Chamber of Commerce rejects free transport
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• In a 10-point memorandum to the Greater London Council, outlining its comments on the Green Paper "The Future of London Transport", the London Chamber of Commerce has rejected the concept of a fares-free transport system. The Chamber rejects such a system "in the short term on the grounds that such a policy, by encouraging greater use of public transport could well exacerbate the existing serious problems caused by shortage of staff".
On the other hand, the Chamber wants a speeding-up of the conversion programme to one-man buses, greater use of prepaid tickets to reduce delays on such buses, and a considerable improvement of interchange points. It also supports the GLC's initiation of studies into the possibility of operating passenger services on the River Thames.
The London Chamber accepts that road construction in Central London can never keep pace with the potential demand for access by all types of vehicles, and therefore supports the GLC's policy of reducing the amount of car parking space provided in office buildings. Only if non-essential traffic is kept out of the central area can the roads accept the desirable volume of bus services and the essential freight transport operations, such as distribution to shops and commercial premises, as well as the various essential services necessary in any major city, it comments.
The Chamber believe that one of the major keys to the development of the transport system is the question of interchange. "The London Transport Bus Reshaping Plan envisaged feeder bus services based on Underground and railway stations and the Chamber considers that this policy is a sensible way of combining the advantages of mass transport by rail in the central area with the greater flexibility of the bus in residential areas", states the memorandum.
It maintains that too many interchange points at the present time require a lengthy walk to the so-called "connecting" bus stops where there is often a wait with only the most rudimentary shelter from the elements. "These points must be brought up to a high standard as a matter or priority", it says.
Although dismissing a fares-free system, the Chamber calls for a thorough review of the present fares system in the light of experience gained so far from 0-m-a, and its suitability for the greater degree of mechanization which LTE is now planning. In accepting an increase in mechanization, the Chamber has reservations: It is concerned by the delays which result from the use of the present generation of a-m-o buses and it therefore believes that much greater use of prepaid tickets should be encouraged. These would reduce, if not avoid, the need for the driver /operator to take money and give change and would also permit the use inside the buses of a simpler form of ticket cancellation equipment such as is used on the Continent (see feature, pages 42 and 43).
One measure which might encourage greater use of off-peak services would be the introduction of a cheaper off-peak or pre-peak fare scale and the Chamber would like to see experiments on these lines carried out in London.