25 Years of Municipal Transport T HE Loud Provost of Glasgow,
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Mr. P. J. Dollan, J.P., in his address to the Scottish Road Passenger Transport Association, said that in his 25 years' association with the Glasgow Transport Committee and his connection with other transport undertakings, he had found a remarkable fellowship. When discussing transport, he had discovered that ler undaries--political or economic —between municipal and privatecompany service disappear, all feel that they are engaged equally in a common service.
Many proposals once regarded as fantastic have become commonplace. We are only at the beginning of real efficiency, he said, and the next 25 years will witness even more remarkable changes.
ble was glad to learn that the grmral manager at Glasgow did not think that the tram had come to the end of its usefulness. It is wrong for anyone to say that the tram, bus Cr any other form of transport is at its end, because constant improvements are taking place. Instead of thinking of the bus and tram as competing vehicles, they should he considered as comp]ementary.
Transport workers. have made more progress in the standard of living than any other section of the community. With this improvement has come one in the relations between management and men. The more the men know
about an undertaking and the difficulties of management, the easier it will be to maintain those cordial relations essential to good service.
Mr. Dollan feels that there should not be a difference between the standards of municipal and private undertakings. It is good that the experience of both should be brought together in the regulation of wages and conditions. Strained relations between employees and management are often due to misunderstanding. There should be more education of the rank and file, in the belief that they are all fair-minded people.
The public will probably find that, in the years to come, as the standard of travelling comfort improves, they will naturally be asked to contribute a little more to the maintenance of public-service vehicles than they are doing now.
He believes that the Road Traffic Act, 1930, was a big mistake, being influenced by London conditions. The Ministry of Transport thought that what was good for London would be good for the rest of the country.
He contends that it is ridiculous that Traffic Commissioners should tell important local authorities what they are to do in respect of fares and services. This is an absurd interference with the rights of local government, which he feels entirely unjustifiable, The Act should be revised