Transport subsidy cut may be reviewed

Press, 16 May 1985, Page 5

Transport subsidy cut may be reviewed

The $1.2 million cut to Canterbury’s transport subsidy from the Urban Transport Council may be reviewed later this month, the Canterbury United Council’s urban transport committee was told yesterday. The United Council’s chief executive, Mr Malcolm Douglass, said he was optimistic that something would be done about the cut, which was made when the transport council changed its policy in April. “The council’s chairman, Mr lan McCutcheon, inferred that we might arrange a transition period (to phase the cut in),” Mr Douglass said. “We had only an informal meeting, but I am optimistic.” The committee sent a submission to the Transport

Council about the grant cut about two weeks ago. It asked that the cut be reconsidered and that the old policy for allocating funds he reinstated; that a phasein period be introduced to make funding changes easier to cope with; and that a comprehensive funding review be done by the transport council to establish appropriate funding policies. Five persons were appointed to discuss the submission with Transport Council representatives before June 4 — Mr Douglass; the committee’s chairman, Mr M. E. Foster; Mr Trevor Inch; the Christchurch Transport Board’s chairman, Mr Patrick Neary; and the Transport Board’s general manager, Mr Max Taylor.