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WHAT ABOUT THE IACH OPERATORS?

23rd September 1977
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Page 82, 23rd September 1977 — WHAT ABOUT THE IACH OPERATORS?
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AN ATTACK on the attitude on the Common Market Transport Ministers was made at the annual conference of the Confederation of British Road Passenger Transport at Brighton.

John Birch, CPT president, complained that "the passenger's needs are subordinated because Ministers and transport officials in other countries persist in concentrating exclusively upon the problems of goods transport". He reiterated the Confederation's fear of the introduction of the EEC drivers' hours regulations.

Mr Birch thanked William Rodgers, Secretary of State for Transport, for trying to preserve Britain from "the worst ravages of this wholly misguided EEC Regulation."

But, said Mr Birch, we now seemed unlikely to achieve anything more than deferment of the regulation.

"To CPT, deferment is no more than a stay of execution," he declared.

The president, turning to the Government's White Paper on transport policy, was glad that it recognised the importance of the industry but was less than enthusiastic about the degree of positive help it offered to urban bus operators.

He said he supported the Government's "new charter" in respect of rural transport with its experiments to find ways of improved travel opportunity for country people. The Confederation was, however, greatly concerned that legislation would be changed before enough time had elapsed for a full evaluation of these experiments.

He hoped that the Government would not be rushed into irresponsible action as the CPT would then have no alternative but to "resist any such underprepared changes in the law".

Mr Birch then welcomed William Rodgers, whom he referred to as "receptive and approachable".

Mr Rodgers said the new Department of Transport was ''a mere stripling" when compared with the Confederation whose third annual conference this was.

He said he had looked again at the Confederation's comments on the Governments' April consultation document and recalled his meeting with the Confederation in the period leading up to the White Paper.

He considered that the Government and the Confederation had basically the same viewpoint. it was this, even more than the many decisions and proposals in the White Paper that favour public transport; that should encourage Confederation members.

Mr Rodgers said this showed that the Confederation did its job for road passenger transport and that delegates' energies and professional skills could now be directed to improving their service to the travelling public "instead of having to divert them to the business of convincing me, my Department or other organisations of your role in transport policy".

It was often thought that politicians had fixed ideas to which they dogmatically clung, but in his experience this was not true as they were constantly examining new situations and problems and were prepared to be persuaded by what they learned.

He added that — "speaking with a genuine sense of personal responsibility" — the White Paper was unashamedly pro-bus. When times were hardest social needs were greatest and therefore had to come first.

It was because of this vital role in meeting social needs of elderly and car-less families that the White Paper also allocated £25 million to concessionary fares.

It was tragic that at present 10 per cent of all elderly people were ineligible for any travel concession. The extra money he had allocated was sufficient to remedy that injustice and in his view any local authority which did not take advantage of this charge could justifiably be called "mean-. This was an area in which, despite current

tough pressures on expenditures, local authorities could be more generous.

The bus industry, he said, had wide social and economic purposes to achieve. "To a large extent, on transport questions, Governments can propose, encourage, legislate: they cannot dispose, decide and act. This is as it should be.

"Whitehall cannot lay down which bus should run and what fares should be charged. Many aspects of transport policy are properly a matter for local democratic choice. And much will depend on the efficiency and dedication of operators and their workforce."

The future of the bus industry, he continued, depended on three groups. "First, county councils. If they choose to spend the extra resources for local transport which the White Paper has allocated to them, on road maintenance or capital expenditure, bus services will not get the help they need.

"It is not the job of a Secretary of State to command local authorities to spend money in particular ways. But where a county council fails to promote an adequate system of public transport in its area, we all have a duty to make the facts plain to the local electorate.

"Even though services do and will need to be subsidised," he said, "management must be constantly looking at the pattern of services — so as to find better and more economical ways of doing the job." He believed that the bus industry was generally fortunate in its quality of management and the generation of management coming forward.

The employees comprised the third group. "The White Paper recognised a constructive role for the unions in planning and operating public transport, and I hope that this will be taken up by both sides of the industry."

Although all those working in the industry had a right to a decent standard of living, if some of the wage claims in certain PTEs were conceded and became general throughout the industry, not only would national hopes of beating inflation be dashed but the permanent damage to the industry would far outweigh the benefits from the White Paper.

The Minister also dealt with the implementation of the White Paper in the areas of immediate concern to the Confederation. He attached particular importance to the proposals giving county councils a duty to publish a public transport plan, and of the need of local planning to relate to the resources available to the needs to be met.

Mr Rodgers wanted to build on these arrangements to establish a clear focus of responsibility for planning public transport services. He was, however, anxious that counties developed a form of consultation machinery to cover all transport operations so that all levels of expertise and local knowledge were used to advantage.

When counties proposed to give financial support to public transport operators they should enter into contractual agreements with operators to give some guarantee of financial support for three years ahead, he said.

He proposed to amend the licensing criteria so that Traffic Commissioners would formally be required in making decisions to have regard to local counties' plans. He added that to have regard to them did not necessarily mean to accept them in every case.

He outlined the way he had approached the psv licensing system. He considered it nonsense for the system to be scrapped although changes in it to help rural bus developments such as the Norfolk village bus scheme might be made. All amateur bus services would have to comply with all the safety standards of the psv although not with the comfort standards.

