeting on April 10 to make strong representations against the policy changes.