Reading chairman wants trolleys retained
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AMOST intriguing situation arose at the meeting of Reading Town Council last week when the chairman of the transport committee, who was supposed to be moving acceptance of the committee's proposal to scrap the trolleybus system, admitted that he entirely disagreed with this policy. The chairman, Cllr. J. E. Still, said that he felt the decision should have been the other way.
"I do not believe this country should be dependent upon fuel from abroad when we have our own resources", he said. As Cllr. Still went on to elaborate his reasons for opposing the trolleybus decision he was interrupted by the mayor (Aid. W. J. Allum) who reminded him that he was supposed to be moving acceptance of his committee's report, not opposing it.
At this juncture Cllr. J. G. Fryer interposed that if the chairman was so opposed to his committee's decision, he should resign, to which Cllr. Still replied: "Possibly I shall do".
Aid. E. C. E. Barrett said that he was disappointed with Or. Still's remarks because he thought the committee was unanimous in the decision to dispose of the trolleybuses.
Aid. Barrett deprecated statements given wide publicity in the Press from two or three people who claimed that the public could expect to pay a lot more for their use of the transport system if the trolleybuses were replaced. In his view considerable economies would be brought about by the change over to diesel buses. In addition there would be easier handling of traffic in the town.
The Labour leader, Cllr. David Stoddart, said that on financial grounds it was not possible to fault the committee's decision, but he was not entirely happy about the added pollution of the atmosphere of the town and the additional noise which would emanate from the operation of additional diesel buses.