TV and Cars Blamed for Traffic Decline
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T ELEVISION, the growth of private L motoring, the improved housing situation and the transfer of population from inner London to country areas, were given as reasons for the decline in traffic by Mr. A. B. B. Valentine, a member of the London Transport Executive, before the Transport Tribunal in London, last week.
The Tribunal were hearing the British Transport Commission's application to increase fares on London Transport.
From January 1 to August 15, 1953, said Mr. Valentine, the decline, compared with estimates which had previously been made, amounted to 1.21 per cent. Passenger receipts from January 1 to May 16 this year were below the proportion of the estimate for the year by £188,000, or 0.7 per cent.
It was inevitable that the bulk of the increased revenue now sought must come through advances in ordinary . fares, as just under 80 percent. of passenger receipts were derived from this source.
The inquiry continued on Wednesday.
BIG TYRE CONTRACT FOR ISRAEL
A CONTRACT for $400,000 worth rTh. of tyres has been signed by the Israeli Alliance Tyre Co. and a delegation representing the Yugoslav Government company for the marketing of spare parts. Tyres to the value of $100,000 were bought from Israel by Yugoslavia last year.
Under a barter agreement between Israel and Finland, Israel is also to supply that country with tyres to the value of $40,000.
The Turkish authorities, who recently granted licences for the import of $1.2m. worth of vehicles from the Kaiser-Frazer plant in Haifa, are also to receive a shipment of tyres from Israel.
BIG GROUPS SOON TO BE OFFERED
THE British Transport Commission and the Road Haulage Disposal Board are not offering pre-arranged units of more than 50 vehicles for specialized traffic, such as parcels and smalls and meat, or for contract-hire work or general haulage. Their advertisement in last week's issue of The Commercial Motor might have created that impression.
Final decisions are about to be made on the grouping of the larger units or companies for sale. Anyone who wants to bid for such a group and has not told the Commission or the Board of his requirements has until June 5 to do so. Efforts will then be made to assemble vehicles to suit such individual requirements.
Parcels and smalls, meat, contracthire and general haulage vehicles are available.