lesiger. Report Well Received : his Denationalization Expected
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-1PERATORS' views on the Thesiger Report (which is reviewed on -" pages 498-501) are generally favourable. The Passenger Vehicle /perators' Association welcomed the recommendation on contract arriages, but they were disappointed that the committee considered it utside their terms of reference to guide the Minister of Transport with egard to the British Transport Commission's road passenger interests. The British Omnibus Companies' Public Relations Committee were onfident that the Minister would now exercise his powers of enationalization; fter noting that the report confirmed view of the industry that the licenssystem had " by and large worked emety well," the P.V.O.A statement tinned: ." The. Association regrets, 'ever, that the committee feel they
• restricted by their terms of
rence which prevented them from :ing a More positive recommendaon the exercise of the powers of Minister of Transport under the u sport Act,1953, with a view to :sting the British Transport Corn• ;ion of its control over passenger
d transport undertakings. • .
Rail Policy Until the Commission is divested of control there will ccintinue to be redorriinant rail policy exercised in operation of nearly 20 per cent. of coUntry's buses."
in the subject Of contract carriages, statement continues: "The AssociaWelcomes a recommendation which aid do much to clarify the present fused, position in the running of tract carriages, -arising from premaaction in certain traffic areas, foIing many contradictory High Court :signs. It is hoped that early conation with the Ministry of Trans: can take place to introduce lifications which' will clarify tj-le arty consideration is to be given to report by the national council of Association..
.fter welcoming the report, a Oaten by Mr. Peter Yorke, director of British Omnibus Companies' Public itions Committee,. said: Such immenclations as there are by way acidification to the present [licensing] em appear at first reading to be on whole logical and sensible."
One Agpeet ti the question of denationalization. Yorke observed that the committee rly realized that something was acted of them in this respect, and ey have found tbemselves able to . with at least one aspect of
ationalization. They have recogthat 'in so far as the Commission's tpanies operate services in competiwith the railways and there is no !pendent operator, the control of competition, previously exercised the Licensing Authority, has largely ied to the Commission.'
This confirms entirely the fears ressed by the ' free ' indtistry, who have repeatedly pointed out that in large 'areas of the country—for example, Scotland and East 'Anglia, the Commission were a law unto themselves. In this connection; the committee quoted, at length, but regrettably without comment, from the evidence put forward by the Commission, from which it emerges only too clearly that the latter, still clinging to the totalitarian concept of common road-rail ownership enshrined in the 1947 Act but discarded by the 1953 Act, contended that they should he allowed to dictate to the public as to how they must travel.
"It may now confidently be expected that the Minister will propose to exercise his powers on denationalization at an early dale."
Neither.. the Municipal Passenger Transport Association nor the Public Transport Association would comment on the report before The Commercial Motor closed for press on Wednesday.
SIR BRIAN INTRODUCES HIMSELF
" V NOW this about your new chair man. He does not propose to spend all his time polishing the seat of his office chair. He looks forward to meeting as many of you as time and space will allow. He wants to work with you and for you. As regards your representative bodies, the trade unions, he feels some confidence in gaining their goodwill because he is no stranger to them."
Gen. Sir Brian Robertson, the new chairman of the British Transport Commission, made these statements in a personal message issued to the staff on Monday.
SCOTTISH PAY CLAIM STRIKES
AAORE than 300 bus workers in employed at the Paisley, Johnstone and Largs depots of the Western S.M.T. Co., Ltd., staged a one-day strike on Monday in protest against the delay in granting higher wages and improved conditions. It is understood that they propose to hold a token strike each Monday until the claim is settled.
It was the second token strike by Scottish bus workers in 48 hours. On Saturday, transport in six central Scottish towns was paralyzed by a oneday strike of 1,200 bus workers.
Both strikes were unofficial. A union official stated that they were contrary to their recommendation.