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In the absence of Mr. W. L. Russell, Dundee's transport

15th November 1968
Page 56
Page 56, 15th November 1968 — In the absence of Mr. W. L. Russell, Dundee's transport
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Keywords : Buses, Daimler Fleetline

manager, I spoke to Mr. E. K. Mellor., rolling stock engineer and he expressed the department's view lucidly. "We find the report (No. 85) interesting and very truthful. Many things the PIE criticise have been caused by previous practice within the depot extending over many years. There has been reluctance by the local trade union branch to relax old practices.

"We are aware that many practices are not in the best interests of the department and we are doing our utmost to get concessions—if that is the right word—to make financial savings.

"There are some very startling figures to outsiders in the report. Local conditions must be appreciated to see if the criticisms are justified.

"Fifty-five Fleetlines are used on certain designated routes. If we have spare buses on other routes we cannot use them flexibly as we would wish. As the report says correctly, on a route operated by middle-capacity double-deck buses, high-capacity doubledeckers cannot be used, even temporarily. This explains the criticism that we have too many buses. This was not news to us —we've 10 to 15 vehicles less now than 18 months ago.

"We're saddled with a maximum of 8 hours' working time of any duty, which Means that if an extra trip could be done in a duty period of 8 hours 5min an expensive arrangement has to be made.

"The report is very fair in its apportionment of blame and in its general findings it states facts. It is healthy to wash a lot of linen in public that is not normally done.

"The council here is so evenly divided that to get a Lord Provost it was necessary to cut a pack of cards.

"People must realise that municipal transport services cannot satisfy everybody. There must be an economic basis. Compared with other non-revenue earning departments transport often seems to be a poor relation. This makes the task of management much more onerous, but we must strive constantly to be financially viable.

"Though single-manning may slow services down slightly, when passengers realise that a 22min service for 6d is •a better bargain than a 20min service for 9d we shall be able to make progress as they have in Manchester."

The NB reports Nos. 78 and 85 presented to Parliament by Mrs. Castle and Mr. Marsh, and through Parliament to you and to me could perhaps more appropriately have been published as an open letter to the Transport and General Workers' Union. When, I wonder, will the enlightened attitude to productivity shown by other officers

of the TGWU percolate to the national bus officers? Perhaps that is an unfair remark. Union leaders very quickly respond to changed attitudes of lay members in the provinces. Long-lasting attitudes are not changed overnight. Local public opinion, perhaps mobilised by local newspapers must play its part in changing traditional outlooks. Municipal bus managers and individual busmen should not delay taking action to change the general attitudes.


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