Minister Gives Go-ahead on Liner
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Trains From Our Parliamentary Correspondent FHE Minister of Transport this week gave the go-ahead to liner trains— in the basis that their terminals would se open to all road hauliers. But when le announced this in the Commons, he :ould give no guarantee that the terninals would, in fact, be used by any .oad hauliers.
Mr. Fraser recalled that negotiations lad been proceeding for many months between the Railways Board and the National Union of Railwaymen over he introduction of these services. He 'rent on:
"Although it has not proved possible or them to reach agreement I have now decided that, in order not to further lelay this very promising new development. the Board must be free to go ahead on the basis that the liner-train terminals will be open to all road hauliers. I have therefore authorized the Board to incur the necessary capital expenditure to start these services."
Welcoming the news, Mr. Victor Cloodhew (Tory, St. Albans) asked for an assurance that private road hauliers would be allowed to operate with the liner trains. Mr. Fraser told him that he had given his approval on the basis of free terminals—but he could not give any assurance as to what would happen "at the end of the day ".
The Railways Board and the unions would no doubt have further discussions about the new situation, said Mr. Fraser.
From the Opposition Front Bench, Mr. Enoch Powell asked whether, if the terminals were not open to all, the Minister's consent would lapse. Mr. Fraser noted that his predecessor had given authority to the Railways Board for capital expenditure to introduce the first services on condition that there was agreement with the unions that the terminals should be open to all road hauliers.
Mr. Fraser forecast that it would be about six months before the first services came into operation.
Rural Bus Talk Results THE results of the rural bus inquiries and experiments started last year provided useful information which he would be publishing as soon as possible, said Mr. Fraser in the Commons this week. He proposed to discuss the results with associations, local authorities and bus operators.