Official Report on Isle of Man Transport Endorses C. NI." Views
Page 8
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
[JEWS expressed by Mr. C. S. V Dunbar in a detailed analysis of transport in the Isle of Man. published in "The Commercial Motor" on May 6, have been largely confirmed by the newly issued report of a committee appointed by Tynwald to inquire into the whole question of transport on the island. This committee invited Mr. F. P. Arnold, Mr. J. T. E. Robinson and Mr. A. J. Wright (all of the Tilling Group) to examine road transport operation, and Mr. G. B. Howden, general manager of the G.N.R.(I.), to report en the rail position.
The report by Mr. Arnold and his colleagues urged the closing down, section by section, of the Isle of Man Railway and the abandonment .of the Laxey-Ramsey section of the Manx Electric Railway. The committee does not, however, accept this suggestion as far as the 1.M.R. is concerned.
Instead, it takes the view, expressed in "The Conimercial Motor" by Mr. Dunbar, that the St, John's-Ramsey branch is not worth continuing arid that the Peel branch traffic could also be handled by buses, but that as long as the railway pays its way, there is no point in attempting to handle by read the heavy traffic on the Port Erin line.
The Arnold report contains many suggestions for improving the efficiency of the bus services without increasing
the number of vehicles, and refers particularly to the lack of a covered bus station at the approach to Douglas Pier. It also suggests that on Saturdays, Isle of Man Road Services, Ltd., should hire some of the idle coaches from the private operators to deal with the peak boat traffic.
1here is criticism in the committee's report of the bus fares, which. Mr. Dunbar summed tip as "not cheap." The -committee also recognizes the serious position that the Manx Electric Railway will have to face in the future, None of the experts recommends the closure of this line (except the LaxeyRamsey section), but both subsidiary reports urge co-ordination.
Licensing to be Started?
If this cannot be achieved voluntarily between the four operators (Isle of Man Railway, Isle of Man Road Services, ManZ Electric Railway and Douglas Corporation), the Arnold report recommends the introduction of the British system of licensing, with a Traffic Commissioner.
The committee, however, does not support this recommendation, although it fully appreciates the necessity for co-ordination and urges the operators to come to agreement wherever there is competition. The committee is against any interference with the privileged position of Douglas Corporation.