No comfort on fuel
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TRANSPORT Minister Norman Fowler still refuses to take Governmental action to ensure that bus companies have all the fuel they need — even though he believes that public transport can cash in on the petrol shortage.
"All consumers of energy must play their part in meeting the target of a five per cent reduction demand," he said in the Commons last week. "It should be possible for public service operators to contribute to this saving without essential services being affected."
Ron Lewis (Labour, Carlisle) said that Britain's need to cut oil consumption meant more people should use public transport. Yet both British Rail and the National Bus Company had had to withdraw services. The Government should see to it that the public sector got its essential fuel, he said, and he pressed the Minister to take immediate action. But Mr Fowler said the Government would not go for any form of direction or rationing. The energy shortage was a chance for public transport to win new passengers, he said.
Dudley Smith (Tory, Warwick and Leamington) urged Mr Fowler to resist suggestions that the speed limit should be reduced, for this would cause the maximum of inconvenience and the minimum of overall saving.
Mr Fowler agreed. The last time that this took place, he said, the police found extreme difficulty in enforcing the laws, which caused a great deal of confusion to the public. • This week, City of Cardiff Transport started a two-week cutback of its services to save diesel stocks.
All services are withdrawn between 7.30 and 9.30 each weekday evening, and between 8 am and 10 am and from 3 pm until 5 pm on Sundays.
A Saturday service is operated between 9 am and 7.30 pm on weekdays.
The neighbouring Taff Ely undertaking has withdrawn all of its Sunday services.