I.o.T.A. Conference
Page 36
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Rail Expansion Plan Welcomed
THE importance of the British Railways programme of expansion and its effect on road-rail competition were mentioned by a number of speakers at the annual conference of the Institute of Traffic Administration in Birmingham last Friday. Although many criticisms were made of the railways' inefficiency, there was no direct opposition to those who welcomed the programme.
The main meeting took the form of a discussion on "Road Transport—An Increasing Role?" and "How to reconcile public demands on transport with the best use of the nation's transport Lord Merrivale of Walkhampton, president of the Institute, opened the discussion with a written contribution, in which he expressed the hope that the railway scheme would be fully comprehensive. He had previously suggested that it was frightening to imagine the number of vehicles on the roads in five years. He also emphasized the need for a more widespread application of mechanical-handling equipment and the use of the most suitable vehicles for particular loads.
More Traffic for Rail
A written contribution by Col. Arthur Jarrett, Minst.T., was read by Mr. A:" C. Gibson, national secretary. Whether more goods would eventually be carried by road or more by rail depended, said Col. Jerrett, on rail development and its results. It seemed possible that the balance would move in the railway direction.
In support of traders' freedom of choice of transport, Col. Jerrett pointed out that consignors took into consideration factors in addition to cost, and the sum total of the economic satisfaction of individuals indicated the best use of the nation's transport facilities. Referring to the future direction of road haulage development, he said it was clear that British Road Services would continue and that they might well expand. There was little sign of the re-establishment of privately run trunk services.
The deliberate neglect of various efficient means for transport was strongly criticized by Mr. B. R. Miller. As an example he cited the virtual dis taff/ placement of the steam wagon, despite its load-carrying capabilities, by heavy taxation, and he said that there was little justification for the decline of the tram and more recently the trolleybus. Since 1939 the cost of electric current bad increased by 58 per cent., and the cost of imported fuel was now 238 per cent. higher than it was in 1940.
Re-equipping the railways was described by Mr. T. I. D. Morris as the factor most likely to create a balancing influence on internal transport services; modernization of all transport facilities was necessary before " reconciliation" became possible. Determined attempts should be made to encourage traders to build up stocks at railheads.
Abstracted from Hagliers
The value of large stocks was challenged by Mr. A. Dailey, who said that road transport had the advantage over rail because it enabled stocks to be reduced. The £1,200m. to be spent on the railways should bring a return of £2,000m., which would be abstracted from the revenue of hauliers. This would lead to a sacrifice in direct taxation of £166m.
Dealing specifically with passenger transport, Mr. B. Walrnsley said that the heavy traffic at peak periods represented the operator's main difficulty. Nothing could be done to induce employers to stagger hours, but shop managers might be persuaded to open after 9 a.m. and close after 6 p.m., and educational authorities might , be approached with the object of arranging school hours from 9.30 a.m. onwards, instead of 9 a.m.
He would like tosee the introduction of higher fares between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m, and between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. The railways could not help to overcome the peak-period problem. Coaches normally employed for tours could be used, but this would cause rapid deterioration of the seats and so on.
Staggered hours for factories and shops would create further difficulties for the parcels carrier, declared Mr. C. J. Parker. Earlier shop closing had already increased delivery problems and put up costs, and the five-day week in factories also hindered efficiency. It would be impracticable to start shop deliveries later and continue until a later hour Staggering might help passenger transport, but it would be very harmful to freight traffic. ...
Commenting on Col. Jerrett'i support for freedom of choice, Mr. Parker suggested that he was speaking as one who had a knowledge of transport. Most consignors knew little about the subject and were not qualified to make the best choice. It was possible that there would be a large increase in railway trunk traffic and that mechanical handling would be employed far more.
Mr. A. R. Butt said that the building of housing estates 10 or 15 miles from the towns made it impossible to provide an efficient passebger service. It would be preferable to build flats near the centres of employment.
Closer co-operation between traders and hauliers was urged by Mr. E. Ogden, Mr. 1. L. Austin and Mr. J. S. Burdon. Giving the trader's point of view, Mr. Ogden said that operators should approach manufacturers with suggestions, which would be welcomed. Mr. Burdon and Mr. Austin complained that the transport side of many business undertakings received scant attention.
Road Delivery for Railways
Mr. H. Mitchell aroused amusement when he told the story of a consignment that was dispatched to a railway canteen from a brewery by rail instead of by road vehicle, which represented a reversal of normal procedure, dictated by diplomacy. A letter was later received from the canteen manager stating that road transport must be used, otherwise the order would be' cancelled. For perishable goods, said Mr. Mitchell, road vehicles provided the only suitable form of transport.
The impossibility of discovering which form of transport was the most efficient when taxation anomalies exisied was stressed by Mr. A. B. Davidson, There could be no solution, he said, until all types of transport paid a fair tax, which would give each an equal chance to compete for the traffic.
Referring to Mr. Parker's contribution, Mr. Morris said that the small shopkeeper was all-important to the retail trade. Loading in quantity should be encouraged by a suitable charges scheme.