Northern Transport Battle Re-opens
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ANOTHER stage in the battle for the nationalization of passenger road transport has been commenced by the British Transport Commission's issuing a precis of the proposed passenger road transport scheme for the Northern Area of England, covering Northumberland and Durham and most of the North Riding of Yorkshire.
This is described as a further step in the process of consultation required by the Transport Act. The precis is being circulated to local authorities and to any other providers of services who are likely to be affected.
If the scheme be approved, and following the procedure laid down in the Act, the passenger undertakings of six local authorities, one joint board and 130 other operators will be transferred to the Commission. The precis lists not onlythose undertakings affected, but certain services provided by undertakings not to be transferred and which will bel permitted to continue.
Administration of the scheme will be by a body to be called The Northern Area Passenger Road Transport Board, which will act as agent for the Commission. This Board will consist of a permanent chairman and ordinary members on part-time service. It is to be a corporate body with perpetual succession. Its general duty will be to operate " adequate " road services and to permit the co-ordination of road and rail passenger services in the area. It will be required to carry out any general policy that may be laid down for • the country as 'a whole or otherwise.
To promote decentralization, the area is to be divided into three districts, further sub-divided as necessary; the whole to be in the charge of a general manager.
The Area Board will be given discretion to grant conditional permits to " free " services.
The scheme should be vigorously opposed by every municipal and private operator who believes, as we do, that no good object will be served by removing the stimulus of competition and local enterprise from a most successful and appreciated passenger-transport service. Neither the public nor the Nation as a whole will benefit by this politically biased worship of "an idol with feet of clay."