Hobbled Coaches ?
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of the trade unions Operators Likely if Passenger WTHAT will be the attitude Conflict Between Unions and of the trade unions Operators Likely if Passenger towards the operation of commercial vehicles at high vehicle Speed Limit Raised speeds on the motorways? This is a problem to be faced this year and the outlook is not encouraging. After nearly two years, British Road Services have reached a practical agreement with the unions for the working of heavy lorries on schedules based on a maximum speed of 30 m.p.h. Officially, there is no agreement between the workers and free-enterprise hauliers to -recognize any extra " transportivity " resulting from higher speeds, although individual arrangements are in force. The unions have still to drive a national bargain with the independent sector of the road haulage industry. If they have not done go by the time the LondonBirmingham motorway is opened in November—and they have not yet renewed their claim on free-enterprise hauliers—they may be expected to be even more resistant to operation at unlimited speeds on the motor road, much as the drivers themselves may enjoy it.
The problem is• likely• to be reproduced on the passenger side of the industry if the Minister of Transport decides to raise the speed limit of buses and coaches outside built-up areas from 30 m.p.h. to 40 m.p.h. It will be further accentuated on services run at even higher speeds on the London-Birmingham motorway, for which permission has already been granted. Facile Assumption Even a newspaper as well informed as The Financial Times has described the proposed rise of 10 m.p.h. in legal maximum speed as being equal to "an increase of 33 per cent. hi the productivity of the industry," which "would automatically mean some savings for its owners." This is, of course, far from being the case. By no stretch of imagination could an increase of 33 per cent. in maximum legal speed be said to enable any operator to do a third more work, which is presumably what is implied by the term "productivity." Hauliers and C-licensees are already well aware of that fact.
On congested reads in the summer, coaches are frequently unable to travel at more than 25-30 m.p.h. for many miles and 40 m.p.h. can be attained only in bursts. The overall effect on journey times of is 'a higher speed limit may not be great, but an increase to 40 m.p.h. would legalize what is already being done on occasions. Under favourable conditions it may be possible to average about 28 m.p.h. running time with a maximum of 40 m.p.h., instead of some 23 m.p.h. with a limit of 30 m.p.h. A journey of 230 miles could be completed in a running time of about eight hours instead of 10 hours.
The saving of two hours would not, however, enable another trip to be squeezed into a 24-hour period. Passengers would merely arrive at their destination earlier and the travelling time would be more nearly comparable with that of a railway journey. The coach would still have to wait until the following day to return to its base, unless an overnight service were run. There would be no increase in "productivity."
Few Practical Benefits Indeed, the fruits of a higher legal speed for passenger vehicles are likely to be smaller than those enjoyed by hauliers and C-licensees. No advantage would accrue on contract work, a large part of which is represented by standing time. On express services on mediumlength routes not carrying heavy traffic there would• be some material benefit, but it would probably occur only in the winter when passenger carryings were light. The unions will undoubtedly claim an increase in pay if the speed limit is raised and they may, indeed, do so in any event. Their terms for operation at 50 m.p.h. or greater speeds on motorways are likely to be even more stringent.
If the Transport and General Workers Union succeed in formulating a national wages structure for road passenger transport workers, as exists for road haulage employees, the problem of recognizing any increased effort by individual drivers will be aggravated. It will be impossible lo restrict an improvement in pay to those whose efforts are promoting revenue, and the resistance of employers will be strengthened accordingly.
Thus, hauliers and passenger-transport operators will be faced with a amnion problem ahd they might,with advantage, jointly consider it solution.