Strathclyde setback
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STRATHCLYDE Passenge Transport Executive's publi transport co-ordination policie have been bruised by las week's granting of major servic revisions to the Scottish Bu Group (CM, June 131.
The Scottish Traffic Commis sioners have granted revision to routes, and timetables of Cen tral and Western SMT — all ark ing from market analysis sur veys — and have used thi "liberal" philosophy of the 1981 Transport Act more strongl• than the "authoritarian" 196: Act, under which the PTE i constituted.
The PTE objected to the rev sions, partly because limite stop SBG buses running in conpetition with subsidised rail sel vices are not part of its policy. also felt that the new SBG ser vices would abstract traffic fror its buses and underground, an said that facilities alread. existed (mainly the un derground) to ensure that pas sengers crossing the city couli do so.
Commissioners' chairmal Hugh McNamara said that the were not satisfied that the pro posed departures from the PTE' co-ordination policies would bi against the public interest.
The commissioners rejected PTE suggestion that a 20 p cent limit be placed on far discounts offered by SBG o routes which parallel rail se vices, but suggested that the tw organisations co-operate mor fully on pricing, using consult tive machinery which alread exists.
Mr McNamara said the co missioners could not accept th passengers' clear desire to tray on through routes from East Ki bride in the south-east to Clyd bank in the west of Glasgo should be denied, simply b cause the underground an other PTE services offered connection.
He said it was not ;n the spi of the 1980 Act to force passen ers to change modes in the ci centre, when existing servic could be linked by SBG at extra expense. PTE reven might drop, but there would n be wasteful competition, said.