Tory Policy Blast on Labour Transport Plans
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FROM OUR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT.
'THE Transport Holding Company, through a series of take-overs of private hauliers, expanded its holdings by £8,500,000 in 1965, asserted the Conservative Party in a blast of anti-Socialist transport criticism this week. This expansion of the T.H.C., said a Party document on economic affairs, was a clear example of creeping nationalization.
Far from building on the foundations laid by the Tories, the present Government had brought transport progiess to a virtual full stop. They came into office bearing a selfinflicted burden of irresponsible promises, out-dated prejudices and a naive faith in co-ordination as a panacea for transport problems.
The inevitable result had been a history of broken promises, confusion and delay with a complete absence of creative or constructive thinking. Co-ordination had got nowhere and there was a policy vacuum.
It now appeared that Mrs. Castle had been told to implement the co-ordination which Mr. Fraser, acting on Lord Hinton's advice, rightly rejected as impracticable. Mrs. Castle was busy creating havoc in the Transport Ministry in order to attempt the impossible.
"Conservatives," concludes this blast against Labour, "believe in developing all forms of transport to a high standard of modern efficiency, and giving freedom to the customer to choose the service best suited to his needs".