• What happened to the 'good intentions'?
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Concern over maintenance standards again expressed by Traffic Commissioners in their annual reports
• "With the exception of a small experimental scheme operated by the Midland Red and Bedworth UDC no new concessionary travel arrangements have been made in the year The Commissioners wonder what have become of the good intentions of those local authorities who over the years proclaimed their eagerness to provide concessions if only they had the authority to do so and, having had that power for over a year, have still done nothing."
The above terse comment is contained in the report to the (then) Minister of Transport by the West Midland Traffic Commissioners for the year ending March 31 1970. This report, together with those from all the other traffic areas for the year April 1 1969 to March 31 1970, was published on July 8 by the Department of the Environment.
Although their late publication gives the reports an historical rather than current value, writes Derek Moses, the catastrophical period through which the industry has just passed is, ironically, foreshadowed in many of the comments made. Staff shortages, falling maintenance standards, delivery delays of both new vehicles and spare parts, soaring inflation and rising fares, and the imminent decline of rural services are recurring themes throughout all the reports. In addition, the first symptoms of the paralytic situation created by the introduction of the previous Government's revised drivers' hours regulations had already appeared.
The threat to rural bus services is, in fact, forecast in a statement by Major General Sir John Potter, in the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners' report, while the chairman of the West Midland Traffic Commissioners, Mr John Else, writes a diagnosis and prognosis of the ills besetting the industry, commencing with the statement: "As the foregoing and other parts of this report indicate, the stage carriage industry in this Area is not in the best of health."
Sir John's comment is: "Understandably, the local authorities and the public in the rural areas are apprehensive about the constant erosion of their bus services. It must be borne in mind, however, that the bus operators cannot continue indefinitely to maintain those services which are very badly supported and are running at a great loss."
Little progress with the introduction or rural bus grants is reported, however, although the Northern area records five grants, in respect of services in Cumberland, Northumberland, Durham and the Richmond district of Yorkshire.
Maintenance concern
The steady decline in the standard of vehicle maintenance is referred to by each traffic area, and vehicle examiners were on their mettle throughout Britain to ensure that safety standards were maintained. South Wales reports that, in general, the condition of vehicles was kept at a reasonable level, then adds: "One disquieting feature was the increasing number of vehicles in service with body panels in need of repair."
Shortage of skilled fitters was one of the causes blamed for the lower standards,
though the general situation can be summed up by the statement in the Eastern area report: "The lowering standards of the condition of public service vehicles continues to cause concern. In some cases maintenance facilities and staff are inadequate and as a result of inspections of various kinds temporary suspension notices were issued in respect of 138 vehicles pending rectification of defects."
All areas report satisfactory progress with the introduction of o-m-o, though in some cases subject to slight delays caused by late vehicle deliveries. The sophistication of new o-m-o buses could be a further factor affecting maintenance standards, however, and the Yorkshire report, while discussing o-m-o buses, states "when things go wrong there are not only delays in getting passengers on and off the buses, but there is the far more serious problem of the repair of the equipment which takes up a disproportionate amount of the time of the available skilled staff". It adds: "It is to be hoped that still more complicated equipment will not be produced if something more simple and reliable can be found to do the job just as well."
Recruiting and retaining satisfactory platform staff remained an intractable problem, and the Northern area reports Teesside Municipal Transport as preparing to tecruit in Ireland. Tyneside PTE faced similar problems.
Another cause of concern was hooliganism, particularly on late-night buses, and while Northern area records that crews continued to be "highly sensitive" to this problem, Yorkshire expresses the regret of the inconvenience caused to passengers by late night bans by bus crews, but defends the staff who "cannot be expected to expose themselves to abuse and injury".
A small number of conductors had their licences revoked in some areas, and in one case involving seven conductors, sexual offences and assault led to their dismissals.
The changes in the London area following the Transport (London) Act are recorded in the Metropolitan area report. Mr D. I. R. Muir, whose title became chairman of the Metropolitan Traffic Commissioners, records that 104 road service licences were automatically granted in respect of stage services previously operated wholly in the London Special Area, but now falling outside the Greater London Area.
In a number of cases refusal was given to London Transport to operate 36ft single-deckers on a number of routes due to inadequate roads. In one case, however, the shorter 33ft 5in. single-deckers were approved when this later type was evolved.
Finally, grave concern was expressed at the condition of many old coaches purchased by operators in the London area for transporting school children. The Metropolitan Commissioners were now looking very closely at the background and maintenance facilities of prospective operators in this field. It was evident that some local authorities did not pay enough attention to the condition of operators' coaches when planning schools services, they claimed.