Services in Wales typify UK problem
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WALES, as far as Traffic Areas are concerned, is divided into two areas. The Confederation of British Road Passenger Transport (CPT) bases its own regional organisation on similar lines and therefore has a regional office with a secretary in South Wales covering the South Wales traffic area and a regional office in Manchester covering the North Western traffic area, which includes North Wales.
All aspects of the passenger transport industry are found in Wales and the CPT has members in all aspects of operation. The national section is represented by South Wales Transport and National Welsh in the south and Crosville in the north. Most of the Welsh municipal bus undertakings are represented in their relevant sector of the Confederation and the Coach and Independent Bus Sector (CIBS) is well represented in each county.
CIBS in Wales provides aid, advice and assistance to its members, many of whom provide the only public transport in their operating area.
The phasing-out of bus grant and the imposition of European drivers' hours regulations are subjects worrying Welsh bus operators. CPT is wrestling with these worries right now.
The CPT was established in 1974 from operators' trade associations that represent separate aspects or sectors of the industry. Its formation followed a declaration of intent by the National Bus Company, Scottish Bus Group, .London Transport and four passenger transport executives to set up a single representative organisation. Subsequently the Passenger Vehicle Operators' Association, Public Road Transport Association and the Scottish Road Passenger Transport merged to form the CPT.
As interests in the private sector of the industry are often necessarily not in agreement with the other sectors, CIBS is largely autonomous. CIBS helps operators with numerous problems concerning legal, operational and documentation matters.
It looks at problems concerning everything from coach parking to foreign touring. It operates a mutual aid scheme whereby member firms are helped by other members in the event of a breakdown. CIBS is also associated with the Freight Transport Association (FTA) and
offers its members the advar tages of the established FT, vehicle inspection scheme.
CPT in its other two section continues its campaign to con' bat fare evaders by legalizin excess fare "fines" and is als trying to counteract the ir creasing problem of violenc towards bus crews and vanda ism on buses. Bus operators i both Swansea and Cardiff cor tinue to have these problems.
Devolution seems unlikely t affect the CPT structure i Wales much.
CPT will continue to lobb the Government for the be interests of its members and c the industry. But Wales, with it mixture of sparsely populate. rural areas and industrial cities has typical problems faced b British operators, and man opportunities for innovation.
• Noel Millil