Contents of secret PTAs letter from Minister are leaked
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A CONFIDENTIAL letter from Mrs. Barbara Castle, giving plans for a takeover of all forms of public transport by Passenger Transport Authorities brought protests in Birmingham on Wednesday. The letter to local authority associations and other organizations gives the structure of the White Paper to be published soon.
It allows for powers by PTAs to run bus services, surburban rail services and even to operate their own.taxis and car-hire services. But the letter has not been sent to Birmingham Corporation or the Midland Red.
Alderman Harry Watton, chairman of the Regional Transport Committee, said: "It seems this letter was confidential—but its contents have been leaked. Birmingham Corporation has not received it and neither have I as chairman of the Regional Transport Committee.
"I would have thought that on a matter with such controversial aspects, it would have been better if local authorities and regional committees had been consulted".
And on Wednesday, Councillor D. G. Lewis, chairman of Birmingham Transport Committee, forecast that bus passengers in Birmingham will have to pay higher fares under the Minister's PTA plans. He said the city's bus passengers would be expected to subsidize other uneconomic services in the conurbation. "I cannot see how it could be avoided", he added.
Councillor Lewis pointed out that Midland Red fares were generally higher than the Corporation's because it had to carry a higher proportion of uneconomic routes. He accepted that there was some need for coordination.
"But I am not so sure that it should be done by a completely new executive and the setting up of a gigantic bureaucracy that would control all forms of public transport. I think that a small co-ordinating body—not necessarily an executive body but with some teeth —would be much cheaper and more effective."
Councillor Lewis said he did not think there was much hope that the new authority would "buy out" the city transport department, which would have brought some financial benefit to the city.
He believed there would be a straightforward takeover "in the name of the people".
Mr. W. J. Womar, general manager of Midland Red, said on Wednesday: "The Minister has said that the PTAs should be under broad local democratic control, but she reserves the right to refuse nominations to the PTA board and to appoint the chairman. What is democratic about that?".