Councils want more
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THE ROLES of the traffic commissioners and the National Bus Company were challenged last week when the Association of County Councils and the Association of District Councils gave evidence to the House of Commons transport committee bus subsidy inquiry.
The ACC staked its claim for a wider public transport role, with its transport committee chairman, Arnold Sayer, saying the counties should take over the traffic commissioners' route licensing responsibilities.
He agreed that there has been no conflict between the counties and commissioners over route licensing, and said that the absence of conflict was a good reason for making such a change.
Mr Sayer was unable to quantify the savings which would result from such a change, but was sure there would be a saving.
The ADC took an opportunity to hit back at earlier National Bus Company criticism of its members' bus operations as anachronisms, and Leicester City Transport manager Geoffrey Hilditch said the bus industry's "somewhat parlous state" meant that those operators which did not receive revenue support were anachronisms today.
He denied that smaller municipal undertakings were inefficient, saying "small is better than beautiful" and said that some undertakings are prepared to purchase company operators in their area — presumably NBC — if this will solve a co-ordinating problem.
Reading manager Royston Jenkins said there was no compatibility between the aims of co-ordination and the aims of the 1980 Transport Act, but said municipal operators are prepared to co-operate with NBC but not in anything detrimental to either the passengers or their undertakings.
• Leicester City Transport, Maidstone Borough Council and Burnley and Pendle Transport are joining forces to set up a new nationwide City Flyer coach service linking the North West, Mid lands, London, Kent and Europe.
• The General Election has halted the bus subsidy inquiry in its tracks. This week's and subsequent hearings have been cancelled, and it will be up to the new committee to decide whether to look at the matter.