IMPACT ON ROAD TRANSPORT OF PLAN FOR THE SOUTH-EAST
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FROM OUR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT
ONE of the most impressive discoveries to emerge from the massive study of south-east England, published last week, is the fact that British Railways could increase the total of peak-hour passengers they carry into Central London by about 450,000 if necessary.
Changes. might involve some reversal of the declining role which buses have played in the last decade, when their share of passengers carried to the central area slumped by 25 per cent—a fact which, says the report, reflected a growing disinclination to use buses as road congestion .slowed up journey times, plus the commuters' increasing habit of living farther afield.
. It might. be necessary to cut some railway stopping services; perhaps. even to close certain inner suburban stations on the .critical„ approaches to 'London termini, -and, to reduce. the choice. of terminus available to passengers. On par
ticular routes.
Although the report does not say, so, this would almost certainly bring a bonus for -bus business, not only in carrying more short-journey passengers all the way, but also in carrying passengers who formerly used closed-down stations to others reasonably close by.
The survey estimates that there will be 200,000 more commuters pressing their way into London in 1971 compared with 1961.
The sharp increase in car commuting over the, past decade is not likely to be repeated. "Public transport will have to take the lion's share of the big increases to come."
The increases are likely to happen despite the drastic measures proposed by the report, and accepted in principle by the Government, which include the creation of three new cities and the expansion of 18 other places lying outside the London conurbation.
These would siphon off' well over 1,000,000 of the expected 3,500,000 population increase in the south-cast by 1981 and set up rival attractions for new office and other commercial development.
Whether this commuter increase of 200,000 by 1971 builds up to MP railways' possible extra capacity of 450,000 depends on the success of the measures to be taken. The Government will probably aim at half-way house, requiring the railways and -buses to recast their services considerably, but not to the extent of £100m. of capital works.
Roads are all-important to the proposed new cities. The one *posed for the Southampton-Portsmouth area would almost Certainly 'hustle Up the need for a. motorway.. to the Midlands—and 'for' serious Consideration of Rochdale :s claim that Southampton should become a major cargo port. The city near NeWbUry would lie close to the 'intersection. -of a 'Southampton motorway and theM4 tothe West, and the third•near Bletehley would tie in with the MI and the newlyelectrified'raibaray
to the north-west. •
The report pars handsome acknoWledgement to the 'pre-eminent need for road communication where new communities are developed. It say-sprimary importance attaches to . road links,because experience in new towns Shows that these
are what employers look for first. "
But it adds: ." gait, may -have a bigger part to play if the new forms of goods services now being developed prove to be attractive."
The Government has not immediately accepted any of the detailed suggestions for new towns and extensions, but discussion will soon take place to see how far local authories are prepared .to co-operate.