Scourge for new London Transport
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FOR A GOVERNMENT that prides itself on its realism, the present lot can be remarkably naive. For instance, Tom King, Transport Secretary, has said that London Regional Transport, a new body proposed to replace the London Transport Executive, "will be required to encourage other private or publicly-owned operators to provide services where these can be offered more efficiently and cheaply."
Whatever the law says, does he seriously believe that LRT officials would place their own jobs and pride at risk by admitting that others could do better than they and actually invite competition? Human nature isn't like that. Selfflagellation belongs to the sauna.
The removal of London Transport's power to veto rival bus services is one thing. That is entirely reasonable, even if it does put the clock back 50 years. To expect a statutory body to volunteer to put its head on the block is quite another.