Just More Talk ?
Page 21
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THIS week another major report is published on Britain's road system (see page 22); this time, through the Roads Campaign Council, it is the views of Professor E. Victor Morgan, of the Department of Economics, University College, Swansea. One sobering fact from his report: road expenditure in real terms is only just getting back to the level of the early 1930s.
Another important matter Professor Morgan pinpoints is that it is always assumed that the roads are largely needed for private motorists' vehicles. In point of fact 60 per cent of all goods moved in the United Kingdom move by road. Cars and taxis travelled 54m. miles in 1963 and goods vehicles 21m. miles.
Recognizing that decisions about building roads must largely be political ones, Professor Morgan says that it will nevertheless be intolerable if this country so mismanages its politics as to provide roads substantially less good than the public is prepared to pay for.
Because roads form part of the national capital, he argues cogently that their maintenance should be a charge on revenue of the Government, or any other body to which it might delegate its responsibility. He goes on to propose that a E7.1na. programme of road building should begin now, under a Government body with complete autonomy for all roads. In other words, he wants it taken out of the hit-andmiss methods of part-State, part-local government control. And rightly so.
What will happen about this report. which is another addition to the truly massive indictment of successive governments' total lack of understanding. Will it finally prove to be the lever that gets something moving? Or will it turn out to be another regrettable instance of "just more talk '"!