MOST COUNTIES will get much less than they wanted from
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the transport supplementary grant for 1975-76. Announcing an allocation of £240m to cover the Government's contribution to all forms of rate-borne transport expenditure, Mr Fred MuIley, Minister for Transport, said that the figures allowed for most authorities were "significantly" below their bids.
The next financial year is the first in which the Government's TSG scheme is being used. Amounts allocated to local authorities are based on estimated expenditure contained in the Transport Policies and Programmes submitted last July.
The Minister has decided that for this first year, commitments must represent the first claim on the available resources. As commitments account for about 90 per cent of the total amount acceptable for grant purposes the Minister has found it possible to allow each council only a small amount in addition to its commitments.
Authorities are being invited to discuss the implications of the grant with local DoE offices, but in general it can be seen that new capital projects will be limited, bus fares will need to. rise by at least the amount necessary to keep pace with the increases in costs in the bus industry, and highway maintenance standards will not improve.
Of the future Mr M ulley warns counties that most of their plans envisage levels of expenditure which "cannot be contemplated in the present circumstances". It will probably be necessary for authorities, particularly those in major urban areas, to set more limited objectives and select more economical means of achieving them.