High Charges No Answer to Rail Problem
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DESPITE licensing and penal taxation, and although hampered by difficulties at railheads and docks, road transport had. in six years, directly reversed the percentages of traffic carried as between road and rail. In 1952 the proportions stood at 54 per cent. by rail and 46 per cent, by road, but in 1958 they were 54 per cent, by road and 46 per cent. by rail, Mr. N. T. O'Reilly, a national vice-chairman of the Road Haulage Association, told the members of the Yorkshire (Hull) Area, at their dinner at Hull last Friday.
Mr. O'Reilly chided the Government for not attempting any serious pruning of the "ageing orchard" of the railways.
B32 To charge customers more because the railways could not do the job was no solution of their problem.
The British Transport Commission's attempts to corner traffic, he pointed out, often caused last-minute appeals for hauliers to help out. On the passenger side, rail fare increases, at a time when many small and economical cars were being produced, could only result in fewer passengers.
• Referring to the fact that six areas of the Association now owned their own offices, he called for a reallocation of income to assist towards the provision of permanent headquarter centres for every area.