Plan of Battle
Page 30
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THE future planof operations of British Road Services is now becoming clearer. At least 76 depots, strategically sited mainly in industrial areas, are to be retained. Lines of communication are to be shortened. _ To that end, Devon and Cornwall are, it appears, to be left principally to the free-enterprise haulier, for all depots west of Exeter are up for sale. B.R.S. will probably be pleased to be relieved of the responsibility for maintaining services over such a widespread area.
Similarly, most of Wales will become the stamping ground of the haulier, but B.R.S. intend to preserve a strong hold on the industrial belt in South Wales. Close-knit groups of depots will serve Lancashire and Yorkshire, and other industrial centres of England will contain well-placed headquarters for the State transport undertaking.
B.R.S. will continue to operate from 27 of the towns and cities in which, according to the booklet published last week by the Commission and the Road Haulage Disposal Board, substantial units are to be offered for sale in March. In the circumstances, the Commission's proviso that they reserve the right to compete with the purchasers of the units is hardly necessary.
The position would, however, be different if the units were to be sold as companies with goodwill. B.R.S. would be restricted in seeking the patronage of customers whose traffic had been passed over with a going concern. In fact, they will still be able to cover the most remunerative ground which was served by the units they have sold, and only the sparsely populated areas will become the exclusive provinces of free-enterprise hauliers.
Denationalization may enable B.R.S. to rid themselves of embarrassing encumbrances and the pruned tree may be even more fruitful in proportion to its size.