Municipal eyes on NBC
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A CALL for municipal bus operators to absorb the local service: provided by NBC subsidiaries and independents in their areas wa; made by Dick Clark, general manager of Brighton Corporation thil week.
Speaking at the Association of District Councils transport managers meeting, Mr Clark examined the structure of the bus industry. He supported the idea that the bus can be marketed as a single product and questioned therefore why we need so many operators. He outlined five possibilities for rationalising ownership.
Nationalisation, he said, with just one body operating all stage and express services and funded by central government seems a tidy solution but is not viable. "Buses are a local matter and need local control." The next stage down, regiona lisation, such as with health an water authorities, has a poo image and seems to lack loca accountability.
Complete privatisation of bul services was also rejected by M Clark. "This is good for non essential services but not fo local buses. Services will IN measured only by financial crite ria."
County council control wal also rejected by Mr Clark, and s( he came to district council leve — "where bus services are mos deeply rooted."
If the district municipa operators took over the essentia local services of NBC and ioca independents, this would leavi the non-essential services such as coaching open to competi tion, reasoned Mr Clark.
This radical suggestion wal generally well accepted by thi ADC transport managers and th4 proposal for an ADC committei to study the idea was passed the meeting.
NEGOTIATIONS are reportedll taking place between Cardiff': ailing independent bus operato CK Coaches, and Gloucester based Swanbrook Coachel about a take-over bid by Swan brook. Swanbrook has alreadl helped CK overcome some of it immediate problems by draftin( in some of its own double-deck ars to supplement CK buses or its three Cardiff routes.