New Transport Bill for the Commons
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Private Member Seeks to Amend Transport Act : Second Reading in House of Lords
THE Transport (Amendment) Bill has been introduced into the House of Commons by Mr. J. R. Bevins, Conservative Member for Toxteth, who was one of the 20 M.Ps successful in the ballot to introduce private members' BM. This measure will now receive its second reading on February 23, having been laid on the table of the House last Friday.
Speaking at Torquay, last Friday, Mr. Frank F. Fowler, national chairman of the Road Haulage Association, said that the Bill in the House of Lords, which received its second reading on Tuesday, was due for third reading on December 5.
Lord Teynham moved the second reading of the Bill in the House of Lords. It seeks, among other things. to increase the free haulier's fadius to 60 rhiles, to place the control of permits in the hands of the Licensing Authorities and to subject the British Transport Comm:ssion to licensing.
Motion Carried The motion was carried, against the Government, by 65 votes to 32.
Lord Teynham said the Bill was not an attempt to overturn the basis of the 1947 Act. It was intended to remedy certain defects which had become apparent during the working of the Act. It provided that competition between the nationalized industry and privately owned haulage companies should be on a fair basis.
It was clear, he said, that it was the intention under the .1947 Act that longdistance haulage should be transferred to the B.T.C., and that private hauliers should handle short-distance work. A large amount of short-distance haulage had passeJ into the hands of the Commission—far more than had been intended when the Act was passed.
The Bill would ensure that the Licensing Authority would be in a position to determine whether in the public interest it would be beneficial for more vehicles owned by the Commission or independent hauliers to be placed upon the roads.
Driven Out of BuAness
Large numbers of Aand 13-licence holders were being driven out of business because of the small radius allowed to them, and were prevented from meeting the requirements of their customers in a proper manner.
"If the Government did not want fair competition and wanted the private haulier out of business, it would have been far better and more honest if they had said so when they introduced the principal Act. This Bill is an honest attempt to provide a basis on which a nationalized industry and independent hauliers will be able to co-operate to provide an efficient service for the public."
Lord Rea: supporting the Bill, for the Liberal Peers, said "We are opposed to the bolstering up of any crippled industry, nationalized or otherwise, by placing the whole burden upon one single section of the community because its prosperity lies in the future. This savours too•muchof confiscation." • A32
Lord Lucas of Chilworth, Parliamentary Secretary, to the Ministry of Transport replied: "I ask you to reject this Bill completely and utterly because it completely wrecks the Transport Act of 1947. This Bill is impossible of operation while the 1947 Act appears on the Statute Book and it jettisons the interests of the taxpayer in favour of sectional interests.
Commenting that there were at present 19,000 A-licensees with 57,000 vehicles and nearly 32,000 B-licensees with 62,000 vehicles, Lord Lucas said; "So 51,000 operators with 119,000 vehicles would be able to compete up to 60 miles with the British Transport Commission's fleet of 40,000 vehicles in a monopoly for which the Britisti taxpayer has guaranteed over £70 m."
NEW R.H.E. PLANS FOR BRISTOL
TW0 new transport centres, covering about eight acres, and extensive devehtment of three existing ones, were among the plans for the Bristol area revealed last week by Mr. G. Smart, district manager of the Road Haulage Executive. Vehicles and maintenance facilities were to be concentrated in the five centres, and the new scheme was expected to be in operation in about eight months.
The number of depots in the area had been reduced from 148 to 38, said Mr. Smart, and in Bristol from 48 to 14. The area, covering four counties. was served by 1,700 vehicles and 2,500 employees, more than half based at Bristol. In the past 12 months. vehicles had covered 20 m. miles, and earned about. in. from freight charges. About 11 rn, tons was handled annually.
" 10-MINUTE " BILL ON TAXIS
SEEKING to amend the law so as to require a taxi-driver to stop when hailed, Mr. H. W. Butcher, National Liberal M.P., introduced a Bill under the " 10-minute" rule in the House of Commons on Tuesday. It passed its first reading by 201 votes to 197.
His motion related to the Hackney Carriages (London) Bill.
W. H. SMITH CASE IN LORDS 'THE appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal in the case of W. H. Smith, of Buntingford, versus the London Transport Executive. was heard in the Hoase of Lords Ihst Wednesday. It will be reported next week.