IT'S ACTION STATIONS!
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Anti-PTA committees mushroom
BUS AND COACH operators have formed more action committees to bolster the fast-mounting national campaign against Mrs. Castle's Passenger Transport Authity proposals.
An Aldershot meeting called by the PVOA last week drew more than 80 operators from a wide area. A Southern England action co-ordinating committee was set up to lead four local action committees, to be called the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire; the Upper Thames; the Hants. and Surrey Borders and the South Hants. and Isle of Wight.
The co-ordinating committee held its first meeting today. With the local action committees, it is to warn local councillors, ratepayers and the travelling public of the "real threat that the Minister's proposals represent to bus and coach services and of the additional burden on the rates that will result from subsidizing the inevitable losses that would follow". It will also seek support from local MPs and other interested parties. Mr. Peter Scully (Aldershot and District Traction Co. Ltd.), who was elected chairman of the co-ordinating committee, said that details of the Passenger Transport Authorities exposed in the Press confirmed the worst fears of operators about the effects of the proposals.
They would, he said, lead to the setting up of large, unwieldy operating units with powers to run local bus services, express coach services, tours and excursions and contract services, as well as rail services, new tracked forms of transport-such as monorails taxi services, ferries-such as the Mersey Ferries, provided by Birkenhead and Wallasey Corporations-hovercraft and hire cars.
No effective control
These Authorities would be subject to no effective control in regard to services provided or fares charged, and they would have the right to precept upon the rates to cover operating losses by both bus and rail passenger services in their areas.
Fears were expressed at the meeting that many express coach services and other services, including luxury day tours, would have to be discontinued and the operators were concerned at the loss of the freedom of choice for passengers that would result.
After the meeting Mr. Scully added: "The danger is that once this legislation has been passed, passengers, operators and the public would be affected sooner or later and not merely in the four major conurbations where the Minister is proposing early action to set up these Authorities".
An action group also has been formed by 18 bus and coach operators in the North Staffordshire area. Members of the group, who between them operate more than 800 coaches and buses, said at a meeting in Hanley that they would "study Government policy on public passenger transport and bring to public notice features considered to be detrimental to the future of the bus and coach industry and the travelling public".
At the meeting were representatives of: Barratts, Nantwich; Bassetts Coachways, Tittensor; Berresford's Motors, Cheddleton; Blue Bus Services; Byrne Bros., Leek; Greatrex, Stafford; Green Bus, Uttoxeter; Hollinshead, Kent Green; Jeffereys, Goldenhill; Lymers, Tean; Pooles Coachways, Alsagers Bank; PMT; Proctors, Hanley; Salopia, Whitchurch; Stevensons, Uttoxeter; Stoniers, Goldenhill; Thomsons Tours, Trentham; E. G. Walker, Hanley.
Officials of the action group are: G. M. Newberry (chairman), Mrs. M. M. Thomson (vice chairman), J. A. Berresford (secretary).
Members of the Southern England action coordinating committee are: P. Scully (chairman), Aldershot and District Traction Co. Ltd.; A. I. Evans (secretary), Aldershot and District Traction Co. Ltd.; G. C. Warren, Altonian Coaches Ltd.; J. D. Whitehead, E. Byng and Sons Ltd., Portsmouth; C. Cowdrey, Priory Coaches, Gosport, and Coliseum Coaches, Soton; L. S. Higgins, City of Oxford Motor Services Ltd.; R. Belgrove, Red Rover Omnibus Ltd.; A. E. Smith, Smiths Luxury Coaches (Reading) Ltd.: A. W. Moore, A. Moore and Sons (Windsor) Ltd.
Members of the action committees-Hants and Surrey Borders: G. C. Warren (chairman), Altonian Coaches Ltd.; A. I. Evans (secretary), Aldershot and District Traction Co. Ltd.; A. C. Warren (treasurer), Altonian Coaches Ltd.; R. B. Richmond, H. R. Richmond Ltd., Epsom; Charles G. Martin, Basingstoke and District Coaches Ltd.; R. E. Gale, Gales Coaches (Haslemere) Ltd.; C. C. Hutchinson, Whites Coaches of Camberley Ltd.
South Hants and Isle of Wight: J. D. Whitehead (chairman), E. Byng and Some Ltd., Portsmouth; C. Cowdrey (secretary), Priory Coaches, Gosport and Coliseum Coaches, Soton; A. Clarke (treasurer), Moss Motor Tours (Sandown, I. of W.) Ltd.; V. Maitland, Excelsior European Motorways Ltd.;
D. C. Sununerbee, Jennings Coaches Ltd., Hythe.
Berks, Bucks and Oxon: L. S. Higgins (chairman), City of Oxford Motor Services Ltd.; R_ Belgrove (secretary), Red Rover Omnibus Ltd.; D. J. Woods (treasurer), Carterton Coaches Ltd.; B. A. E. Higgins, Marston Coaches (Oxford) Ltd.; Tom Tappin, Tom Tappin Ltd.; H. N. Crapper, H. Crapper and Son Ltd.; R. E. Worth, Worth's Motor Services Ltd.; D. S. Busfield, Backs Coaches (Witney) Ltd.: M. Smith, Smiths Luxury Coaches (Reading) Ltd.
Upper Thames: A. E. Smith, Smiths Luxury Coaches (Reading) Ltd.; A. W. Moore, A. Moore and Sons (Windsor) Ltd.; J. L. Wingrove, Jack Wingrove Ltd.; A. G. Hedges, Reliance Motor Services (Newbury) Ltd.; R. A. Spiers, Spiers of Henley-on-Thames; P. C. Carter, Carters of Maidenhead, Berks; A. C. Jeffries, Jeffways and Pilot Coaches Ltd.; W. Smith, Smiths Coaches, Woburn Green.
REAR-ENGINED SWINDON SWINDON CORPORATION transport committee recommends acceptance of the tender of Daimler Transport Vehicles Ltd. for the supply of five Daimler Fleetline rear-engineL doubledeck bus chassis at a total cost oft 18,260. These will be the first rear-engined double-deckers to join the Swindon fleet.