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B.R.S. to Spend E6m. on Vehicles and Facilities
Page 45
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FROM OUR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT
DRITISH ROAD SERVICES spending ij on new road vehicles and depot facilities is going up. Total investment in 'facilities daring 1964 is expected to be ifan., compared with a total of £51m. this year.
In the same field, the Tilling and Scottish Omnibuses groups are planning a modest increase in their provision for new buses and bus stations. Their expenditure this year is expected to be £6,400,000. Next year, it should be £6fm.
Expenditure by both these sectors is: however, subject to review. In theory, the TranspOrt Holding Company will be free to submit additional investment schemes if big extra activity. in the private enterprise fields of goods and passenger transport makes them desirable.
These figures relating to the T.H.C. were published by the Government a few days ago in the annual White Paper on Public Investment in Britain. Despite a phenomenal increase in all State investment this year, a controlled overall increase of a further 7 per cent is planned for 1964-65.
Dr. Beeching is, for the present, holding down investment by British Railways to a point considerably lower than that which prevailed when he took over the B.T.C. in 1961. The reason is that, despite the confident predictions he made in his reshaping report last March, more time is needed to complete further operational and market studies, and for the development of new types of services.
Total railway investment in 1964 is at present expected to be 1110m. This is about €9m. more than during the current year----but both figures are considerably Tower than investment in 1961, which was just short of the £150m. Mark.
Biggest single item of rail expenditure next year will be further progress on the London Midland electrification scheme, though the overall figure agreed between the Railways Board and the Ministry has left provision for some new schemes. These may include some advance-guard proposals from the reshaping report, but approval of any new scheme in 1964 will rest on whether it can contribute towards the objective of making the railways pay.
The British Transport Docks Board plans to invest £8-1m. in improvements next year I £5-3m. this year), the Waterways Board £1.7m. (.£1.9m.) and London Transport Hoard £19.5m.
The L.T.B. has three major projects in progress. Two concern its rail interests: the third is the steady replacement of RT buses by Romemasters, which is proceeding at the spending rate of about .£2,400,000 a Year.
Scottish Observer Corps Welcome
SCOTTISH hauliers have welcomed the 7 suggestion that a vehicle observer corps to trace stolen vehicles, on the lines of the one operated in London, should be set up in Scotland. IVir, John Russell, managing director of john Russell (Grangemouth) Ltd., said he thought that something like a vehicle observer corps would he a good thing.
A spokesman for Bell and Co. (Transport) Ltd., of Edinburgh, said: " 'Transport drivers have really no protection. The police cannot be everywhere at once. A vehicle observer corps might be a very good idea—particularly for transporters with cargoes such as whisky, cigarettes and tea ".
Edinburgh city police said that. although they had received no official approach from the R.I-LA., they would be prepared to co-operate in any move to combat crime.
Plans for a Scottish observer corps will be discussed by the R.H.A.'s Glasgow and West sub-area next Monday at a meeting with representatives of T.R.T.A., B.R.S. and B.R.