Bus Merger Plan Revealed • N EGOTIATIONS between Reading Transport Department and
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the Thames Valley Traction Co., Ltd., whi6h may lead to an arrangement to pool revenue on some services, have been going on for two years, it was revealed before the South Eastern Traffic Commissioners at Reading last week. Such a scheme was first suggested in 1942; it was stated.
The discussions were mentioned when the department objected to an application by Thames Valley to improve their service from Reading to Woodley—one of the services concerned in the negotiations. After nearly two hours, Mr. H. J. Thom, chairman, intervened to describe the objections as "rather petty."
For Thames Valley, Mr. J. R. C. Samuel-Gibbon said the company wanted to make a partial diversion to serve a large housing site which was to accommodate overspill population from Reading. They also wanted to increase the service to Woodley with an extra bus.
The application was supported by the Berkshire County Council, Wokingham Rural District Council and Woodley and Sandford Parish Council, but the company did not wish to operate the new services until the estate was sufficiently developed to warrant it.
• The " department claimed that the application was premature. Housing development would not reach an advanced stage until the end of 1960, and the proposed services were at present not desirable or necessary. The needs of the area as a whole had not been considered in the light of current discussions on a proposed co-ordination of services.
It was difficult to see what traffic interest the department had in the proposed diversion, which was well away from any services they operated, said Mr. Samuel-Gibbon. So far as additional timings were concerned, the route within the borough ran along that used by Reading trolleylnises, but the department did enjoy fare protection.
Mr. • Samuel-Gibbon wondered whether the department suggested that all improvements to services should • be "frozen" pending discussions on other matters.
Operators were faced with difficulties because of wage increases and Thames Valley would inevitably have to make the choice between asking for substantial fares increases or reducing mileage.
"That may have a substantial effect on co-ordination agreements, by comparison with which the matters we are concerned with today pale into insignificance," declared Mr. Samuel-Gibbon.
.Intervening, Mr. Thom said that if it Were suggested that one aspect of the case was that the company were applying too soon, and another that the department were objecting when they were not concerned with the Woodley area at all, "We ask ourselves, what is behind all this?" he said. "We are forced to the conclusion that it is the negotiations for an agreement.
"I imagine that the corporation have in their minds that the company are trying to better their position by getting a grant in this case, or alternatively that a grant would prejudice, to some extent, the position of the corporation in their negotiations. It all seems rather petty," he observed.
He suggested an adjournment, and on resumption Mr. Alan King-Hamilton, Q.C., for the department, withdrew their objection. It was hoped that agreement would be reached on the main merger scheme before the company's plans could be implemented, he said.
The application was formally granted.