Political Commentary By JANUS
Page 53
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Obstinate Preference
IN an official document such as their report and accounts for 1955, the British Transport Commission cannot easily put across points of propaganda to the public. For this reason they have in recent years issued a well-produced booklet setting out the features in the report that they particularly want people to notice. There is usually nothing in the booklet that is not also found in the more comprehensive document. The art lies in selection and arrangement. Comparison between the booklet and the report is useful to show not only what the Commission wish to put in the shop window, but also what they wish to hide.
The theme of the latest booklet appears to be to explain away the continued obstinate preference of the public for road transport. Proofs of the preference cannot very well be disguised. Passenger traffic carried by the Commission was 11 per cent. less in 1955 than in 1954. The volume of goods traffic also fell, irrespective of the decline in the traffic of British Road Services, which was roughly in proportion to the reduction in their fleet as a result of disposal.
The figures for B.R.S. can hardly be taken into account in a year so unusual as 1955. Presumably the Commission would claim that, had conditions been normal, their road goods transport organization would have carried more traffic than before, thus accentuating by contrast the decline on the railways. On the passenger side, the booklet provides the information that traffic on the Tilling group's bus services was about the same, and on the Commission's Scottish buses rose by 3 per cent., although there was a drop of 4 per cent. on London Transport's road services. The decline in both goods and passenger transport was mainly on the railways, and cannot be wholly explained by last year's railway strike.
Whilst acknowledging the drift from rail to road, the Commission cannot allow their readers to believe that there are justifiable reasons, such as poor service and high charges. The booklet reports the large number of new cheap fares, trips and excursions introduced during 1955, and the big drive for new goods business. There is hope in the ultimate benefits of the railway modernization plan, and in the meantime efforts are being made to improve speed and reliability.
Fares Doubled
The Commission do not compare their charges, as might be expected, with those obtaining under private enterprise. The method adopted, to which the booklet devotes a fair amount of space, is not very satisfactory. After increases in June, 1955, railway fares were, on average, about double what they were before the war, and London Transport fares a little more than double.
A guide as to whether this is good or bad is conveniently available within the Commission. Fares on provincial and Scottish buses are even less than pre-war. The booklet, however, follows the report in ignoring this handy comparison in favour of the observation that the "cost-of-living" index has increased 24 times. A diagram is devoted to illustrating that, whilst railway fares have doubled, the cost of beer, chocolate and entrance to Kew Gardens has trebled.
Rates for goods traffic are treated in the same way. They have gone up, says the booklet, but the general level is still considerably below the index of wholesale prices Another diagram 'shows changes in what are called the "real level" of railway goods charges and in wholesale prices, "in terms of money of 1938 purchasing power." From this it can be learnt that if in 1938 the figure can be taken as 100 for the wholesale prices of all articles and for receipts per net ton mile for goods traffic on the railways, the figures at the end of 1955 were 137 and 85 respectively.
This seems to prove nothing at all except the determination of the Commission, whatever may happen, to rebut any suggestion that they are charging too much. Once they succeed in this, they can pass to their main argument, which appears to be that the drift from rail to road is the result of a number of unfair disadvantages imposed upon the railways.
The booklet begins with a . reference to the steady growth of private transport. On the passenger side, a substantial rise is noted in the numbers of private cars and motorcycles. "On the freight side there was a continued increase in the fleets of C-licensed road goods vehicles, carrying chiefly the types of traffic which the public transport services would find most convenient and cheapest to handle."
Operators ludicted
The report adds to the indictment of independent public service vehicle operators. Strict licensing limitations on long-distance coaches make possible high average loadings and relatively low costs per passenger mile. "In the result the public tend to think that the coaches are more efficient and economical than the railways," which have to provide services throughout the day and every day.
There is what can only be described as a sustained attack on the C-licence holder. In the booklet there are no less than four separate references to the competition that he represents. It is alleged that large numbers of C-licensed vehicles are running empty or less than half loaded for about half the time they are on the road. "The seriousness of Clicence discrimination lies in the fact that the railways have tended to lose the traffics which are convenient and cheap to handle." There is also a complaint about the renewed competition from public long-distance hauliers " who, since they operate in small units, are unable to carry the same obligations of public service."
Something about these obligations was said by Sir Brian Robertson, chairman of the Commission, shortly before the report was published. Incredibly, at a time when the annual net receipts of British Railways had dropped by stages from £37m. in 1952 to £200,000 in 1955, he announced the decision to peg prices until the end of 1956_ He made the proviso that the decision must depend on the ability of the Commission to observe their statutory obligations.
What the Commission expect to be done is not made explicit, but is sufficiently clear to provide a warning for road operators. If British Railways feel they are being unfairly treated, • their next step may be to agitate more vigorously for equity. If Sir Brian, desperate though his circumstances are, agrees to keep fares and rates at the present level, he presumably desires some quid pro quo.