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A Year of Portent

31st December 1948
Page 27
Page 27, 31st December 1948 — A Year of Portent
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

TO-MORROW is the first day of a New Year, and one which finds two large and important sections of road transport awaiting their fates, whilst others are considerably perturbed at the conditions which may ensue as a result of the increasing pressure of nationalization.

According to the chairman of the Road Transport Executive, the total number of vehicles to be taken over by the Executive is approximately 40,000. Of these a not unimportant proportion, including certain which will deal with excluded traffics and others normally on short-distance work, will be in competition with those hauliers who will escape the full effects of State ownership either because they are already dealing with furniture removing, tank transport, etc., or are in the short-distance category.

For a time, until State transport gets into its stride, many operators will, no doubt, be able to obtain permits to carry beyond the 25-mile radius imposed by the Transport Act. It is impossible to prophesy when the issue of such permits or their life will cease. This might well be late in the year or even in 1950, for it is obvious that the Executive would not risk any serious dislocation of road traffic. It must be fully prepared to accept all loads offered and give a service which it would hope to be at least equivalent to that afforded by private enterprise.

Play Ancillary Cards Carefully During the coming year, also, C licensees must play their cards carefully and scrupulously avoid any illegal running. It would also be advisable for them to avoid, as much as possible, light and empty operation. It is obvious that the State machine, as it develops, may look with longing at at least a proportion of the loads which the ancillary user is carrying, particularly if it be found that the railways are not over-burdened with work or nationalized road transport is not paying its way. In either case, rates for carriage by road and, possibly by rail, would have to be increased, because it is one of the requirements of the Act that the British Transport Commission must pay its way, although not necessarily make a profit. For these and other reasons ancillary users must man their front in full force by joining their appropriate body, the Traders Road Transport Association, so that . they can speak with one voice. Many of them are, of course, already members of the British Road Federation through their respective trade organizations, although the personal contact in this case is rather more nebulous.

On the passenger side of the industry, matters are not so far advanced, but a commencement has already been made with the meeting last week, upon which we comment in our second leading article. The moves in this direction are, however, likely to be even more important than in haulage, for the reason that they will eventually cover almost the entire field, with the possible exception of certain sections of coaching, and even in the latter there may be competition between the State and private owners.

What of Passenger Transport?

So little was said about this side in the Transport Act that some people are inclined to believe that its implementing would be a matter of the far-distant future, but it will not do to accept this view as being fully justified. The members of the Board and its Executives have shown themselves to be active and pertinacious people, fully alive to the duties which they are expected to carry out under the Act. The General is gathering and grouping his forces with almost military precision, with the law as his armament, and the operators concerned, however much they may dislike the procedure, possess only the weapons of argument and public opinion.

On the manufacturing side of the industry conditions are much more favourable. The overseas markets seem capable of swallowing, at least during 1949, practically all the commercial vehicles that we can produce, and our main difficulty is to retain sufficient at home to meet only our most essential needs. The switching of new buses to London, thus robbing provincial centres of many vehicles ordered by them to meet their own urgent transports needs, and due for delivery, partly indicates the stress upon our home resources.


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