BIRKENHEAD'S VIEW ON CO-ORDINATION
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PROLONGED discussion on the question of co-ordinating passenger transport on Merseyside took place at a special meeting of Birkenhead Town Council, last week. Mr. G. S. Prentice, leader of the council, said he intended to move that the council was not in favour of engaging an expert to make a report on such a scheme. It was not, he said, going to risk sacrificing any part of its profitable bus service by amalgamation or otherwise. A report by experts was almost bound to suggest a big amalgamation scherne in which Birkenhead's undertaking would be swallowed up, Birkenhead was, at present, negotiating with the Mersey Tunnel Joint Committee with a view to avoiding the loss on two ferry services, and there was a possibility, if experts were called in, of that subject being involved in a Parliamentary Bill and that, therefore, the chance of Birkenhead's receiving any compensation for these services would be removed. It opposed such a scheme not only on local grounds, but because it was unnecessary and undesirable.
Mr. A. W. Baker said he thought the members should agree to having a report by experts, as the matter would still have to come before the council. Its representatives should tell the Merseyside Co-ordination Committee frankly and plainly the councirs'yiew, and let it see that the council intended to fight any scheme which would he likely to deprive it of the bus services.
Alderman G. A. Sally said that so far as he could see the only corporate body which stood to lose anything was Birkenhead. In the transport department they had a very large income'producing concern which they did not want to lose, but if they Were to lose it they should get compensation. They had already lost the ferries and received no compensation.
After further discussion, approval was unanimously given to a proposal by Alderman Sony that the council could not commit itself to the idea, but that the matter be further considered after the meeting of the Merseyside Co-ordination Committee on April 26, when the Birkenhead representatives would place the council's case before the committee.