NEW TRAM FARES

Evening Post, Volume XCIX, Issue 126, 28 May 1920, Page 7

NEW TRAM FARES

£40,000 TO BE PROVIDED

WORKSRS' CONCESSIONS

ABOLISHED

INCREASES OPERATE ON 31sfc MAY. • -.. --■

To meet the additional cost of the recant increases in the salaries 'of the tramway officials, the 'City Council last evening adopted a new system of fares, embodying considerable higher rates. These increases were made hi accordance with a report presented by the General Manager (Mr. W. H. Morton), which was adopted. ; \ "According to an estimate.-which has been prepared," said i£r. Morton in. this; report, "the cost, of tho. conceesion iii wages and conditions recently granted to tile Tramways Union and tradesmen, together with an allowance to cover increases in salaries to the officers of thedepartment, will amount to approximately £40,000 per annum. Seeing that the agreement with the union included back pay at the new*rate to Ist January last, it is imperative, that steps be taken ab once to secure an increase in the revenue o£ the undertaking to meet these higher operating costs, and I therefore.beg to submit the "following proposals, for consideration :— ■ . (1) Increase in cash fares as' per, schedule of fares attached hereto. (2) Increase in price of concession, tickets as set out in the schedule of fares. , (3) Abolition of workers' concession tickets. : ■■ . ' (4) Increase in price of tickets (supplied ,to the 1 Post, and Telegraph De-' partmeht. for conveyance of mes- ' eengers and postmen. (5) Increase in price of. tickets sup> plied to' Corporation departments. (6) Increase in car mileage charge to • Mitamar. Borough. "By referring to Schedule One it will bo noted th-at -it is not proposed to increase the cash fare for one-section via-" ere, but in the case of two a>nd threesection l-iders tile fare is increased by one penily. . As the maximum fare allowable by the Grders-in-Coundl for- the. various lines is 4d for the existing -four' sections, it is not proposed to increasethe - foui'-sectiqii cash fare at presentl,----but steps.should be taken to obtain an Order-in-Ctmncil which would ..." permit' the enforcing of higher maximum fares in case this becomes necessary. in the near future. By referring to the schedule it will be seen that.it is pro. posed to increase the price of all the • concession tickets. - .

"The price of the one-section ticket., is shown increased from Is 3d to Is ■ 6d, or Ufd to lid per ride, and the . two, three, and four-eection tickets are advanced by 6d, whilst the five and aixsection tickets, used only on the Karori line, are given an increase of 3d. " WORKERS' CONCESSION TICKETS. "In connection with the proposal to abolish workers' tickets, I beg to point out that persons using these tickets are still being carried at less than one halfpenny per mile. Although the council applied in August last to the Government ; for power to increase the price of these, tickets by 6d, it' is only recently that, permission was obtained and the necessaiy formalities to enable the increase to be given effect to are not yet complete^ "Under the conditions now prevailing I am strongly of the opinion that the special' concession granted to persons "■ boarding cars which leave termini before. 7.30 a.m. should be withdrawn, leaving one system of concessions available for all persons using the cars. It will be necessary to apply to the Government for power to make this alteration. . "Under proposals Jfos. 4 and 5 it 13 suggested that the special tickets issued to the Post and Telegraph Department and the various corporation departments should bear the same increase as that placed on the universal one-section card. •MIRAMAR .CHARGES. "Regarding proposal No. 6, I have to point out that the cost of operating the Miramar and Seatbun lines for the year, ended 31st Maich last was 15.566 d per. car mile, and the revenue from the ear •■ mileage charge averaged' 13.486 d per car. '. mile, leaving aii average loss of .&.08d,.'. .',. which amounted to £650 9s Id on the year's running. Due to the recent increases in pay the cost of operating will .' go up approximately 2.5 d per- car mile for the whole system. If this figure *-isapplied to the Miramar mileage the present deficit would be increased to 4.5 d per mile, which based on last year's mileage of 75,000 miles would mean a loss of £1400 for the current year. Taking into/ . consideration,' however) the lower current, ■ consumption on the .Minimal" and Seatbun lines, and the fact that the latter are feeders for the city system, I consider. . that an increase in the mileage charge ■ from Is l^d to Is 4Ad would mcci tha position for the time being. TO PRODUCE £32,000. "As far as can be estimated, the proposals outlined above, excluding Ko. 3, but allowing for the increased rate oil workers' tickets already approved, will amount to about £32,000 per annum. "In-view of the fact that double rates are now being paid to the tramway em- ' ;: ployees for work performed on Sundays, the question of introducing a special faro for Sunday travelling is deserving of consideration, but as this would bring about complications in.the - fare system I am of the opinion that this matter should stand over until it is'■-■ ascertained whether the revenue from the above proposals is sarEcient to meet the increased working expenses. "As there liss been an exceptionally heavy sale of concession tickets during the past week, I beg to recommend that the proposals be immediately adopted and brought into force on the 31st inst. Arrangements have been made for the new-priced concession tickets to be available for the public on the 26th instant." THE SCHEDULE OF FARES.

IS I ) ) i'resent. Proposed 1 section' 2cl 2d 2 sections 2d 3d 3-sections 3d 4d ■■.■ 4. sections 4d , 4d.' 5 sections „ 5d 5d 6 sections 5d ■ 5d BY CONCESSION TICKET. Present Price. Proposed Prico. i . per ride. per ride, section ... 1/3 (l|d). ■ 1/6 (l^d) sestiohs ... 2/6 -(ljd) . 3/- (2id) sections ... 3/"- (24-7 d) 3/6 (3d) sections ... 3/6 (3d) 4/--(33-7d) sections ... 4/6 (36-7 d) 4/9 '(41-14*1) sections ... 5/- (4 2-7 d) 5/3 (4id) -