Minister to Adjudicate on Road-Rail Competition
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CONTROL over road and rail competition will be exercised by the Minister ."-' of Transport under the new State transport structure, writes a special correspondent.
Mr. Marples met members of the Press briefly to discuss the White Paper, details of which were reported in The Commercial Motor last week. The accompanying organization chart makes it clear that the Minister will have ulti mate control, through the advisory council. He would not deal directly with the managing directors of the road transport companies, he told me, but would discuss "broad principles on policy only" with the chairman of the holding company. This company will control the individual road Concerns. If the chairman of the holding company wished, added Mr. Marples, he would be able to bring the appropriate expert to any meeting.
What would be the Minister's position, I asked, if there were a direct clash over traffic between the railways and British Road Services. I instanced coal movement from the East Midlands. He replied that such policy would be decided by himself and the advisory council.
Co-ordination
"I want at least as much co-ordination as now—preferably more," he added.
Then Mr. Marples said that the particular problem I had mentioned was one he intended to consider.
Sir Brian Robertson and the whole of the British Transport Commission will stay on and help to putthe plans into effect, confirmed the Minister. No appointments had yet been made. Although the railways board could not be set up without legislation, the Commission's existing statutory powers allowed for the setting-up of a " shadow" board and advisory council.
He would use the existing Commission structure as much as possible, went on Mr. Marples, to build up the new structure. An independent chairman, a vice-chairman with commercial experience, and an accountant would be the nucleus around which the boards would be built. Specialization, he said, must he leavened with common sense.
There might be redundancy among B.T.C. central staff, but those persons affected could be absorbed into regional boards.
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