B.T.C.'s Duties Thrown Over WHEN the Transport Act was passed.
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Vir the British Transport Commission was supposed to be a body which would provide a responsible organization to consider all claims for licences on a judicial basis, whilst bearing in mind that the public should have proper facilities, said Mr. Victor Raikes, M.P., at a meeting held in Liverpool last week
by the Road Haulage Association In practice, the B.T.C. had thrown over al! its responsibilities to the Road Haulage Executive. which decided how far it should destroy any form of competition.
Although the C-licence holder was safe at the moment, it was only by pressure from the Opposition that he was exempted from control and, judging by what was happening to-day, control might well be his fate if he remained silent. The Government might say that the wicked Opposition wished to support the hauliers only because it wanted to make transport nationalization a failure. What a confession of weakness to say solemnly that sinless road haulage were nationalized, the railways could not be successful.
The Transport (Amendment) Bill would go through the House of Lords before-Christmas. A private member's Bill could be introduced in the House of Commons on practically identical lines at the beginning of next year and this the Opposition intended to do.
Its interim policy was to demand on every platform that permits now due to be revoked should not be revoked. The long-term policy must ensure that not only the men whose licences were being revoked should be saved; but that road haulage men who were prepared to serve the community should be welcome to come back into the industry