New Bill: No Rail Subsidy
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25-mile Limit to Go at End of 1954: B.T.C. Haulage Interests Increased
IN the new Transport Bill, published on Wednesday evening, that part of the levy which was intended to compensate the railways for traffic lost in competition with road transport has been deleted. The 25-mile radius is to be lifted at the end of 1954.
The Government has not changed its proposals for the relaxation of licensing, despite representations by the Road Haulage Association and others.
There will still be a levy, but its purpose is limited to covering losses to the British Transport Commission and other costs arising from the disposal of its road haulage fleet. Under the original Bill, it was to come into force on a day to be appointed by the Minister. It is now to come into effect on January 1, 1954. A• fixed sum of Elm. is to be paid to the B.T.C. for disturbance.
The new Bill gives the railways even greater freedom to quote competitive rates than previously proposed. Among the restrictions to be removed are those /elating to equality of charges, undue preference and agreed charges. Moreover, the present obligation of the railways to publish charges will apply only to maximum charges.
Traders Protected To safeguard traders and others whose goods cannot reasonably be carried except by rail against unfair charges, the Bill provides that they may obtain redress from the Transport Tribunal. The protection provided in the earlier Bill for transport competitors against the making by the Commission of uneconomic charges to eliminate competition is preserved and extended.
Under the•earlier Bill, the B.T.C. was allowed to retain interests in road haulage, corresponding to those of the. former railway companies, and to extend them, subject to the licensing system. The new Bill proposes that the'. unladen weight of the fleet which the Commission may keep under company management, should be increased by one-fifth. These interests are over and above the railway collection and delivery services. With this exception, the main proposals for the return of nationalized road haulage to private ownership remain unchanged.
Radius to be Lifted It is proposed now that the 254nile radius on Aand B-licensed vehicles shall be removed at the end of 1954, and not as previously on a date to be fixed by the Minister.
As under the new proposals many of the Commission's charges will be neither known nor fixed, the proposal in the earlier Bill that the B.T.C. should have power to make a temporary overall increase up to 10 per cent. in its passenger and goods charges to meet sudden and serious increases in costs is no longer practicable.
The revised Bill provides that the Commission may apply to the Transport Tribunal to authorize, without public inquiry, temporary increases in charges which will produce not more than 10 a28 per cent. additional revenue from any existing charges scheme. The Commission must then apply, without delay, under the normal procedure, for approval of alterations in charges.
Although the revised Bill, like the earlier draft, prohibits the Commission from using buses and coaches as contract carriages, except within and immediately outside the London Transport Area, it allows the B.T.C. to run buses and coaches to carry pleasure parties consisting of employees and their families and friends.
The power of the Minister to require the B.T.C. to relinquish its controlling interests in bus companies remains discretionary.
DERBY FARES UP AGAIN?
DERBY'S municipal bus undertaking faces a deficit of £13,500 in the current financial year and of £33,500 next year. It is, therefore, recommended that a further application for an increase in faresshould be made.
• It is proposed that id. should be added to present adult fares, except to certain 2d. fares, that children's and workmen's single fares should be raised, and that workmen's return tickets should be abolished.
From next Sunday, fares in North Staffordshire are to be increased, following the decision of the West Midland Licensing Authority, granting Potteries Motor Traction Co., Ltd., and other operators in the area, new single rates, but refusing to modify earlymorning and shift-workers' concession fares. Sixteen operators were included in the grant, which provides for lid. fares for journeys up to I mile, an addition of id. to tickets up to 6d., and additions of Id. and 2d. to other single and return rates.
An extra E50,900 a year is expected from new rates granted to Northampton Corporation by the East Midland Licensing Authority. Variations of stage lengths were authorized, providing for one stage for lid., two for 2d., an increase of Id. on the 24d. single and Id. on the workmen's 3d. return.
R.H.E. TO RAISE. RATES
SUBJECT to the approval of the Minister of Transport, the Road Haulage Executive is to increase its rates by 5 per cent, as from December I. The British, Transport Commission has also asked the Minister to authorize an increase in railway freight charges from that date.