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Alexander Birnie

12th November 1965, Page 111
12th November 1965
Page 111
Page 111, 12th November 1965 — Alexander Birnie
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

TO fill the offices of both chairman of Traffic Commissioners and Licensing Authority in a successful manner demands a man of many parts. That is a description which attaches itself aptly to Mr. Alexander Brodie .Birnie, who is the presiding figure in the traffic courts of Scotland.

After occupying the position for nearly a year he is still looking out pleasurably on the kaleidoscope of Scottish transport. Of course, he had previously proved himself by a couple of years as deputy chairman and Licensing Authority with responsibility for the north of Scotland, the only full-time deputy in Britain outside the Metropolitan area.

Northern Scotland is the sort of territory where chief officials are known personally to almost everybody in the industry and for that reason it is a charge that could show up quickly the deficiencies of anybody lacking the essential qualities for the job. When Mr. Birnie took office in Aberdeen he came as the " Man from the Ministry ". How he_ reached that point is an interesting and in some ways an unusual story. Alexander Birnie was born in Peterhead nearly• 54 years ago, being brought up and educated in Aberdeen. His family had moved to Canada, but an attack of polio resulted in a permanently game leg and this turn of events was followed by the family's return to Scotland. Studies at Robert Gordon's College were followed by a classics course at Aberdeen University which culminated in an honours degree.

Studying the Past Mr. Birnie's interests at that time were concerned largely with ancient history, and a scholarship from Aberdeen took him to the Near East, there to undertake that mixture of logical survey, critical examination and general detective work which is necessary to unravel the secrets of early

• After visiting Constantinople he spent some time in the interior of Turkey before returning to Constantinople and continuing to Vienna in order to carry out further studies. Weeks in Rome were followed by

months in Greece, by more time in Turkey and Palestine and, still delving into the course of ancient history, a trip back across Europe to Germany-altogether a tour of some 18-19 months. All this led to an Oxford scholarship and a first in Ancient Greats. Another scholarship took Mr. Birnie to Vienna just as the war clouds were gathering.

In 1940 he was called to the Admiralty, being allocated to that branch which dealt with priorities and the means of expediting urgently required supplies.

To Shipbuilding Work of this nature, at various levels, lasted throughout the war years and when hostilities ceased Mr. Birnie continued as an administrative Civil Servant in the Admiralty. He was,in fact, at the parting of the ways, but the association with the sea, and a liking for Admiralty and Royal Navy people, exercised the dominating pressure.

Eventually his efforts were concentrated on shipbuilding affairs, but in 1959 the responsibility for such matters was switched from the Admiralty to the Ministry of Transport and for the first time Mr. Birnie bore the transport label.

After three busy years dealing with the problems that faced the shipbuilding industry a vacancy for the Scottish deputy Licensing Authority-arose, to be located at Aberdeen. It was known that Mr. Birnie came from those parts, and he was asked if he would care to be considered for the appointment. He was duly selected from the available applicants and before long was facing responsibility for road transport licensing in practically the whole of Scotland north of. the Clyde-Forth industrial belt, his area stretching away to the Western Isles and north to Orkney and Shetland.

Those are places which it necessary for the deputy authority to visit at least once annually, but it must be admitted that, with the help of modern air services, this duty is a good deal less onerous than when all such journeys had to be undertaken by the island steamers.

Different problems present themselves now, hearings largely being concentrated

on Glasgow and Edinburgh, with such places as Ayr, Dumfries and Oban coming along as second string. Talking to Mr. Birnie one may detect a note of regret that conditions, and pressure of work, hardly permit the type of personal interest which he found so rewarding further north.

One of the main problems for passenger operators in Scotland, as elsewhere, is the concentration of the city peak-hour traffic into an ever shorter mornim? period. At the other end of the day difficulties are arising as a result of workers finishing earlier and needing transport before the available vehicles have had time to complete their school journeys. Mr. Birnie stresses the need for a new and closer look at the possibility of staggering working hours, with the object of achieving better results from vehicle use and also minimizing road congestion.

Coos Judgment An essential quality of the arbitrator is the delicately balanced mind, the cool judgment such as Mr. Birnie undoubtedly exercises. In maintaining this faculty, off-duty background may well be a powerful influence. Whilst the Scottish Licensing Authority confesses to liking transport people generally, and to enjoying the relationship between his job arid theirs., he can at the appropriate time step Out into his domestic world where the concerns of his wife and three school-age children are of paramount importance.

Nobody would persuade Mr. Birnie to describe himself as a gardener, but he finds the care of his flowers sufficiently absorbing for them to provide a measure of relief when day-to-day problems oppress. With his return north of the border he hopes to take up once again the golf and fishing that he enjoyed in his student days. Apart from all this Mr.

Birnie is a considerable reader--and at odd 'moments likes, frankly, escapist thrillers. But when there are long, quiet

hours to spare his main joy is the continuing study of history. with growing attention to Scotland's past.


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