Free Metropolitan bus services call
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METROPOLITAr)k Counties should be responsible for the route licensing of the vehicles they own, says the Transport and General Workers Union_ But the transport workers do not believe that the shire counties should be responsible for the licensing conditions of vehicles owned by a nationalised bus undertaking. "The two issues are incompatible," says the union in its reply to the Green Page on transport policy.
The TGWU also thinks that the PTEs should take over NBC services operating within their borders and that many municipal operators should be merged with NBC subsidiaries.
"There are too many cases of counties withholding bus revenue support money from the NBC" says the union, allowing lucrative sections of route to fall into the hands of less responsible operators
Restaurants
It hits out at the lack of "business acumen'. of the .Metropolitan counties who have unused powers to engage in
travel agencies, restaurants, bus manufacture, etc. These profitable activities could help support bus revenue, says TGWU.
Issue is taken with the DoE statement that productivity has stopped rising in the bus industry. "It is worth making the point that labour costs, although at around 70 per cent, have remained constant relative to other and total costs," says the reply.
But future pay rise demands are suggested by the statement that "the union takes the view that those who work in ti industry are not yet adequate paid for the responsibility thi carry.''
Isolation
The union is totally opposi to a -free for all" in pub transport. It believes that tl Government has been -alai cating its responsibilities"' organising transport. It thin that to rely on private motori5. transporting the elderly is -ensure their complete isol tion."