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Two Road Safety Committees Formed
Page 33
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TWO committees, one to advise on I matters requiring Government action and the other to deal with propaganda, were set up on Monday at a private meeting in London to discuss the Duke of Edinburgh's plan for achieving maximum road safety. Lord Llewellin, president Of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, presided.
The first committee includes representatives of the standing joint committee of the motoring associations and organizations of other road users, including the National Road Transport Federation. The second is similar in composition, but also comprises members from trade unions and local authorities.
MOST ACCIDENTS IN GOOD WEATHER
['WRING 1951, over three-quarters 1—, of road accidents occurred in builtup areas and a similar proportion in good weather. This information is given in "Road Accidents, 1951 " (Stationery Office, 3s. 6d.), published on Tuesday. There were 178,409 accidents altogether in that -year.
Pedestrians, nearly half of whom were children, are blamed for the largest number of accidents. Lorry drivers caused 19,789 accidents and public service vehicle drivers 5,488. Of the accidents to which coaches and buses contributed, most were caused by sudden stopping, misjudgments of clearance, distance or speed, also skidding and improper overtaking.
HIGHER FARES. REJECTED BY MINISTER
EMPHAT1C terms were used by the Minister of Transport,Sir John Kotelawala, when he recently rejected a request of the All Ceylon Omnibus Companies' Association for a Government commission to inquire into the case for higher fares.
He said: " Let the bus companies first operate efficient and satisfactory services before they ask for higher fares. I know of several operators who utilize their money on the purchase of land and on other investments. It would be better if they purchased more buses which are badly needed to-day."
The Association had contended that the Government could take over the bus companies if increased charges were not sanctioned, but Sir John revealed that several applications to purchase fleets had been received by his Ministry. "if the present operators are unable to carry on, as they state, let, them declare bankruptcy—there will be others to take over," he commented.
T.G.W.U. UPHOLDS • MR. TEGERDINE
THE national executive of the Trans' port and General Workers' Union has refused to endorse a decision of the northern area committee to expel Mr. A. Tegerdine, chairman and founder of the Bus Workers' AntiNationalization Society. The committee recommended Mr. Tegerdine's expulsion on the ground that he had not kept a promise made two years ago not to communicate with the Press on the Union's domestic policy. This was denied by Mr. Tegerdine.
NEW RATES FOR SMALL LOTS
BELOW is the schedule of rates for small lots recommended by the National Association of Furniture Warehousemen and Removers to be charged to the public as from January 1. The prices cover only such work as can be undertaken by the driver and one man. A reduction of 10 per cent. is to be made where an operator undertakes work for the trade.
Mr. Valentine on Reorganization
MAJOR reorganization is apt to create a serious human problem. Loyalties are disturbed and the sense of security shaken, and the impression of wasted effort is created. Mr. A. B. B. Valentine, a member of the London Transport Executive, makes these remarks in an article, " Monopoly and Competition in Rail and Road Transport," published in the latest issue of " British Transport Review."
He 'gives a lucid account of the causes of the transport problem, ascribing uneconomic under-employment of the railways to the growth of road transport. As regards nationalization of road haulage, he admits that some traders may have suffered a loss of convenience when scheduled services replaced individual facilities. "Such changes may seem for the moment to traders concerned to be fairly described as a lowering of the standard of service, and yet in the national interest may well be justified," he maintains.
' It would not be surprising, Mr. Valentine asserts, if there were a tendency towards private monopoly in place of public monopoly as the result of denationalization—assuming that buyers were found and that the atmosphere were not too highly charged with threats of renationalization. Supporters of the Government's proposals would therefore be unwise to rely on the contention that large-scale organization in road haulage was contrary to the national interest.
Opponents of monopoly should already be dissatisfied with the efficiency of other long-established public monopolies, and must be certain that the dangers of a transport monopoly were absent from the alternative competitive system, he says.