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Railways Out to Regain Road Traffic : New Rate Policy

15th March 1957, Page 41
15th March 1957
Page 41
Page 41, 15th March 1957 — Railways Out to Regain Road Traffic : New Rate Policy
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

"THE railways want all the net 1. traffic they can get, but they want most the traffic which they can carry more profitably than the road operator. Their pricing will take care of the situation," said Mr. A. A. Harrison, chief charges officer, British Railways Central Staff, when presenting a paper, " Railway Freight Charges," before the Institute Of Transport in :London on Monday.

With the railways about to become virtually free to.charge what they could get, in competition, for rather less than half their present traffic, he thought much of the traffic now going by road, partieularly on trunk hauls, would be affected. Expansion in railway revenue could include the recapture of the 1,000m, ton-miles of general. merchandise lost between 1947 and 1955—and

possibly add another 1,000m.

The Commission's objectives in reorganizing their freight-charging arrangements were: (a) The encouragement of traffic consigned in larger quantities and full wagon loads; (h) the stimulation of regular traffic for which economic services could be arranged; ..(c) the attraction of good-loadinOraffic, now passing by road. for long and medium distances; (d) the avoidance of loss on some of the shorter-distance rail traffic.

With the sweeping away of restrictions on July 1, railwaymen, Mr. Harrison said, would meet their road rivals on something nearer to equal terms. Road rates Might theni be shown to be more closely connected with the rail rates with which they competed than with any precisely measured road cost.

After July 1. the Commission would continue Most of the rates in active use before making a comprehensive review.

Extension of the two-part-tariff .idea to railway charges might well form part of new special charges, consisting of a standing charge irrespective of traffic volume and a scale of charges to be applied to units of traffic actually carried. The variable scale would emphasize to traders the potential cheapness and benefits of using up capacity already available.

Above all, Mr. Harrison said, there. must be the greatest possible flexibility. The new charging procedure must be fast enough and Inc& enough to get the business.

• SEVERN BRIDGE STILL HIGH PRIORITY

I N the House of Commons last week, Mr. Harold Watkinson, Minister of Transport, denied that he had altered the priority of the Severn bridge. He considered it to be a scheme of great importance and the work would he authorized as soon as economic circumstances permitted.

fie thought it reasonable that the high cost of major bridge projects of this type should be recouped from tolls. This policy would apply to the Severn bridge, as well as to the projected Forth

road bridge. • In 1953 the Severn bridge was estimated to cost about £l2m. The cost was now placed at some £15.4rn.

MR. WILLIAMS WINS BATTLE

AFTER a long battle with Aldershot and District Traction Co., Ltd., and Southdown Motor Services, Ltd., Mr. B. S. Williams, Ernsworth, has succeeded in obtaining confirmation of a picking-up point at Fernhurst, and an excursion to Southampton, on his excursion and tow licence operated from Midhurst. These points were erroneously included on the licence and have been operated for four years.

For economy reasons, Mr. Williams has replaced with Ford 4D oil engines the petrol engines of two one-manoperated 29-seat buses working on low revenue routes.


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