Plans Revealed for Road Take-avers from Rail
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THE Minister of Transport is inviting Traffic Commissioners in all areas to publish as soon as possible in "Notices and Proceedings" a list of the rail lines and stations from which it is proposed that passenger services should be withdrawn. This is revealed by the Passenger Vehicle Operators Association in a letter which it has sent to operators after discussions with the Minister.
Since many operators may be vitally concerned with the proposed withdrawal of rail passenger services the discussions were held to decide how best to ensure that every operator who might be able to offer alternative facilities could be given the information to enable him to make appropriate licence applications.
The procedure which has been agreed is as follows:— I. The Minister will ask Traffic Commissioners to publish the list of proposed withdrawals as contained in Sections 1 to 5 of Appendix 2 of the Beeching Report. It is hoped that any later additions to the list will be published in "Notices and Proceedings" as they become known. This will give every p.s.v. operator an opportunity to decide whether he may be affected and it will be up to operators to ascertain when local cases in which they are interested are coming up for action.
2. If an operator believes he can provide an alternative road service, with or without financial assistance (possibly, for example, through the Railway Board), he should contact the general manager of his nearest railway region asking for relevant information about the passenger carryings on the line concerned. This will enable him to make a licence application with proper statistical evidence.
3. The regional Railway Board should be notified of any such licence application, and so should the local Area Transport Users' Consultative Committee.
The P.V,O.A. points out that this is important because the Minister of Transport has to consider the recommendations of the local Consultative Committee before consenting to the withdrawal of any rail passenger service. The advice to the regional Railway Board ensures that it knows of possible alternative road services before it gives statutory notice of the proposed closure, which must be published at least six weeks beforehand in two successive weekly issues of two local newspapers; this published notice 1322
will include particulars of any proposed alternative road services.
4. When the Traffic Commissioners hear the road operator's application they may already know the Minister's decision on the withdrawal of the rail services concerned, but their decision as to what, if any, alternative road services should be provided will be based as usual on the evidence presented at the hearing. The road applications will be published in, "Notices and Proceedings" in the usual way, together with objections, and the normal appeal procedure will apply.
5. If road conditions seem likely to cause difficulties in any case where an alternative road service is proposed. the intending licence applicant should immediately notify the P.V.O.A. so that the Minister can be advised to consider the need for improvement of the road concerned.
Tilling Group Pay Rises
CLER1CAL and supervisory staff Ns--• employed by the Tilling bus group are to have pay increases ranging from 7s. to 15s. a week under an agreement reached with the unions.
At a meeting of the Tilling Joint Group Committee, held recently, it was agreed that men clerical staff would have weekly increases of from 7s. to 10s. a week and women clerical staff an extra 8s. to 12s.
Staff on scales B, C and D will have increases of from 12s. 6d. a week and
those on Scales E and F, 15s. Operating foremen and assistants and both grade 1 and 11 traffic inspectors will also receive 15s. a week.
All the increases are to be back-dated to June 1.
Liverpool Results: Liverpool Passenger Transport Department showed a surplus of £93,794 for the year ended March 31 last, compared with a deficiency of £346,559 in the previous year. Higher fares produced an increase of £604,691, partly offset by additional expenditure of £164,338, In the year motorbuses covered 40,571.876 miles. Sunderland Results: Sunderland Corporation Transport Department suffered a net loss of £30,329 in the year ended March 31 last, compared with a loss of £10,538 in the previous year. Gross receipts were £881,098 compared with £907,103 in 1961-62. All adult fares had been raised by id., with Id. increase on half fares on Saturdays. Sundays and public holidays from November 3 last year, resulting in an increase of £60,000 a year, and a drop of 11 per cent in the number of passengers. This compared with a 31 per cent drop in passengers at the last general fares increase. The department operated 157 double-decker and 22 p.a.y.e. single-decker buses.