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New Pattern of Public Transport P
Page 59
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DRAS-M' changes in public transport are likel■ to result from the land tise-transport studies now being undertaken in most of the conurbations and in some towns.
This prophecy came fast week from Mr. Sicolicit Swingler, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport— and he gave as an example of what could happen the possible effects of the study of south east Lancashire and north east Cheshire.
"Iimae well be that a quite new paitet n Of public transport, both by road and rail. will be required throughout the conurbation ", he said. "Certainly I am convinced that radical changes will he required in the structure and the organization of transport. However the system may work at present, the needs of the conurbations in the decades ahead will require the most comprehensive planning on the basis of scientific data.
We therefore hope that all the parties who are at present concerned in the provision of transport in 'these localities will not he afraid of new ideas, that they will accept the challenge of the needs of planning and the use of land and transport together on the most comprehensive basis, and that they will work with us with a teal sense of urgency to achieve and implement the new schemes which will be required for the future benefit of our people."
The north west study would help Manchester and the other local authorities concerned to make better plans for a co-ordinated development .both of roads and of public transport, so as to fit 'in with their general plans for redevelop/I-WTI!. said Mr. Swingler.
It had set itself the most challenging objectives. First, the existing pattern of movement of passengers and goods, by road and rail. by public and private transport. would he surveyed in detail.
At the SLMIC time detailed information would he collected on the distribution of land uses, population, employment, cat ownership and all the other factors which affected the demand for transport. The aim was to establish the precise relationships between these factors and the transport demands they generated.
The next step would he to use the basic transport relationships to project forward the pattern, in detail, of future demand, associated With the forecast changes in land use, population, car ownership and so on.
_The third stage would be to prepare alternative transportation plans covering road and public transport systems in an endeavour to find a system which would ensure the best use, and the best balance, of public and private transport.
Once the study. had been planned the whole project would probably take up to three years to complete, went on Mr. Swingler.
The debate which produced this glimpse into the future had been opened by Mr. Charles Morris (Labour, Open shaw) who said that the vision of a single public transport authority spanning south Lancashire from the Ribble to the Mersey, and from Preston to Manchester and Liverpool was one which had captured the imagination of many in municipal transport in the north west since public road transport systems first mate into being. -- . Increasingly, traffic and social condi
tions in Lancashire were fast producing a situation in which the road passenger transport. industry would be obliged to cons:der far-reaching measures of reorganization, said Mr, Morris. Amalgamations within, and thereby rationalization of. that area of the industry coming under local authority. control was now ifitee carve.
He pointed out that about 24 separate
local authorities maintained independent public...transport undertakings in the area, and in addition there were live private company operators. in the Greater Manchester ares. atone nine .municipal transport authorities plus three private bus companies _served • a population of just over 2m.. using 2,768 vehicles and running nearly 100m. miles a year.