“On Monday last the Belfast City Council voted by…”

On Monday last the Belfast City Council voted by 19 votes to 14 to increase bus fares and to cut services. Fares will go up on Monday next from 6d to 9d minimum, or 11d for people without tokens.

This applies to children as well as to adults. They also decided to cut to ribbons an already bad service. They will stop all buses on some of the routes after 7 p.m and cut peak hour services by one bus in five. The decision will increase some families transport bills from £3 per week to £4.10.0. Many people will have to wait another 15 minutes at rush hours for a bus.

All but two of those who voted in favour of the increase arrived in cars, and all were elected to the council on a restricted franchise and the business vote.

They rejected several recommendations from a Special Transport Committee including the repeal of the Aberdeen Clause, to allow the buses to be subsidised from the rates. It is clear that they were voting in the interest of the big rate payers and businessmen, rather than in the interest of the general public.

They turned down the committees recommendation of an overall increase of 30%, or 40% on adult fares. They even rejected the extension of the old age pensioners ld. concessionary fare to cover the week-end.

speech Before the Council meeting started, 20 members of the P.D. picketed the City Hall and later six went inside to present a petition containing 50,000 signatures against the proposals.

A spokesman for the P.D. then addressed the Council. In a speech lasting 10 minutes he pointed out that the buses had a working loss of only £36,000 in the past year or 4/- per bus per day, but in addition £244,000 was paid to London banks. He refered to the fact that the first phase alone of the ring road will knock down 1,200 dwelling houses. The vast majority of them are working class and many perfectly sound. The former inhabitants will be forced to move outside the city, pay a great deal more in rent and of course spend high sums each week on bus fares, all for the benefit of the motorist.

The current estimate for the Urban Motorway is £70 million, and this was compared with the figure of £3 million a year which would provide free buses.

He welcomed the proposal to repeal the Aberdeen Clause and expressed the hope that such a vital reform would pass through its parliamentary stages as quickly as the notorious Criminal Justice (Temporary Provisions) Act did. (Readers will recall that it had its first and second reading and received Royal vice. the boycott of the buses by the public came into effect. And so saying he proceeded around the and displayed placards. Several organizations they represent.

methods whereby the public may increases when they come into we mentioned last week is to boycott the buses, and to walk or seek a lift from a car witha some reason cannot do this we have distributed forms urging fares. The idea is to fill in your name and address and give it to the inspector if he asks for your ticket. One of the forms is car car stickers can be had by sending a stamped addressed envelope to 88 Ladybrook Park, Belfast. Mark on the envelope which you require.

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of those councillors who voted each of their constituents might care to contact them and voice their opinions about the voting habits of these so-called representatives.

The working class people of of 4 Abbeydale Crescent, B.14.

at O'Hara Waste Merchants Tel. 20408, lucky Quinton drives a Rover 33 litre. Then we have B.14, Tel. 746296. He runs a Tel. 40700 and drives a Mini.

Joseph Hanna councillor for BTS6HX, Tel. 654310 and runs a Singer Excelsior. His fellow Hasting Hotel Group Limited Tel.

BT96TX Tel. 667254, not for him the worries of travel by bus as he cruises around in his Mercedes.

The people of Sandy Row and St Anne's. Alfred Shaw runs the Treetops Hotel, 45 Park Avenue Assent in one day!) He stressed that municipal transport should be regarded as an essential public serHe finished by saying that even if the increase were passed at least some councillors would vote against it. They could show their good faith by offering lifts in their cars when council chamber handing out 'Free Lifts' stickers persued by a corpor- 900. ation official. At this point other members of the delegation stood up councillors including one Protestant Unionist asked for extra stickers for distribution to members of the We have planned several register their protest against the effect on Monday. The first, which sticker. For those people who for them to temporarily withhold their driven, printed below and more copies or .

Finally we are printing the names for the increase. We suggest that Shankill were betrayed by two newly elected councillors; Quinton O'Hara Phone 742171, he can be contacted George Scott of 30 Abbeydale Gdns.

ADDRESS.

newsagents shop at 1 Botanic Ave., Pottinger lives at 54 Shandon Park councillor William Hastings of the 56161 lives at 127 Harberton Park JUNCTION, Donegall Road placed their trust in the councillors for St. George's and BT41PU Tel. 654060 or 655621, he also runs a white Rover 2000.

John Harcourt, of Harcourts the Coal Importers, lives at 60 Malone Road, BT95BT Tel.

666467 and is a car owner. As is Philip Smiles of 11 Broomhill Park BT95JB Tel 665329, but his is a modest 1100. A retired businessman, Matthew Orr of 37 Marlborough Pk. North BT96HJ Tel.666407 represents Windsor ward; he drives a Rover Woodvale boasts Norman Shannon as Alderman and Hugh Kidd as one of its councillors.

Shannon runs a newsagency on the Shankill Rd. Phone 23331 and lives at 55 Lyndhurst Parade BT133PB, Tel. 745522. His car is a Triumph 2000. Kidd lives in the same area at 4 Lyndhurst Way BT133PD Tel. 747498 but favours an Austin A. 40.

A councillor for Ormeau is Thomas Gildea who lives at 27 Castlereagh St. BT54NE. And then there is ~he Alderman for Duncairn, Textile Agent, and former Lord Mayor Sir William;

Geddis of 7 Waterloo Park BT15 5HU, business phone 25469 or home 76531. He is a bit old for driving but is frequently chauffeur Thomas Rea, a councillor tor Cromac, lives at 34 ChelicnhamPark BT6OHR Tel 642519 and is proprietor of Rea's Confectioners on the Ormeau Rd. Tel 31189. He drives a Cortina. So does Francis Watson, councillor for Clifton, who lives at 103 Circular Rd. BT42GD Tel. 68221. His business number is that of Watson Malcolmson and Co, Blouse Manufacturers, 57795.

Duncairn was represented by Captain Walter Shannon he lives at Ardnalea House", Craigavad, Co. Down Tel. 87-3194.

William Hinds is a former M.P. and now a councillor for Ormeau. He lives at 413 Cregagh Road BT6OLF Tel. 648979. He drives a Princess. The same ward is also (cont. next page)

CUT OUT THIS FORM.

FILL IN YOUR NAME AND HAND IT TO THE INSPECTOR WHEN ASKED FOR YOUR FARE, OR TO THE DRIVER ON YOUR WAY OFF THE BUS.

I AM TEMPORARILY WITHHOLDING MY FARE AS A PROTEST AGAINST THE CORPORATION'S DECISION TO INCREASE FARES AND TO CUT SERVICES. I WILL PAY WITHIN 48 HOURS AT THE TRAFFIC KIOSK AT CASTLE ADDRESS.....

FREE CITIZEN 30th OCTOBER i970