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Stabilizing Force
Page 31
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BARRING accidents, nothing will stop the Transport Bill from taking on its final legislative form within the next few months. Whatever their feelings may be, all the interests concerned must now reconcile themselves to living in the same world as the fledgling Act of Parliament.
The reaction most significant for good or ill will be that of the customer. It is worthwhile, even at this stage, to give some thought to what trade and industry are likely to think and do particularly during the period when the transport units are being sold.
Leading transport users have already criticized the Government's methods as slipshod and over-rapid. One can understand their fear that the sudden break-up of the Road Haulage Executive will result in a widespread dislocation of traffic arrangements. They have learned, partly through bitter experience and partly as a result of consultations astutely sponsored by the British Transport Commission, to make allowances for the defects and to appreciate the advantages of nationalized transport. No sooner have they adapted themselves than the Government introduces further drastic changes in the environment. What can these changes bring but confusion, at least at the outset?
One permanent result of the upheaval caused by the Transport Act, 1947, was the acceleration in the rise in the number of C-licence holders. There was no political flavour about this increase. It was the natural reaction of trade and industry to the gap left by the suppression over a wide field of the type and standard of service given by the operators who lost their businesses.
There would be no justification for blaming traders who put more C-licensed vehicles on the road because they find de-nationalization no better than what it supersedes. Their action would no doubt be regarded as a little unfriendly by the Government, who hope their present Bill will check the growth in the number of C licences. But in a democracy people are not compelled to act in the way their Governments desire. It is up to the Governments so to arrange matters that the public will want to play the part assigned to it.
Priming the Opposition From the long-term point of view, it would certainly be unwise for traders to put a large number of new vehicles on the roads during 1953. Such a development would provide just the argument the Socialists need to condemn de-nationalization. Worse still, once they returned to power they would seize upon the increase as a pretext to introduce restrictions on the C-licenc3 holder, thus making sure that trade and industry would have no easy remedy for the dislocation caused by the restoration of State ownership of road haulage.
Anxious users of transport are not likely to look as far ahead as this. They are much more worried about what may happen in the 'near future. Until proved groundless, their fears will influence their actions.
There is no reason to suppose that the sale of transport units will cause any great dislocation. To a large extent, ownership or management of the new businesses will fall into the hands of people well versed in transport. Their plans will have been laid in advance and they should be able to take the transfer in their stride. That this should be so is not enough. The public must be persuaded to acknowledge the fact. It must become an article of faith to trade and industry, and the time is not too soon for the necessary reassurances to be given. The task must be shared between the Government and the hauliers. No help in putting the case can be expected from the Opposition or even from the B.T.C.
Hauliers at present in business are not able to stretch their promises as far as trade and industry would like. The questionnaire circulated by the Road Haulage Association among members, and to a limited extent among ex-members, produced, according to reports, something over 2,000 replies from people willing to buy transport units comprising approximately 10,000 vehicles, less than a third of the number that will be available.
If called upon, members of the Association would be able to carry some extra traffic, but could by no means guarantee a complete service. Many of their vehicles are unsuitable for economic operation on long-distance routes; established customers would inevitably be given preference; and the 25-mile limit would have to be abolished at once instead of at the end of 1954.
Buyers from Outside Other purchasers of transport units will come from outside the industry or from inside the R.H.E. Few of them will be completely ignorant of transport matters, and there is no reason why they should not be able to conduct their businesses successfully. The task remains of persuading traders that the risk they run is negligible, and the task will have to be undertaken very soon.
The need is urgent for prospective buyers of units to get together. The obvious medium is the R.H.A., which has a strong national organization already in being, and would find no difficulty in setting up a shadow organization for hauliers yet to be. A temporary section, or functional group, would have to be formed. Existing members would be entitled to join the group, and outsiders would become members of the group on payment of an appropriate subscription.
The group would play no part in the internal affairs of the Association, but co-existence is obviously to be preferred to the setting-up of a completely separate body. Many five-year-old barriers would have to be broken down and ancient grudges buried. This process will take place in any event after the transport units have been sold, and it is sometimes a good thing to anticipate the inevitable.
It is improbable that there will be complete accord among the intending purchasers even if they could be persuaded to join a suitable organization. They will be inclined to secrecy about their own plans and suspicious of one another. On the other hand, they may be able to solve many of their difficulties by discussing them with other people in like case.
Once established, the shadow group would provide a powerful means for reassuring trade, industry and the public. Its announcements would command respect. It would be able to issue facts and figures giving the com plete picture. In short, it would be the necessary stabilizing force that would encourage traders to wait in patience for the Government's plans to take effect.