HIGHER TRAM FARES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19092, 10 August 1925, Page 13

HIGHER TRAM FARES.

PROPOSAL IN MELBOURNE.

GROWING COST OF SERVICE.

INCREASE IN THE SUBURBS,

Tho announcement was made by the chairman of tho Melbourne Tramways Board, Mr. A. Cameron, recently that at an early date tho board would ask tho Ministry to approve of an increase in tram faros in the suburbs. Mr. Cameron said that increases in tho cost of providing tho tramway services, out of all proportion to tho increases iu tho revenue which havo been recorded recently, coupled with the burdens imposed on tho board by the statutory contributions made by it to tho Firo Brigados Board, the Infectious Diseases Hospital, mid the Licenses Reduction Equivalent Fund, had brought about circumstances in which tho board could no longer continue to provido services without increasing fares. The whoic position was now under consideration by the board, but no defmito proposals had been agreed to, nor was it possible to forecast the extent or tho form of tho increases until accounts for the last year had been analysed Tho balance-sheet for the financial year just closed bad not been completed, suid Mr. Cameron, but in many respects it would prove a disagreeable surprise as tho fi unces vf tho board, owing to tlio greatly increased working expenses and tho wasteful competition caused by tlio duplication of transport services, wero not in tho same position as they wero at. the end of tho last financial year. Even if tho contributions by the board on behalf of tho Stato Government to tho several funds referred to wero remitted, ho did not think that it would be possible to maintain services without an increase in fares. Tho amount of these contributions for the year just closed was about Tho increase proposed might take the form of a direct increase or a rearrangement of sections. Three Principal Factors. Tho thrive chief factors making necesEary tho increases, Mr, Cameron said, wero tho effect of tho electrification of the railways on tramway revenue, the operations of the privately-owned motorbuses, and the abnormal increases in working costs, and particularly wagos, encountered by the board. Ho pointed out that in tho last few years the lucreaso in the frequency of tho services and tho "speeding up" of the railways, consequent upon electrification, havo placed tho railways in a position to competo successfully in areas where tho trams were once the most popular means of transport. i'igures prepared by tho board, Mr. Cameron went on to say, showed that of tho population of Melbourne about 437,000 people lived in areas served both by tramways and railway services. There were 632,000 peoplo who could be served by tho trams and people who could bo served by tiio trains. Lately the improvements in the railways service had robbed the Tramways Board of a considerable portion of tlio 437.000 people who had the common service, and while he did not blanio the railways for improving their service to secure extra traffic, the fact that it was going to bo reflected in other systems could not be overlooked and had, in fact, been realised, when it was decided to electrify tho railways. Mr. Cameron added that privately owned motor-buses had also made inroads, which were necessarily reflected in revenue, on the tramways field. As long as wasteful duplication of tho two services existed this encroachment would bo felt. Sinco 1916 the tramways wages bill alone had increased by 62 per cent., whilo the revenue hud increased only by 21 per cent., and the fares had been increased by 12£ per cent. With tho increased working costs, however, had come improvements in tho service. Mito Comfort for Passengers, Tho frequency of service at " peak" periods, it was explained by Mr. Cameron, had been increased to cater for the number of passengers formerly provided for by a much smaller service. The effect of this was that, whilo passengers travelled iu greater comfort than before, the working expenses of the board wero increased without anjfe compensating rise in revenue. Arbitration Court rulings relating to the hours of the men, and particularly finishing times, had also increased expenditure. Mr. Cameron added that tho present fares in operation on the suburban tramways were extremely low for the service provided and compared favourably with | fares in any other part of Australia. It was not generally realised that tho fares in operation at present on tlio inner portion of tho tramways system were now actually lower than they were before tho war, or before tho Tramways Board took over the services-