London Bus Proprietors Meet
Page 60
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THEHE chair at the meeting of the Association of London Omnibus Proprietors was taken by the President of the Association, Mr. A. G. Partridge, who gave some very interesting details concerning the London Passenger Transport Bill. The difficulty with underground railways, said Mr. Partridge, is that the cost is £800,000 to £1,000,000 per mile, whereas the same district could be covered by quite a good bus service for £15,000.
He referred to the trams as being redundant and said that they must disappear as they are a menace to public safetiy, but that if they were scrapped something must be put in their place to give equal and economic service to the public, with cheap fares, workmen's tickets, etc.
Mr. Partridge was certain that determined attempts would be made to bring forward the London Passenger Transport Bill, but his Association would do everything possible to fight it. It was nationalization pure and simple, and if it succeeded in London it would be extended all over the British Islands end to other industries. Mr. Partridge prophesied that any board, such as that suggested, would fail financially. Another point against it was that, in the event of a general strike, every form of transport would be stopped, whereas, formerly, the independents had been able to carry on and give good service.
Mr. Partridge said that there were miles of suburbs with urgent needs for travel facilities. London was growing at such a rate that transport must grow with it. The combine wanted not only Central London, but a radius of 50 miles around. He considered that the public highway was free to peer and peasant and should remain so. He pointed out that every extra independent bus put on means the permanent employment of five men. He quite realized that tubes were essential, but it took years to build them.
For over 24 years an independent proprietor had applied for permission to run a service to Dagenham, where there is a large housing estate ; eventually he was allowed to rim, but only on condition that the combine could put on seven buses to eadi of his vehicles,