NOTA PENNY ON THE FARES. • LAST month the peal court it.
Tessa interviews WETZEL, the GLC's Law Lords' ruling.
House of Lords upheld an apruling that London's tare policy was illegal. This decision was a blow both to working people in the city and the Labour Greater London Council who introduced van Gelderen DAVID chairperson of the GLC Transport Committee and argues why approach is disastrous if it wants to successfully overturn the RIVER-THAMES THE LONDON UNDERGROUND What have been the effects of the GLC's Tares oOlC what will be the effects of the Law Lords' judgement?
The policies that we've been pursuing in public transport, that is, improving services anu recucuyares uniquely socialist policy. It's a good common sense Duone uals oort Done for any great city and one that's been carried out in most of the great citles in Western Europe and also many in the United States The average level of subsidy in Western Europe is something like per cent or costs trom public runas Even with our fares policy we were oniv planning in 1982 to meet 46 per cent of the costs from public funds. so in terms ot what other countries have been doing vul policy's quite modest.
The important thing about it was that it was working. Eleven per cent of extra passengers on buses and 7 per trains opposed declines. We were expecting a decline because of the effects of the recession Tewel VOs Comeo London. There's been decline this year than was actually anticipated. We've reversed that we've now got a swing back to public transport. We think that's important In the long term it would have been more as people got used to the cheaper passes because they are even cheaper than the dav bv dav tares. particularly on the buses and the use of season tickets; when people had to make decisions about whether or not their cars we think they would have to transport.
We've increased bus miles by 7 million and train miles by We were increasing services by allowing no overtime or rest day working recruiting staff.
The result of the judgement by the House of Lords is that fares have got to to up at least double and our legal opinion at the moment is more than double in 1982. Legal opinion again is that we can't continue to give old age pensioners their concessions.
That has to be picked up by the boroughs and it seems unlikely that all the boroughs will agree to do that, particularly in a situation where they are cutting back on home helps for people who are housebound they then justify extra diture for the ones who aren't housebound?
In services it means drastic cuts. Ken Livingstone: how much longer can he hang on?
We're already talking in terms of clos ing stations and branch and reaucme une senequeu dus muease o' La quarter. years. It would mean 5,000 jobs lost but culancic. areas.
and I would like the Labour Group to actually crease or cuts in services and to maintain the policy on which we were elected.
What do you think the implication of that would be?
Well it would still be that London Crease Dares lease not and e crease fares, because Labour Group would vote for that policy in council. It only needs five people to vote with the Tories and they would get the budget they want. I think it's right and proper that Labour makes a fight and says we'rew not going down the road. expected Do you think you can have a cam. paign to change the decision?
Yes, but the only way we're going to bigger reverse the decision is by changing the and law, through Parliament.
campaign that I would like to see is to get people to write to their MPs and to criticise the judges. of this judgement is that they've overthrown what people have voted for We need a campaign to gel demand what they've voted for I'm that people are defending us and also in the newspapers, the number of letpublic ters defending our fares policy. need a change of law and our objective is to convince this government 400,000. that it is essential to go back to where everybody assumed we were betore the judges together and actually reversed what vandals everybody assumed what the law was. important unions join us.
campaign, we need an all party public transport campaign unions must get involved an dnot just the transport unions unions also have workers who need public transport. transport represents lorry drivers • how want to be stuck in traffic jams all day expen- These are When you're talking about cutting out whole bus routes people have got no choice but to get a bike, a motor lines, and congestion, That would be over three mainly through natural wastage specific No firm decisions have been made anast ally well.
David Transport, with that.
that fares policy.
that was and the other glee in The sort of proposing and really think The whole basis : people to encouraged bv mv postbas Lills command.
forever ... 1 describe them as the who that the trade We need a GLC camwe need a labour movement work.
Obviously the because other BaSU dealist ally they don't the implications. organise this bike or a car to make their journeys. Therefore you're talking about more more accidents, more pollution on the streets of London.
It's essential that the legislation is reversed and I think the easiest way to probably old age pensioners, who can be used as a batter ing ram, and once you've got the door open other things must be included as Howell Minister of doesn'l understand the implications of the law. He's said we need onlv put the lares up bv 60 per cent. None of our legal advice agrees Won don transport so had a London Transport also aencil last year berore we look ove and our increase on the rates, the sup. ementa rales was to neo wooe ou that deficit as well as to pay for our over t22 Sm. Oeny nto odd milion ed supplementary Stares, about non oll was lor tre exura service:
£48.5m was deficit and the fl11m that we lost in government grants.
But there does seem to be a lot of Westminster over this is all very well, but when it comes down to it do you that really going to change the law?
We welcome the support of all unions - and | stress not iust the transpor unions. But if you want to talk about industrial muscle you must talk to the and to me because haven't got industrial muscle at my This government isn't going to last When this government goes whoever replaces it must give us change in the law eventualv. But i'm more concerned that we get a change in the law now, to campaign between now and 21 March to see that the law is changed so that London Transport can carry out the policies that were working, that's the beauty of them, we were actually proving that they I want the GLC to vote against an increase in the fares. That's my position personally. I'm opposed to any increase in fares and I'm going to vote Obviously if there's going to be an increase in fares, I would want it to be as small as possible. . We're hoping to campaign through the GLC, if not the GLC then through