Transport as State Servant By Frank Thompson,
Page 41
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Chairman, Yorkshire West Riding Arm. Traders' Road Transport Association.
THE general inference that I draw from the Bill is that, whereas transport has always been the servant of industry, it is going to become merely the servant of the State, and will lose its close relationship with the productive capacity .of. industry.
Nationalization could not come at a worse time. It threatens to cripple industry when the utrnost elasticity and efficiency in transport are needed for the export trade drive; which is so vital to the Nation's economic position. It is my view that no Statecontrolled system of. transport can have the flexibility of transport run by private enterprise.
The Bill is a twofold menace to C-licence holders. First, except in the case of smaller traders, there is the severe restriction on the operation of ancillary users' vehicles. Secondly, firms who have largely supplemented their own transport by the employment of hauliers will, no doubt, find that they cannot obtain such ready and efficient help from the nationalized services; and will be thrown more on their own transport. resources. Yet their use of those resources will be drastically curbed.
We shall oppose the Bill with every means at our disposal and with the utmost vigour.