Newcastle g.m. wants regional
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transport authority NOW IT'S By Derek Moses
DAY Mrs. Barbara Castle visits Tyneside for discussions on the formation of a possible Conurbation Transport Authority there. She will also go on to Sunderland to inspect the town's new one-man, flat-fare bus system.
One of the subjects Mrs. Castle will no doubt discuss is the proposal put forward to the Government's Northern Economic Planning Council by Mr.
Frank S. Taylor, general manager of Newcastle City Transport, for the setting up of a powerful regional transport authority to integrate bus and rail services throughout the region, and not just on Tyneside.
Mr. Taylor suggests that nationalized companies such as United Automobile Services Ltd., and Cumberland Motor Services Ltd., should be merged with private companies in Northumberland, Durham, Cumberland, Westmorland and the section of Yorkshire covered by the planning council. Local railway commuter services in urban areas as well as the inter-urban routes could then be integrated with bus services.
The proposed transport authority would be an independent organization with full statutory powers similar to the boards running the electricity and gas industries. It would involve the swallowing-up of the municipal undertakings at Sunderland, South Shields, West Hartlepool, Darlington and the new Tees-side authority (the latter from the proposed merger of Stockton, Middlesbrough and Tees-side Railless under takings when the new Tees-side borough is formed in April 1968) as well as Newcastle City Transport.
This little bit of empire building is on an even bigger scale than that previously adopted by Newcastle City Council when Mr. T. Dan Smith, chairman of the regional council, was chairman of the city council. At that time Cllr. Smith put forward proposals for the takeover by Newcastle City Council of the whole of the Tyneside conurbation area, including the county boroughs of Gateshead, Tynemouth and South Shields.
Meanwhile comes the publication of a new comprehensive timetable of all public transport services operating in Newcastle and Gateshead, both municipal and company buses, as well as all private and company bus services and all British Railways services operating out of the two towns. Claimed to be the first of its kind, the timetable is the joint effort of all the operators concerned.
The timetable, price Is. 6d., also includes details of express services by road and rail, together with brief notes about air and sea services.