Tell the Public
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COMPLAINTS about the inadequacy of bus services comprise a substantial proportion of the correspondence now being published in local newspapers all over the country. Some writers imply that bus operators are responsible for depleted facilities, and wild threats are sometimes made. In the absence of a clear explanation of the reasons for the inability of some operators to restore in full the excellent services supplied before the war, members of the public may, perhaps, be excused if they allocate guilt unjustly.
Every adverse criticism of bus services published in a newspaper should be answered by operators in the area concerned. Silence is usually accepted as acquiescence, and newspaper readers are entitled to place their own construction on the failure of bus companies to defend themselves against unfair accusations. The public should be told that prewar services cannot be restored until an adequate supply of new buses is available to replace those which have, year in and year out for the past eight years or more, been carrying a steadily mounting traffic. Passengers should also be shown why new vehicles cannot be obtained, and be encouraged to approach their Members of Parliament on the subject, so that pressure may be brought to beat on the Government to secure the materials vitally necessary in bodybuilding.
There is no doubt that poor transport facilities are a contributing cause of industrial discontent. Workers cannot function at maximum efficiency when, each day, they have to stand in bus queues for long periods and have to spend in travelling, time that should be theirs for recreational purposes. They should, however, be made to recognize the great feats of organization that have been achieved by bus companies in providing improved services under the cramping conditions now prevailing and in the fade of a constant threat of nationalization. That is work for the bus operators themselves, to be carried out through the medium of the public Press and by any other instrument within reach.