Mr. Walker wants full blooded support
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• Mrs. Castle's estimate of the cost of her Transport Bill (£55m a year—CM last week) was based on completely out-of-date factors, and his own forecast. of £.150m. was conservative, asserted Mr. Peter Walker, Shadow Minister of Transport on Tuesday. He was speaking at the Transport Association lunch, and referred repeatedly to the need to raise the tempo of the anti-Bill publicity campaign.
He said the "full-blooded support" of hauliers and their customers now would be .of great assistance to him in justifying his case for repealing bad parts of the Bill when the Tory Party was returned to power. Saying it was difficult to get into the national Press, Mr. Walker said editors wanted hard news; pledges on what would be done in two or three years' time were of no interest to them.
He said that decisions after the Party had been returned to power would depend upon what stage had been reached; but he felt the Freightliner service should be given back to BR, and would have to make a profit.
Mr. Walker spoke out against the guillotine motion, stressing that the Committee had got through about a quarter of the Bill in seven weeks but that the remaining threequarters would now have to be completed in the same time. And he forecast that Labour backbenchers would make long speeches, all amendments would be dropped without being put to the vote, but that all Government measures would be voted on.
Asked about the Geddes report, Mr. Walker said he had not accepted it; but A and B licences were not necessary, and sensible new licensing solutions could be evolved for the 1970s.
The present chairman, Mr. F. L. Jolly, asked what parts of the Bill Mr. Walker would like to repeal. Answer: the additional "wear and tear" taxes and abnormal loads charges, all mileage limitations and the Ministerial powers in connection with NFC.
• It has been confirmed that the eliminating round of the Lorry Driver of the Year Competition to be held at Fleetwood will take place on June 16 at Queen's Terrace, Fleetwood.
• The Wye Bridge on A.48 Chepstow, was closed on Wednesday. for MoT repairs including strengthening the narrow bridge. The MoT hopes that the bridge will be reopened to traffic after about 21 weeks