Road Transport Beating Coastwise Shipping
Page 52
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
A PLEA for protection for coastwise shipping was made by Sir Donald Anderson.
"In shipping," he said, "a substantial portion of foreign flag fleets are now run, commercially speaking, at a loss, through Government help, direct or indirect, or both. Railways in this country, as in so many other countries, are nationalized and are never likely to make a profit again—not because they are nationalized, but for various other reasons, one of which is that they are, now, and surely will before long have to be regarded as, public utilities." Aviation in general made some attempt to pretend that it operated on a commercial basis, but hardly any international airline would be regarded in any other business as standing on its own feet.
"Many transport operators in the modern world are thus at some point in a transition from a real commercial undertaking to a national service, whether they realize the fact or not," he added.
The railways could run coastal shipping out of business by lowering rates and do so without greatly affecting their own overall losses. Road transport was for certain traffic an even stronger competitor.
"It seems essential, therefore, that active support and protection, as part of a domestic transport policy, must be given to coastal shipping, if it is not to disappear in future years, and if it is to be properly used to supplement the road system," Sir Donald said. "The country needs rail, road and coastal shipping, but if it is to keep all three, it must have a transport policy which enables each to do. what it can do best, and relieves the strain on the other two."