§ 19. Mr. DAYasked the Minister of Transport whether he has received any reply to the invitation he made to the omnibus proprietors in the London area asking them for their observations with reference to the recent increases in omnibus fares; and whether he will inform the House what further action he proposes to take?
§ The MINISTER of TRANSPORT (Colonel Ashley)No, Sir. I am still awaiting replies.
§ 20. Captain GARRO-JONESasked the Minister of Transport whether steps are being taken to watch and record the increases of fares imposed by the London General Omnibus Company, in view of the fact that the cost of petrol to-day, including the tax, is lower than when the standard fares were fixed?
§ Colonel ASHLEYThe London Traffic Act, 1924, provides that any person to whom a licence has been granted for an omnibus to ply for hire in the City of London and the Metropolitan Police area, subject to the condition of maintaining a regular service, shall deposit with the licensing authority a schedule of the 164 fares which he intends to charge. Copies of such schedules are sent to me and recorded in my Department. I am not sure that I understand the hon. and gallant Member's reference to the fixing of standard fares.
§ Captain GARRO-JONESHas the right hon. Gentleman seen the statement made by the officials of the London General Omnibus Company to the effect that they have lost some hundreds of thousands of pounds by the imposition of the tax of 4d., and has he compared that with the figure of the amount they have saved by the decrease in the cost of petrol since they fixed the present fares?
§ Colonel ASHLEYNo, Sir, I have not seen that statement.
§ Captain GARRO-JONESWill the right hon. Gentleman take some steps to inform himself upon these vital matters?
§ Colonel ASHLEYIf the hon. and gallant Member will kindly send me the statement, I will certainly go into it.
§ 25. Mr. COVEasked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that the United Counties Omnibus Company, operating in the Wellingborough Parliamentary area, has increased its workmen's fare by 50 per cent., and that as a consequence workmen have to pay a day's wage per week in omnibus fares; and what steps he proposes to take in order to prevent this increase?
§ Colonel ASHLEYThe company to which the hon. Member refers is not a statutory company, and I have no control over the fares charged by them.
§ Mr. COVEWill the Minister make representations to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pointing out to him that the workmen are paying for the Petrol Duty?