SBG-Edinburgh merger urge( as Government reform
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hits Scotland by CM reporter
EDINBURGH Council is being urged to sell its bus fleet — the largest municipally operated one in the UK — to the Scottish Bus Group for Om. The idea has been formulated by the council's minority Conservative group and is due for discussion at a finance committee meeting on February 13.
Mr Richard Bottrill, Edinburgh's general manager and director of public transport for the Lothian regional council which takes over responsibility for public transport in the region in Is/lay:told CM this week that no talks had been held with SBG about any take-over, He said that a transport committee meeting was to discuss the matter.
News of the situation on the East Coast follows a report (CM, January 17) that talks are to be held shortly between SBG, the Greater Glasgow PTE and the Scottish Office about greater co-ordination between PTE and SOB services in the West of Scotland.
The Conservative motion before Edinburgh Council calls for nationalization of the bus services in a bid to prevent an accumulated deficit by the undertaking of Om falling entirely on city ratepayers.
At present the intention is that the Lothian region should take over the undertaking but that city ratepayers should foot the deficit bill. It is understood that the Labour group on the council — which rules with a slender majority — is against an SBG takeover.
Sir Patrick Thomas, chairman of the Scottish Transport Group, said last week: We are charged by successive Governments to secure the best transport for Scotland. We will Cl look carefully a suggested arrangem further this objectivc Baillie Brian Meek of the Tory group, s: take-over would be and financially soun Bus Group can mak( good a job of runr services and the Ed. district ratepayers wi have to carry the bu that £3m deficit.
If that deficit was in the new council's f — as it would have this would add 10p i to the rates," said Meek.