L.T.B. TROUBLE OVER SUMMER SCHEDULES?
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FROM OUR INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDENT
1k/TORE bus trouble may be in store for lvi the London Transport Board over its decision to postpone the introduction of its summer schedules for two months because of shortage of staff. The new schedules which normally provide for the extension of 11 routes on Sundays and the running of an extra 30 services, were due to come into force on May 7.
But with a shortage of 11-6 per cent2,087 drivers and 1,653 conductors at the last count—which is already causing a loss of 40,000 miles a day, or about 4-5 per cent of the scheduled mileage, the Board decided there was no point in making things worse. So in a letter to the Central Bus Committee of the Transport and General Workers' Union they stated that the position about summer services would he reviewed in July.
When the Committee considered the letter they decided to reject the proposal, though they had no suggestions on how the services were to be manned. For its part London Transport does not consider the matter one open to negotiation, but purely a management decision. If they continue in this attitude there may well be trouble, just as there was over the winter schedules last autumn.
One factor, which may affect the position, is the final report of the Phelps Brown Committee of Inquiry into the pay and conditions of London busmen, which is now expected to be published early next month. If this recommends another pay rise in addition to the interim increase granted just before Christmas, the recruiting position ma). well improve substantially and make the introduction of summer services a practicable proposition. In any case some of the other proposals on achieving higher productivity by the use of new vehicles are likely to overshadow a comparatively minor problem.