AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

Autonomy for London Transport

4th November 1960
Page 31
Page 32
Page 31, 4th November 1960 — Autonomy for London Transport
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

AFEW years after London County Council started work in 1889, Penge was taken out of the county and Stoke Newington brought in. Apart from this and some minor adjustments, the county boundary is the same as that of the L.C.C.'s predecessors, the Metropolitan Board of Works. Thus, legally, London today is substantially the same area as it was in 1855. This is obviously absurd and has been so for at least 40 years.

The Royal Commission on local government have now vindicated those who for decades have urged the creation of an overriding authority for the whole conurbation by recommending the creation of a Council for Greater London. One of the functions of the new council would be traffic management, but the Commission stop short of recommending any change in the ownership or operation of the passenger services of the metropolis.

• The reform now envisaged presents a great opportunity for giving the people of London control of their transport. Before 1933 public opinion could be effectively: expressed through those municipalities which Operated trams and, until the • late 'twenties; carried by far the greatest annual load Of passengers. It is an anomaly that Londoners -have no effective say • in the control of LondOn Transport and that such an important undertaking shOuld Merely be a subsidiary of the British Transport ComtnissiOn.: London Transport should be divorced from the B.T.C. and putunder the controlof the new authcirity. • . .

For 's'othe reason which is not clear, the Royal Commission have omitted from the proposed territory of . the new authority several districts which,. from a traffic-Operating aspect,. Ought to be included. They are .Chorley Wood, Rickmansworth, Watford borough, the .riart.. of .Watford rural district round Carpender's Park, Bushey, 'Potters Bar and Dartford .borough. If the neW authority were given transpOrt powers, these should include the retention of the London Transport organization in these outer areas.

Beyond these boundaries the present London Transport services should be turned over to B.T.C.controlled companies or to local independents, provided that adequate arrangements were made not to break through services and connections.


comments powered by Disqus