To sell or not to sell
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• Two views of National Bus Company policy on selling parts of its operation off to PTEs have been given recently by the company's two top men.
Writing in the current edition of NBC's journal Bus, chief executive Jim Skyrme comments on the recent sale by Midland Red of 400 buses and several routes to the West Midlands PTE (CM June 29). Says Mr Skyrme: "I wish to make it quite clear that this does not in any way set a pattern which will necessarily be adopted in future negotiations elsewhere. Indeed, entirely different agreements were reached to attain the necessary co-ordination in the case of the Merseyside and Tyneside PTE areas. In short we shall deal with any future negotiations on the merits of each case as it arises.
An opinion on the same subject was expressed by the NBC's chairman, Mr Freddie Wood, when he addressed a conference of the Society of Town Clerks in Brighton recently. Asked if there was scope for rationalization by the NBC, either by shedding some of its local companies or taking over some municipal undertakings, Mr Wood replied: "Ye are willing to negotiate with any authority. We are willing to sell or buy if this would make for a better transport system."