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MR WILLIAM RODGERS, the Transport Minister, is looking ,forward to a transport plan which will mean stability for the whole industry for 10 .years... "or perhaps even to tbe end of the century".
„His hopes of what will fol low from the transport con, sultation document and dis4 cussions with interested orgainisations were voiced in the iiCOmmons last week when he ' was asked for his views on the future of transport. Mr Rodgers said over 1,000 comments had been received 4 on the consultation document, li.. °:• and he had now begun a programme of oral hearings t With the principal organisa rons to explore their views more fully. , He hoped to publish a policy 1 statement, probably in the i form of a White Paper, next 1 Ispring. Mr loan Evans (Labour, ; Aberdare) urged the setting.' up of a National Transport Council to integrate the road and rail systems. If this happened, he said, some of the '7. heavy freight traffic now car ;ried on highly congested roads -. could be taken on to the •• underused railways. .. if Mr Rodgers acknowledged the importance of what Mr r, Evans had said, but stated he Y could not possibly start to make policy-type statements Pnow, tomorrow, or very soon. e Mr Robin Cook (Labour, ' Edinburgh Central) welcomed a lengthy period of consulta3 tion, but warned that proposed ;substantial increases in fares were pre-empting his options. 1 . Many passengers had (stopped travelling by rail as a ;result of fares increases, and 4 any further increase in passengers leaving rail and going on to the roads would be '),. bound to increase subsidies ., and increase the cost of the lf: road programme. _ 4 The Minister replied: "it will : be hard enough for me to • defend the existing rail sub sidy. There can be no question Whatever of increasing it." ,