VOICE to fight nationalization
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Arm organization, the Passenger Transport Vehicle Operators Independence Committee (VOICE) was launched in London on Monday by Mr. Raymond Birch, chairman of the new organization. Its aim is to fight Mrs. Barbara Castle's plans to set up Passenger Transport Authorities throughout the country. At the same time a leaflet warning of the threat of a wholesale withdrawal of country bus services if the Minister's plans went ahead was circularized to local authorities, associations and other interested parties.
VOICE is sponsored by the Passenger Vehicle Operators Association and the British Omnibus Companies Public Relations Committee, who between them represent the operators of some 30,000 buses, coaches and taxis. Other independent passenger vehicle operators and organizations are being invited to join the Committee.
One of the aims of Monday's launching, which took the form of a Press conference, was to enlist the support of the national daily Press in making Mrs. Castle's plans and the inherent dangers arising from them, known to the general public.
Mr. Birch said that it was in the public interest that the Minister's plans should be opposed. The fare-paying public had a right to know the fate that was being plotted for their bus, coach and taxi services and the first objective of VOICE was to make sure that every passenger and ratepayer in the country was made aware of the full implications of her proposal which was, he said, "nothing less than nationalization— piecemeal and by stealth".
Or, if you liked, added Mr. Birch, because it was Mrs. Castle herself who was going to have the real power, one could call it "Londonization". To call it "municipalization" was particularly outrageous, because not only did she propose to take over, ultimately, all the companies; she would first destroy all the independent municipal undertakings and create oversize units.
Mrs. Castle was obsessed by the word "integration"; if she had her way her proposals would bring about the disintegration of the live and efficient bus operating industry, Mr. Birch continued. "She is obsessed with the idea of huge area boards; I am afraid she suffers from gigantomania. Yet the only example of an area board that we have in this country, the London Transport Board, has hardly been one of the country's success stories, in spite of the brains at the top."
In answer to a question, Mr. Birch claimed that VOICE represented an overwhelming majority of independent and private bus operators in all parts of the British Isles.