Can Publicity be Improved?
Page 53
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JDO not think that your leader of October 10, "Road "` Transport's Weakness," should be allowed to escape without a protest on behalf of our affiliated member companies operating some 12,000 vehicles. Your leader says, in effect, that the public relations of London Transport are very good and everyone else's very bad.
In the first place, I think it is rather unfortunate that the term "public relations" has been taken to include traffic advertisements, for the majority of the ppsters exhibited by the L.T.E. in tube stations, etc.,. to which you particularly refer in your, leader, come into this category. In this, the field of traffic advertisements and general publicity, I should be much surprised if any of our affiliated companies was prepared to admit that it in any sense lagged behind London Transport, however praiseworthy the latter may be considered to be. Com parisons of this nature are always odious, and in this case necessarily illogical The sort of advertisement to which you refer and which may be successful in London might well be wholly out of place in south Yorkshire, with its much more " down-to-earth " psychology. The converse is equally correct.
I gather, however, that the real burden of your criticism is directed against "public relations" in the generally accepted sense. Such activities cover a wide field, and are primarily undertaken to ensure the retention or creation of the maximum goodwill of the public. They may be positive, that is to say, by announcing something which is of benefit to the passengers, or negative, by giving the fullest explanation of the necessity of introducing something unpleasant.
In this sense it is largely true to say that the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and I venture to assert categorically that the relations of our affiliated companies with the general public are very good indeed.
The fact that individual companies, even pro rata, do not employ a full-time public relations staff on the scale of London Transport (which, I am told, has no fewer than 80), and that members of the public do not receive from provincial companies letters written over the signature of "A. N. Other, Public Relations .Officer," must not be taken to indicate that this important work is neglected. On the contrary, it has for long been recognized that good public relations are of the greatest importance, and are given high priority at management level. Indeed, it is the almost invariable practice for the reply to any letter of complaint to be signed by the general manager himself, or, in his absence, the traffic manager. The only exception to this procedure of which I am aware, is in the case of one company, where, as a matter of routine, an 'inspector is sent personally to interview the maker of any complaint.
You rightly lay particular emphasis on the importance of explaining to the public the need for increases in fares. This is, of course, a comparatively new • burden, for until about 1950, stage-carriage fares„ apart . from minor adjustments, had remained unaltered since buses first started. Since then, however, every applica tion for higher fares, necessitated by increases in fuel tax, wage awards and rising costs generally, has, almost without exception, been preceded by the most elaborate arrangements to inform the public in the fullest possible manner of the reasons for the application being made.
It has been an important function of this Committee to advise and assist in this important work, and the services of a full-time Press Officer are always available to member companies.
It would, of course, have been a miracle had all applications gone through without criticism, but I have no hesitation in saying that over the whole field of such applications, the great mass of the general public, having had the reasons explained to them fully and frankly, have accepted them as an unpleasant necessity. When I say that in this respect our companies have been a good deal more fortunate than London Transport, I am in no sense suggesting a criticism of that undertaking (the problems of which are its own), but merely asserting that we do not for a moment accept the implications to the contrary set out in your leader.
PETER YORKE, National Director, The British Omnibus Companies' Public Relations Committee. London, W.I.
Menace of No Signals
WHILE motoring recently in Sussex, I was the victim " of an accident in which a large boxvan was involved. An important contributory factor to the affair was the inability of the driver, who was unaccompanied, to give a visible signal at the near side of the vehicle of his intentions, this not being equipped with either signal arms or rear arrow indicators. There was not even a stop light.
In my opinion such vehicles, and there are many of them, are a menace unless they be properly equipped. They are no more roadworthy than those with faulty bakes.
AGGRIEVED.
London, E.C.I.
[We have obtained more details of the accident referred to by our correspondent. It seems that he was travelling close to the near side on a wide road when the van in question, which was a little distance in front, swerved over to the right traffic lane and then turned left towards an entrance at the near side. In doing so, it caught the front of " Aggrieved's " vehicle, driving it over the grass verge. This type of van, which is part of the [I.R.S. fleet, normally carries an attendant, but in this case the vehicle was unladen and the attendant absent. As a precautionary measure, however, a rear-view mirror is fitted at each side and it seems that the driver should have been able to see if the road was clear.—Eu.]
Driver Writes Over 400 Letters
("IAN you tell me why it is apparently impossible for ‘–onie to obtain a position as a driver? After having been in regular employment for 17 years, driving on journey work, etc., I find, now that I am unemployed, that it is very hard to obtain a job.
It seems that British Road Services have stopped recruiting drivers and I have written over 400 letters to free-enterprise hauliers during the past month. There have been plenty of replies to these, but always the same answer: "We will file your letter." Perhaps some of your haulier readers will be able to let me have the answer.
London, W.6. J. E. BULLOCK.