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LONDON IS " SLOWLA [OKING "

4th September 1959
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Page 40, 4th September 1959 — LONDON IS " SLOWLA [OKING "
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

L.T.E. Report Warns About Growing Car Traffic : No Full Recovery from Strike

UCH of the report of Mr. A. B. B. Valentine. chairman of the

London Transport Executive, for 1958, is devoted to the undesirable effects of the growing use of private cars in the capital, and he warns that unless prompt and effective measures are taken London will slowly but surely throttle itself. He presses for the money required to build the proposed underground railway from Victoria to Walthamstow. This would cost f.55m., about the same as that of a urban motorway of similar length, but the passenger-carrying capacity would be several times greater.

The undertaking's net revenue in 1958 amounted to /1.8m.. or £3.9m. less than was earned in 1957. It is envisaged that the net receipts for the current year will approach the L.T.E.'s minimum contribution (some i6m.) to the British Transport Commission's central charges, but that even this level might not be reached at existing fares.

As a result of the strike from May 5June 20, it became clear that London Transport had no monopoly. If the standard of service did not satisfy the public, some people would resort to other means for transport or would not travel at all. After the strike, traffic suffered a " disastrous setback " from which it had not yet fully recovered.

The number of private cars in the undertaking's area was already 8 per cent. higher in 1958 than in 1957, before the abolition of hire-purchase restrictions last October. This resulted in an upward bound in car sales to a level at the end of the year 70 per cent, higher than in 1957.

But whilst the number of cars with licences current rose by 17 per cent., actual traffic increased by 9 per cent. This suggested that the streets were becoming saturated. Congestion was having an increasingly serious effect on the regularity of bus services, and the provision of efficient facilities was being jeopardized.

It was impossible to estimate the relief to traffic congestion that the new underground railway would contribute, but it would undoubtedly be significant. There would also be substantial savings in mileage of road services, amounting to 3m. a year, and the number of buses traversing the western half of Piccadilly could be reduced by 10 per cent.

Mcasures being taken by the Government to increase road capacity were beginning to bear fruit. but still evident!) fell a long way short of the level needed to keep pace with the growth of traffic. Before the strike, the percentages of passenger traffic among rail, buses and private vehicles relative to the influx to the central area between 7-10 a.m. were 72. 21 and 7 respectively, and after the strike these proportions changed to 75. 16 and 9.

Scooters and Cycles

The contribution made by motorcycles and scooters and pedal cycles during the strike was relatively large, and many former bus passengers are continuing to use these vehicles. After the strike, traffic filtered back to the buses, but by November remained at 8 per cent, below the level in May. There it had since remained.

The number of passengers carried by the undertaking as a whole in 1958 was 3,176m., 16 per cent, lower than in 1957. Road services carried 2,484m. people and railways 692m., respective changes of minus 20.3 per cent, and plus 3.9 per cent. Passenger mileage totalled 8,897m., 15.3 per cent, less than in the previous year. Passenger mileage on road services was 5,597m., a fall of 22 per cent., and on railways 3,300m., a drop of 1 per cent.

Because the decline in passenger miles was slightly less than the fall in passengers carried, there was thc indication of an increase in the average length of journey. The number of rides per head of population fell from 379 in 1957 to 365 in 1958, and the number of passenger miles per head of population from 1,052 to 990.

A feature of traffic last year was its paucity during public holidays and weekends. Apart from the strike, which occurred at Whitsun, the weather at Easter and August was bad. Under the Lct of social changes, bus traffic had falling for some years.

le "Hop on a Bus" campaign in ember was intended to stimulate bus 4. It had an immediate impact and uced much comment—some of it vourable (as was foreseen) when y services were having to be reduced. ill advantage was being taken of the 3ility of the oil-engined bus where :ybuscs were being scrapped. and ces were being improved.

hereas in previous years the report printed as a ptIvate document, it is available under the title "London 'sport in 1958" at 2s. 6d. from the 'Wive at 55 Broadway, London. 1.


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