Integrate PTEs with councils: AMA
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PASSENGER Transport Executives are unnecessary, unsatisfactory, undemocratic, and should be abolished as separate entities, says Association of Metropolitan Authorities chairman Jack Graham.
Repeating the AMA's anti-PTE policy (CM. February 16), Mr Graham said last week: "PTEs were set up under the 1968 Transport Act, and since the formation of metropolitan county councils in 1974, have been a source of irritation and frustration to members of all parties.
"The difficulty arises from the way in which the PTEs are controlled and financed, and councillors have become increasingly suspicious that they are only hearing part of the story."
And he continued: "Directorsgeneral of PTEs are in a very different position to heads of departments of local authorities, the county council can only apply limited direction; the way in which finances are controlled and reported are very different. Do councillors get all facts and figures?"
The AMA refers to attempts to improve upon what it sees as an imperfect system, saying that some chief executives of councils have been made non-executive directors of PTEs, and some directors-general have been appointed to county council management teams.
lt claims that it is impossible for county councils to apply enough pressure on PTEs, saying: "There are substantial and difficult problems on current expenditure involving heavy calls on county precepts."
And it continues: "Members consider that the current position is undemocratic. A PTE has responsibilities additional to those of a passenger transport authority, and is not county council-orientated. "Neither is is wholly sensitive to the views of elected members. This can have unfortunate repercussions on member/executive relationships which are not always easy to dispel. It can also give rise to problems for members in their relations with the electorate they represent."
It believes that it would be simpler, quicker, and more effective if PTEs were integrated into county councils, and this would lead to county councillors having clearer overall control. And it continues: "The Association proposal would result in elected members having direct control of the public transport service which involves a major function of metropolitan county government, and is of critical interest to elected members."
AMA believes that this is a particularly appropriate time to introduce such changes. "Levels of inflation continue to create major problems, when cuts in public expenditure are being sought nationally, and when the use of public transport fluctuates substantially in line with the general economic situation,