Public funds raise traffic levels in Germany
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TWO of the three main speakers at the first day of the conference were from Europe. The first was Peter Engelbrecht, who was until recently member of the board of Munich Municipal Works and operating manager of Munich Municipal Passenger Transport.
Mr Engelbrecht told the conference that integration of passenger transport in West Germany takes three forms — interaction between different modes of transport; joint action by central and local goverment; and co-operation between public and private enterprises. Integration was initiated at about the time of the Buchanan Report in the United Kingdom, he said.
About 20 per cent of all passenger transport in Federal Germany is local. Thanks to the injection of public funds, a falling trend in traffic has been transformed into an increasing one.
The Federal Government has spent substantial sums on research and development in passenger transport, both for the improvement of existing methods and developing nE ones.
While the West German pe senger transport industry loo to the future with some con dence, he said, this is mixed wi concern for economic d velopments.
The economic situation in GE many is forcing a reduction funds available for grants at for research and developmer while increased petrol prices a leading to reduced consumptic and thus less revanue from fu taxes, he said.
There are currently few ()pp( tunities to increase the sta. capacity ratio as almost all bus' are one-man operated and ma peak services below five mi utes headway are bein converted to articulated bt operation, he explained.
However, the industry is con dent of its ability to serve ti public in a period of increasir petrol prices and confident hopes to persuade politicians agree to adequate capital gra and operational suppor concluded Mr Engelbrecht.