Port Plans Must be
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Linked to Transport
BY the end of the year the Government will be in a position to interlock the development of the ports, railways,. roads and the growing points of industry, forecast the Minister of Transport last week.
Opening a Commons debate on the Rochdale Committees report on the docks, Mr. Marples said we must ensure that plans for developing our ports system were closely linked with development plans for the other parts of our transport system.
Already, said Mr. Marples, there had been discussions between Lord Rochdale and Dr. Beeching about railways, and the same thing would be done about roads.
Several M.P.s asked for improved road facilities to the ports they represented. Mr. David Webster (Tory, Weston-superMare) said it was important to replan many of our major docks so that there was greater access for the road haulier. He hoped that the method of loading and methods employed by the road haulier could also be modernized. Mr. Webster also suggested that a bonus should be given to a road haulier who was able to put his cargo on board the vessel during the early days of loadingHe thought that would make it considerably more efficient.
A good deal of publicity should also be given to the fact that the load that was last in should not necessarily be the , first out, he added. "-I believe that many road hauliers deliberately delay arrival at the dock in order that the cargo should be first off at the other end ", he said.
Mr. Geoffrey Wilson (Tory, Truro) , said he hoped the debate would have convinced the House and the public that fears that the Government was dealing with transport problems in isolation could now be ended, it was clear from what Mr. Marples had said that this was not so, he said.
Four major reports on transport were referred to by Mr. Wilson—the Rochdale Report. the report by Sir Robert Hall on the transport needs of Great Britain in the next 20 years, the Beeehine Report and the coming report by Mr. Colin Buchanan on roads, which, he understood, would be the most comprehensive and revolutionary of the lot.
These four reports would have to be considered together in order lo produce a co-ordinated transport policy.
Winding up for the Opposition, Mr. Robert Mellish stressed the importance of considering transport as a whole. He suggested that far too much was asked of the Ministry of Transport.
Rural Transport Studies NAR. MARPLES has received most of IVI the results of the special studies of rural transport and, he said in the Commons last week, expected to have the remainder " in a day or two ".
He was asked by Mr. Rupert Speir (Tory, Hexham) whether the completion of these studies would enable him to announce a policy for Government aid for rural transport. and replied:
"1 am sure the information which they give will help in my consideration of policy as to rural transport."