asignating and establishing e first PTAs
Page 47
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by Derek Moses
nder powers granted in section 9 (1) Transport Act 1968 and following the ary consultations described under of that section, Mr. Richard Marsh, er of Transport, recently made Deon Orders, as expected, for the first assenger Transport Areas.
the purposes of the Act the areas :.signated the Merseyside Passenger vrt Area, the South East Lancashire orth East Cheshire Passenger TranArea (SELNEC), the Tyneside Pas Transport Area and the West ads Passenger Transport Area. The t, which came into effect on February Statutory Instruments 1969 Nos. 94 -espectively, made on January 27 and aefore Parliament on February 7. ; can be obtained from Her Majesty's iery Office. price 2s each.
form of wording and the provisions own are very similar in the four .; an additional section (24) in the iside Order, referring to section 10 (1) of the Act, (which allows the Execu
■ carry passengers by any form of transport between any place Within iignated area to a place outside that limits the distance to 25 miles from arest point on the boundary of the
geographical area of each Passenger tort Area is in accordance with the published in CM November 8 1968, the local authorities included in the are as listed under Schedule I of each and as announced in CM July 12 with amendments described in the iber 8 issue.
from the appointed day (April 1 a Passenger Transport Authority will Wished for each area. These Authori: to consist of members appointed by al councils concerned, with represen as defined by the Minister in Schedule ach order. This consists of 25 mem it. the Merseyside Authority, 26 for -.7.C, 17 for Tyneside and 24 for the 4idlands.
terial appointments
Minister himself will appoint "such r of members not exceeding one-sixth aggregate number appointed under ragraph (a) of this paragraph ..." (as above). Such members will be "from persons appearing to him to have knowledge or experience which be of value to the Authority in the e of their functions" (Transport Act, Schedule 5, paragraph 1. sub-paragraph (b)).
Each Authority will be a body corporate by the name of the "Merseyside: South East Lancashire and North East Cheshire; Tyneside; and West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority", and will have perpetual succession and a common seal. In other words, the Authorities will be considered as local government bodies, especially under the terms of the Local Government Act of 1933 and succeeding Acts.
The clerks of the local councils or groups of councils entitled to elect members to the Authorities shall notify, in writing, the clerks of the Cities of Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham and of the City and County of Newcastle upon Tyne, as appropriate, the members they have appointed. If the nominations are made after the first annual meeting of the Authority, the secretary of that Authority has to be notified.
Notification of members
Meanwhile, the clerks of the above-mentioned cities have to notify, in writing, the clerks of the local authorities concerned, the members elected to represent those cities; they have also to notify the Minister, in writing, of all appointments made. Members elected by local councils may or may not, be members of those councils, but should a council member leave the council he must also leave the Authority, though he will remain eligible for re-election.
Any council places on an Authority, not filled within three months of the appointed day, or still vacant after three months have elapsed since the resignation of such a member without a replacement being appointed, may be filled by the Minister, after consultation with the appropriate councils.
Members appointed either locally or by the Minister will serve for the following periods: Merseyside; nine will retire in 1970, 10 in 1971 and the remainder in 1972. SELNEC; 10 in 1970, 10 in 1971 and the remainder in 1972. Tyneside; five in 1970, six in 1971 and the remainder in 1972. West Midlands; eight in 1970, nine in 1971 and the remainder in 1972. The retirement dates are May 31 in each year and retiring members are eligible for a further term of office.
Anyone elected to fill a vacancy will serve only until the term of office of the retired member expires. Appointment to the Executive formed to operate the PTA's services of a member of the Authority disqualifies that member from further ser vice on the Authority.
As soon as is practicable after April 1, a meeting of members of each Authority is to be convened where, in the presence of the Lord Mayor of the major city concerned, a chairman of the authority will be appointed. The Lord Mayor may, if necessary, send a deputy to this meeting but the deputy will hold no voting rights.
A notice shall be displayed in what are considered the appropriate local papers announcing the establishment of the new Authority as soon as is practicable. The Authorities may appoint a secretary and any other officials they consider necessary.