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No Need For Pessimism —Mr. Wills
Page 59
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"A LTHOUGH I have thought it necest3, sary to draw attention to the trials and tribulations of the bus industry, my confidence in its success in the future is in no way diminished. We are not dealing with a declining industry. There is no need for pessimism, for the industry will continue to have a vital role to play in mass passenger transport for very many years to come."
This was said in London on Monday by Mr. John Spencer Wills, chairman of B.E.T. Omnibus Services, Ltd., at the 19th Annual General Meeting. There were limits to the resilience of the bus industry, however, and rising costs and restrictions on bus operations were tending to cause these limits to be reached.
"Our business is to offer a service to the public, but the public will not make full use of the service if the charges which have to be made for that service are not competitive," added Mr. Wills.
"Pirate" Menace The downward trend in passenger carryings, which had been experienced since 1956, seemed to have been retarded although not halted. " I think our associated bus 'companies have done remarkably well," he said. The figures would have been even better had it not been for illegal carriage of passengers in small unlicensed buies,
Apart from the taxation problems which face the industry, traffic congestion caused vehicles to move through town centres at a snail's pace. The solution lay in one direction—less vehicles. This was where the bus came into its own in terms of occupants per foot of road space; it was simple arithmetic.
He hoped that the Government would have second thoughts about its proposals to disqualify from driving anyone committing three traffic offences within three years.