Railways Will Gain Little—Mr. Whitaker
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THE railways might do little more after modernization than retain their existing traffic, and gain hardly any new business arising from increased industrial activity. The "spectacular" growth of road transport would continue, in the absence of artificial restrictions, and the only benefit of railway modernization might be a reduction in costs rather than an increase in traffic.
These views were expressed by Mr. E. G. Whitaker, transport adviser to the board of Unilever, Ltd., on Tuesday, when he addressed the Irish Section of the Institute of Transport in Dublin.
He opposed subsidies for any form of transport. If unremuncrative services were asked for, they should be paid for adequately by those who demanded them, he said.
Two fundamental questions had to be answered. One concerned the respective places that road and rail should take in the national transport structure, and the other the steps needed to enable the railways to pay their way. The railways' route mileage should be reduced, and they should have a smaller, better-paid staff, he suggested.
Mr. Whitaker referred to developments in the use of pipelines. Two 6-in. pipelines running nine miles underground from the Thames to London Airport were pumping initially at the rate of approximately 30,000 gallons per hour. Hitherto 40-60 road tankers had made round trips of 80-100 miles to the airport a day.
FUTURE OF BRITISH TRAFFIC
THE future pattern of traffic in Britain will be discussed at the annual conference of the Institute of Traffic Administration at Nottingham from May 20-22. The principal speakers will be Prof. Gilbert Walker, an expert on transport economics, and Prof, J. Kolbuszewski and Mr. F. D. Hobbs, both of the traffic engineering department of Birmingham University. The discussion will take place at 7,15 p.m. on May 20.
The annual dinner will be held on May 21.