Transport Could Save E100m. a Year on Production Costs
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"j CALCULATE that if we had the motor roads envisaged in the I Special Roads Act . . 800 miles of special motor roads . . . we should save £100m. a year in production costs, or 32 per cent, of the present cost of the commercial and industrial vehicles which are running on the roads to-day. . ."
This statement was made by Lord Lucas in the House of Lords last week, when he initiated a debate 'on road construction. On the previous day, in a debate on the second reading of the Finance Eill, Earl Howe had warned the Lords that the present level of vehicle taxation would eventually be fatal to the motor industry, as well as adding to the inflationary trend.
In the White Paper on transport, said Lord Lucas, the Government clearly env isaged an extension of road transport. "I hold the view . . that our main arterial roads . . are.rtow carrying over a capacity traffic, and I cannot think that Her Majesty's Government, in planning for an ..extension of road transport, have not also planned for an extension of our road 'system." The roads of this Country were an integral part of this country's industrial equipment.'
70 Per Cent. of Goods by Road There were about 127,775 miles of trunk and Class I roads, on which, today, there were 925,000 goods vehicles, 136.600 buses and 21m: cars. Goods traffic since 1938 had increased by 59 per cent. and coach and bus traffic by 74 per cent. Seventy per cent. of all goods traffic was now Carried by road.
In 1950, out of a total of £1,600m. spent . on all forms of transport, more than 75 per cent, was spent on road transport,. this representing about 111 per cent. of the national income. In 1951, it was estimated that the expenditure on motor-vehicle operation was E1,400m., or some 121 per cent. of the national income.
What was the extent. of the development of road transport which the Government policy envisaged? How was the increased traffic to he carried at an economical speed and cost?
Use by Motor Industry
Lord Lucas gave some figures showing the amount of goods transport used by two motor manufacturers. One drew raw materials and components from 750 factories from 100-120 miles away and about 700 goods vehicles a day entered the works with these supplies. The other manufacturer received 900 tons a day from 100-200 lorries, which came from an average distance of 110 to 130 miles.
It was estimated that road congestion cost about £5m. a year in drivers' and conductors' wages alone for every mile per hour by which the average speed was reduced. Rural buses averaged 18 m.p.h. and London buses about 8 m.p.h. Country buses averaged 11.3 m.p.g. of fuel, whereas buses in congested areas sveraged 9.5 m.p.g.
Britain was facing a bitter battle in the export markets, out of which it could not afford to price itself. It could not afford to have a £100m.
build-up on the cost and price structure of our essential industries, said Lord Lucas.
On the question of the effect of motor taxation, Earl Howe declared that the fuel tax was a direct tax on the travelling public if fares had to be increased to meet the extra cost of fuel. The fuel tax was now 41 times what it was in 1939. The extra 71d. per gallon on oil fuel meant that every bus employed by municipal undertakings would have to pay another £100-£120 per year, which was equivalent to £1,390,000. The cost to London Transport would be Z1m. a year. Anything that increased the cost of transport increased the inflationary spiral.
A.C.V. CAPITAL INCREASE
HOLDERS of Ordinary stock in Associated Commercial Vehicles, Ltd., have been offered 1/m. 51 per cent, redeemable cumulative preference
shares of each for subscription at par. A resolution to increase the capital of the company in this manner was passed at an extraordinary general meeting last week.
'FEWER ROYAL SHOW VISITORS
A TOTAL of 93,318 people attended tl this year's Royal Show. This figure was lower than at any other postwar Royal Show, but was higher than the pre-war average.
Western S.M.T. Co. "Disregarded Law
" ri1CTATORIAL actions" by the fel Western S.M.T. Co., Ltd., "with complete disregard for law and order" were alleged at a sitting of the Scottish Licensing Authority last week. The company was ordered to discontinue immediately four Ayrshire services which had been operated for five years without licence.
The Authority said that he wa's making an example for the benefit of opera-tors not observing the Road Traffic Act, but advised the Western S.M.T. representative to apply for short-term licences so as not to inconvenience the public.
The company had applied to run extra buses on the routes involved and Mr. Robert Farrell, for the applicant, said that the services had been started in the war to meet workers' special requirements. Permission had been granted, but no licences had been issued. When the war ended, the services had been continued, although there was still no licence.
Mr. J. Kirkland, who appeared for the objectors, A.A. Motor Services, contended that the services abstracted traffic from his clients. Mr. M. Newman, assistant traffic manager of Western S.M.T., admitted that there had been no attempt on the part of his company to co-ordinate services with those of the objectors.
The Authority suggested that the bearing be adjourned so that the parties could reach agreement on some form of co-ordination.
LOADING AIDS NEEDED, SAYS JUDGE
AT Bristol, last week. Mr. Justice Cassels said that British Road Services should cease to rely on the possibility that there would be he;p for a driver at the end of a journey or that there would be a proper loading bay for him. He was giving judgment in a *case brought by a driver against the Road Haulage Executive. The driver had been injured in trying to unload a 4-cwt. crate from a lorry without assistance.
The driver claimed that adequate tackle for unloading the goods was not available. For the R.H.E. it was stated that three sets of skids were available at the depot, but the plaintiff produced witnesses who said that the' knew of only one set.
The driver was awarded the sum of £1,025 damages.
10-PER-CENT. PAY RISE CLAIM rLAIMS for a 10-per-cent increase in is.s. the pay of administrative, clerical and supervisory staffs have been put to the Road Haulage Executive, the Tilling bus group and municipal authorities by the Transport and General Workers' Union.
The R.H.E. is considering the proposal, Whilst the claim concerning local authorities is going through arbitration procedure. A meeting between the T.G.W.U. and the Tilling Association is being arranged.