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consortium E"T
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LT backing
LONDON TRANSPORT vk be allowed to take a 20 p cent stake in the future pi duction of Leyland's B "whispering ghost" bus if t Greater London Council giv the go-ahead.
As CM went to press meeting of the GLC at whict decision was to have be' taken was in uproar followi: action by picketing Londi taxi drivers.
Under the plan, LT wot take part in a three-ye scheme costing a massive f million with Leyland and t National Bus Company, well as the other passeN transport executives to pi duce buses, including the BI .A decision to recomme LT to go ahead with t mammoth plan was made a closed meeting of the trt sport committee last week.
In a joint report prepared the two committees, there 1 warning that if Leyland was withhold a commitment volume production as h been threatened, LT and at PTEs would have serio problems with fleet replat ment by the 1980s.
The report also warns ti the GLC would have nothi to do with a plan whi involved taking skill workers away from London a direct hint that the E should be built at the Al plant at Southall.
Leyland has already told] GLC that it will not consil production of the bus unti has received backing from major bus operators on future of the B15.
Under the terms of I Transport (London) Act 11 LT has to seek permission go into a consortium such has been proposed, but negotiations over the arran ments have still some way go.
The report gives support London Transport's aims give itself an assured supply ppropriate vehicles for Lonon operation.
But it warns that other ossible arrangements might e sought with other manuicturers, or an alternative rrangement with Leyland lay also be investigated. Competition is assured, say the committees, by the continued existence of other manufacturers such as Metro-Cammell Weymann.
In order to go ahead with the production of the 815 a new company would be set up and the council is concerned to see that it has at least a say in the operation of the company.
Meanwhile 1,11 says that it is pleased with its prototype B15 that has been on test. "It's a very good bus — but there are aspects that need talking about, and we have discussed them with British Leyland," said a spokesman.