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Institute of Transport Congress, Glasgow

3rd July 1953, Page 99
3rd July 1953
Page 99
Page 99, 3rd July 1953 — Institute of Transport Congress, Glasgow
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

An exhaustive analysis of " The Framework of PubIie Transport" was made on Wednesday by Sir Reginald Wilson, comptroller of the British Transport Commission, at the congress of the Institute of Transport in Glasgow. He paid special attention to the problems of monopoly, undue size and incentives.

He found little scope for fostering the small bus operator in urban areas. The large bus companies were, he thought, good examples of how the evils of undue size could be avoided. He foresaw a trend towards the formation of bigger haulage units under the Transport Act, 1953, Dr. W. H. Glanville, C.B., C.B.E., D.Sc., yesterday dealt with " Road Research and its Bearing on Road Transport." He described the effects of road conditions on operating costs and safety, and stressed the importance of adequate rear lights. The removal of trams from London had, he said, raised average speeds of traffic by 12 per cent.

The papers are summarized on this and the succeeding pages. The discussion on them will be reported next week.

port. The question no longer lay between monopoly and competition, but how to control monopoly.

London's traffic problem was repeated in less urgent form in other dense areas, and it could be argued that similar arrangements to those of the capital for the amalgamation and control of various transport services would ultimately be necessary. Although London Transport was a giant, its size was not undue in relation to that of the city. The point at which the size of an undertaking became excessive for efficient management was governed by geographical compactness.

In long-distance passenger transport, rail dominated road and bore 80 per cent. of the traffic. There had been great pressure for freer granting of road service licences in recent years, but what a potential operator meant when he applied for a licence was: " Let me inside, and shut the doors behind me."