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BUSES TO SAVE TAXPAYER OVER 1750,000 Public Preference for Road Services Revealed
Page 47
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ON Tuesday the Minister of Transport announced his decisions on 23 rail closure proposals in England. Scotland and Wales. He refused consent in two cases only, but attached specific conditions to the remainder.
The Beeching Report detailed approximately 330 services which the Railway Board wished to withdraw; to date the Board has given notice of closure of 184 services and 17 individual stations.' The , Transport Users Consultative Committee had so far reported on 86 service closures and seven individual station closure proposals
Mr. Marples said on Tuesday the closures he agreed to would result in a railway saving of £800,000. It was estimated, however, that the subsidy on the alternative bus services which he would require' the Railway Board to provide would not amount to more than ;E40,000, resulting in a95 per cent saving.
The alternative bus services could. not subsequently. be withdrawn withont. his consent.Any decline subsequent patronage of a service would place the onus for reconsideration on the Minister, because of increasing subsidies required, and not oil the actual operator.
Referring to specific closure inquiries, Mr. Marples said that in the Aberdare valley area, although' trains were quicker than the good and frequent bus services. only 4 per cent of the travelling public used the trains. Moreover, the effect on roads and traffic of closures already sanct:oned had been practically nil.
Occasionally, however, there arose a need for buses on roads not used by them before. If the need for road improvements Were obvious, the closure must wait for that improvement. In less obvious cases, Mr. Marples said he would leave it to the expert knowledge of the Traffic Commissioners to examine the road conditions before licensingbus services.
Discussing seasonal holiday traffic, the Minister instanced the Carlisle-Silloth line. Investigation has shown that 18 buses would be sufficient to move holiday traffic at . peak summer week-ends.
When a decision was for closure, all conditions had to be observed by the Railway Board, Said' Mr. Marples. No trains could be t4ken off until alternative bus services were operating and these must be kept going until it was proved that they were not needed.