Patching up
Page 27

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While the Treasury was handing Richard Marsh £312n to balance his books, Dr Gilbe was announcing a cut-back in trunk road maintenance and urging local authorities to do the same on local. roads. The cut is not for one year only, but progressively over some years so that its effect can be observed and "may eventually amount to a 15 or 20 per cent saving." The Minister told Leslie Huckfield this in the Commons last weel Dr Gilbert said "the effects will be chiefly perceptible in riding quality." Now there's a pleasing prospect for drivers, including our road testers. More patches and bigger burn1 lie ahead.
Since the saving should amount to around E70m a year we are doing well this week towards writing off that Britisl Rail loss. But at what cost to suspensions, transmissions and bodywork of 'both vehicles and passengers ?