Car-sharing is the second change in the law that Mr Rodgers spoke about. He said that his main intention here was "to get rid of the completely unenforceable provision which at the moment has the effect that anyone who regularly gives a neighbour a lift and accepts a small contribution towards the cost of his petrol is breaking the law."

He was looking to simplify licensing systems by reducing the burden of area traffic officers, making life a little easier for both operators and offices but not changing the effects of the law. He was concerned at the amount of work involving disputes between operators over excursions and tours and was considering removing those inclusive tours including an overnight stop from the licensing system. His package of measures should make it easier for people to get about and cut out some unnecessary work all round, Firstly, Mr Rodgers confirmed the continuation of the new bus grant until 1980 / 81 and the redefinition of stage carriage services from those with a minimum fare of llp to those with a minimum fare of 21p.

Robert Brook, chief executive of the National Bus Company, then started discussions on the Minister's speech and the White Paper.

Mr Brook, who greeted the Paper with "modified enthusiasm", was however surprised that Mr Rodgers made no mention of drivers' hours; any change in them, he said, was difficult to reconcile with the paper. Mr Brook also spoke of financial and value for money differences of the NBC over some other operators' and their relationship to county council attitudes. He welcomed the strengthening of consultation and forward planning machinery between councils and operators, Ron Whittle, for the independent operators, said that, because of omissions, the White

Paper contained little comfort for independents. -Mr Whittle also stressed that the EEC regulations would cause considerable damage to all services.

The White Paper, he said, ignored essential express and contract services used for work and school journeys. Equitable treatment was needed for operators who provided such services.

London Transport chief executive Ralph Bennet wahted more bus priority measures to relieve traffic congestion. Mr Bennett attacked the EEC drivers' hours regulation and suggested that a .degree of licensing power such as that held by London Transport should be extended to all PTEs.

Ian Cunningham, general manager of Bournemouth Transport, was dismayed by proposals to phase out bus grant and any changes in the licensing laws. He supported the role of Traffic Commissioners, even in the Metropolitan areas. From Scotland R. Abercrombie compared road and rail services and attacked British Rail's special cheap fares policy; not only did they lose the railways money but they also hit coach operators on the same routes.

Fuel tax rebates which applied to buses should be extended to express and essential contract services, he said.

Open discussion then continued, and delegates from all sectors of the industry spoke of their own fears regarding Regulation 543/69.

G. M. Newberry of National Bus raised an interesting point by suggesting that his organisation in fact was not subsidised by the Government as money received in support of services was less than tax paid to the Government.

G. Hutchinson of Tyne and Wear PTE spoke of the differences of co-ordinates in PTE areas rather than integration of services as originally envisaged.

G. Carruthers of National Bus said that hours regulation were not the only problem from the EEC on the horizon and that tachographs and VAT were also looming.

G. Hilditch of Leicester City Transport suggested that planners in local government should have proven interest and expertise in local transport.

Proposals to abolish extended tours licences worried J. Berrisford of CIBS.

Mr Rodgers then answered the points. He said that because of the conditions of the Treaty of Rome there was now no chance that the drivers' hours regulation would not become law. However, he was trying to get a transitional period to relieve the effect of the regulation.

Mr Rodgers acknowledged the importance of independent coaches. Mr Hilditch's question, he said, raised fundamental issues of local government.

Mr Birch concluded that while he felt the Secretary of State's proposals were very worth while he was disappointed that no more than a deferment regarding the hours regulation could be hoped for.

The afternoon session consisted of an interesting and lively audio-visual session on the "American Scene" presented by E. W. A. Butcher of Transport and Management Services Ltd, the consultancy division of BET.

"Police and the psv" was the subject of a paper presented by R. H. Barton, Assistant Chief Constable, Operations, of the Sussex Police.

Mr Barton, assisted by Superintendent Mike Mills, outlined the problems of the police and of bus and coach operators in regard to the law and its enforcement.

Lively discussion followed the paper. Brighton borough transport general manager R. F. Clark said closer liaison was needed between police and DTp vehicle examiners to clear vehicles involved in accidents.

The police were liaising with the Traffic Commissioners on the problem, said Supt Discussion ranged from vandalism to bus lanes and the siting of bus stops. County Councillor Mrs H. Bennett, who is also a magistrate in Greater Manchester, wanted to see harsher penalties introduced to punish vandals. Mr Barton, who said he was giving his personal opinion, agreed that bus lanes should be in operation 24 hours. Enforcing bus lane operation at certain times was frustrating to drivers and police officers. Logically, all classes of psv should be allowed to use bus lanes.

There were delays in bringinc, vandals to court, he agreed, and there were problems ir obtaining suitable radio fre. quencies for bus operators. HE sympathised with operators over problems often common tc both operators and police.

But he did not approve of s suggestion that uniformed poli ce officers should ride on buses free of charge. While he wal 'aware of the deterrent effect o the uniform he felt that receivinc. free travel suggested somethiric. for nothing — and this wa incompatible with the policE officer's duty.

The conference then drew tc a close for all but socia business. In the afternoon s coach study tour to Gatwicl Airport for delegates and thei wives was followed by dancinc. at Brighton's Metropole Hotel.


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