Inquiry into Trolleybus Replacement?
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LPEFORE the replacement of trolleybuses by motorbuses is agreed upon there should be a public inquiry and a referendum of ratepayers, Portsmouth City Council will be told at their meeting this month, by a three-man delegation from the Portsmouth Trades Council.
This was decided at a special meeting of the trades' council, last week, which was called tO discuss the transport committee's decision gradually to abandon the trolleybus system.
Cllr. Dr. Maxwell Bresler, a member of the transport committee, said at the meeting that he believed they had acted with "indecent haste" over the question.
Mr. J. Sanders, president, said it was peculiar that such an important decision had been taken on the eve of the recess of the city council, when interest was at its lowest.
Referring to a report of the transport committee that there were 27 undertakings opefating both motorbuses and trolleybuses; Mr. E. J. Pople, secretary, said tour of those were not extending
their transport systems and the remainder were extending by trolleybus or motorbus.'
Most of them were extending by motorbuses, but there might be good reasons for that. It appeared that only Portsmouth and one other undertaking Were doing away with trolleybuses. That disposed of the argument that trolleybuses were becoming unpopular. Several undertakings were extending with trolleybuses only.
"What value has this particular document? " he asked. "Many of those towns extending by motorbus services are now operating only with motorbuses."
Portsmouth's trolleybuses, even with services restricted since the joint agreement with Southdown Motor Services, • Ltd., came into force, were still making a substantial profit.
Mr. 'A. I. Davies, representing the Electrical Trades Union, said running costs of electric motors were 85 per cent. lower than those of internalcombustion engines and they had seven times the length of life.