"THE MAINTENANCE and improvement of public transport is the Government's
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number one priority in transport," said William Rodgers at the annual dinner of the Confederation of British Road Passenger Transport (CPT) held at London's Connaught Rooms last week.
He said that many county councils had not recognised at once the significance of the change of government policy and he regretted that on the whole proposals for expenditure on transport put forward in last autumn's TPPs did n pay sufficient interest to pu lic transport.
Some counties, he said, h. obviously no wish to make a: substantial proposal al others had simply failed recognise the governmen. decision to give a clear priori to public transport.
He hoped that in futu every county would consid how it could best contribute the maintenance of bus s( vices. He said that what wanted was a partnershi both between central gover ment and local governme between local councils the operators. "In this way can ensure that social, lomic and environmental !ctives are fulfilled," he alph Bennett, chairman:gnate of London Trans: and president of the CPT,, )onded to Mr Rodgers's ;t to the Confederation by 'lighting some of the more, lortant issues now facing bus industry.
e thanked the Secretary of ,e and his team of council rants for their sterling rts in winning a breathing ;e for the industry in res: of the EEC drivers' hours ilations. He said it was ununate that unless the Mmand his team could conie to be successful in ssels, many of the good ntions towards the bus intry expressed in the cur, Transport Bill would be celled out by the burden osed by the EEC regulas. He knew, however, that Rodgers was well aware of and was seeking some edy.
alph Bennett spoke of the asport Bill now before Partent. Although the Bill ded from the recent White er, he felt that it was a very ted measure. He and the federation understood the ;ons for this but felt that a • acemeal" approach to ienger transport matters Id be dangerous.
averal aspects of the Bill -ried the Confederation. first concerned local autities. He believed that the ustry valued the conatmg role ot the counties )assenger transport and . the concept of the present was right. He said that the lic interest could well be red by counties working
operators and with the ffic Commissioners, and he ned that the Shire Counties Id regard the Traffic Com
missioners as allies in the service of the public interest.
Licensing aspects in the Bill he felt only touched the fringes of the subject and would only solve a few of many problems.
He also brought up the subject of fare evasion and sought the inclusion of clauses in the Transport Bill to enable bus operators to charge a control fare from passengers deliberately underpaying for journeys.
Mr Bennett and the Confederation were also worried by the proposed phasing-out of new bus grants.
Fuel duty paid by coach operators also worried the Confederation. While stage carriage services received duty rebates, coaches faced higher duty than private motorists. Concern about energy saving meant encouraging collective transport and thus it seemed that by charging coach operators fuel duty the Government was acting' against the interests of the national economy and the passengers.