No-Progress Report
Page 53
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EXPLORERS cannot often afford to hesitate or to make frequent changes of route. One can understand why the Disposal Board, reaching forward all the time into strange territory, must continue to use the same methods as before, even if these have not proved strikingly successful. The Board's third report reads like a serene chapter in a three-decker novel, where the end is fixed and certain, and all that one has to do is to wait with patience for the numerous subsequent instalments.
Since the first report a year ago, list has followed list until 18,000 vehicles have been offered, more than half the total available. There has been no lack of tenders for the majority of units, but sales are only just above 10,000 vehicles, compared with 4,500 at the end of May. At this rate of less than 1,000 a month, the sales could last for another two years.
Time has little place in the third report. There are signs that the Board are shaping towards the end of their task, but no forecast of when the end will come. The original estimate of 15,000 vehicles to satisfy the requirement that persons with only small resources should have an opportunity to bid is confirmed. The limit may be reached with list S.3 published last week, and two further lists planned for offer in January and February.
Most of the remaining general haulage vehicles in England and Wales will be arranged into a "balanced assortment" of medium and large units, a few of them having more than 100 vehicles each. The general haulage depots not to be retained by the British Transport Commission will be offered as part of these units, which will not be available for tender until the spring. In the meantime, possibly quite soon, prospective purchasers may browse over a booklet. This will describe the general policy, and list the existing operational depots to be offered and the number of vehicles actively engaged in each. Prospective purchasers will thus have an opportunity to make known their interests, so that "so far as practicable" these can be taken into account in the formation of units.
Scottish Pattern These arrangements follow to some extent the pattern tried out in Scotland. An explanatory booklet, with a map distinguishing between various categories of depots by means of coloured circles, was issued on August 3; the official Scottish, list, in which the units were substantially the same as those described in the booklet, was published on September 29. An attempt was made to group certain depots, partly to meet the obligation on the Commission to offer units that will enable the purchaser to start up as a haulier without delay. In their third report, the Disposal Board are inclined to shrug off this obligation as far as the rest of the country is concerned. Most of the medium and large units will consist of vehicles and a single depot. "Any purchasers who may be interested in acquiring two or more depots, perhaps in different parts of the country, will have the opportunity to choose from the depots offered and tender accordingly."
Results in Scotland so far are not reassuring. The 47 units contained 1,264 vehicles, the whole of the Scottish fleet of British Road Services that remained to be offered. Two other units of 130 vehicles were transposed into companies, and the shares have been sold. Of the 47 units, only nine have been sold, comprising 106 vehicles. The bulk of the Scottish units will have to be offered again, in the sanie or an altered form. For 17 units no bids were recelived, although there were 54 bids for the other 30. There is some evidence of a demand, but apparently not at the right price.
If the list for England and Wales comes out in the spring, another two months may pass before decisions are reached on the tenders. The Scottish example suggests that satisfactory bidders will be found for a quarter of the units. The rest will have to be put up for sale again, two, three or more times. For all the indication that their third report gives, the Disposal Board would appear to be resigned to an almost endless game of patience, which is bound to come out if the cards are cut often enough.
Speedy Disposal There are other possible obstacles to rapid disposal. Abolition of the 25-mile limit at the end of the year will cancel out one of the attractions of the special A licence that goes with each unit. Each month brings the next General Election nearer. A change of Government would bring disposal to an abrupt end, and because of this hazard bids will tend to fall away whenever the dissolution of Parliament seems imminent, and will stop completely during the election period. On the other hand, they would be stimulated by the return of the present Government, particularly if it be returned with an increased majority.
In their first report the Board pointed out that the Transport Act, 1953, gave them "no powers or duties to stimulate or accelerate disposals." They cannot but realize, however, that too leisurely a rate of progress puts the public out of humour. The Board began badly by accepting the inclusion in the earlier lists of badly assorted units, containing far too many decrepit or defective vehicles. The prospective purchaser was discouraged at the outset, and it is in some ways surprising that he has persevered. The advertising of the units, whilst having been perhaps adequate, has certainly been staid.
The delay has given B.R.S. the chance to build up their reputation, which now stands higher than ever before with trade and industry. Prospective purchasers of units, who in the early days of disposal did not worry too much about competition from B.R.S., now complain at the difficulty of prising traffic away. Their troubles are partly because their own competition has spurred B.R.S. into reducing rates and increasing efficiency, but they also know that B.R.S. are hanging on as long as possible to the best vehicles as well as the best strategic depots.
From their inquiries, the Disposal. Board must know the growing suspicion, and even fear, of B.R.S. in the minds of prospective purchasers. The situation might have been improved by making known, for example, what depots and vehicles B.R.S. proposed to keep. It is a pity the Board did not include this kind of information in their third report.