Branch-line Policy Justified, says Central Committee,
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THERE is no justification for maintaining a railway I branch line because either the goods or the passenger service on it pays its way whilst the other loses money. This observation is contained in the 1952 Report of the Central, Transport Consultative Committee for Great Britain.
The committee were sometimes unable to support recommendations from area committees that unremunerative branch lines should be continued because their withdrawal might inconvenience local agricultural or other interests. Road goods and passenger transport services were found to be used by the majority of people in the districts concerned. No real difficulty arose in meeting all reasonable needs by road services.
During the year under review, the Association of British Chambers of.Commerce asked the committee to recommend the Minister of Transport to impose price control on the smalls chargeg of the Road Haulage Executive. 'The committee pointed out that operating costs were continuously rising and that all trade and industrial bodies should have an opportunity of considering the Association's proposal before any recommendation was made.
The A.B.C.C. expressed dissatisfaction with the way that the committee had dealt with the matter and intimated that they were abdicating their responsibilities. The committee, however, maintained that the proposal should be widely discussed, as all _users of the Executive's services would be affected.
Area committees had performed ‘atuabIe services. The British Transport Commission and its Executives, particularly the R.H.E., were improving facilities. It was realized that the State undertaking was handicapped in financial matters and by shortages of materials.
H.M. King Hussein of Jordan and Prince Nasir Jiang last week visited Pest Control Ltd., at Cambridge. They were greatly interested in spraying equipment, and the Royal visitors are seen here preparing to lest the re.markab le manceuvering power., of the Pest Control high-clearance spraying machine. This type of outfit was recently used to good effect in the flooded areas of East Anglia,