The Transport Act, 1953
| Published date | 01 December 1953 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9299.1953.tb01712.x |
| Date | 01 December 1953 |
The
Transport
Act,
1953
The following notes are
iiot
offered as an authoritative summary
nor
are
rhey exhaustice,
but
care has been expended
on
endeavouring
to
secure as
much accuracy as
is
consistent with a short general account.
HE
main objects of the Transport Act, 1953, which received Royal Assent
on
the 6th May, 1953, are
:
‘1)
Road Haulage.
To secure the reversion to private enterprise
of
the greater part of the road haulage undertaking of the British Transport
Commission acquired under the Transport Act, 1947
;
to abolish the 25-mile
limit imposed by the Act of 1947 on the operation of goods vehicles by private
hauliers, and to make the Commission’s road haulage vehicles subject to the
licensing system. To decentralise the organisation of the Commission’s
railways by the setting up of Area Authorities and to give the Commission
greater freedom in fixing railway charges
so
as to improve their ability to
compete with other forms of transport.
T
(2)
Railways.
THE TRANSPORT ACT, 1947
To
facilitate an understanding
of
the Act of 1953 it is first necessary
to refer briefly to some of the principal provisions
of
the Transport Act, 1947.
The
B.T.C.
By Part
I
of the 1947 Act the British Transport Commission
were established as a public authority with the general duty “to provide,
or
secure or promote the provision of, an efficient, adequate, economical
and properly integrated system of public inland transport and port facilities
within Great Britain for passengers and goods.”
The Commission were by the Act of 1947 to consist of a Chairman
and not less than four and not more than eight members to be appointed
by the Minister of Transport, of whom the Chairman and not less than four
members must render whole-time service.
The Executives.
Additional public authorities known as Executives
were appointed to assist the Commission in performing such functions as
were delegated to them by schemes made by the Commission and approved
by the Minister. As respects matters
so
delegated the rights, powers and
liabilities of the Commission became rights, powers and liabilities of the
Executives. At the date of the passing
of
the 1953 Act there were five
Executives, namely
:
the Railway Executive, the London Transport Executive,
the Road Haulage Executive, the Docks and Inland Waterways Executive
and the Hotels Executive. All these Executives, except London Transport,
were abolished by ministerial order as from the
1st
October, 1953.
The Minister of Transport may give
the Commission directions as to the exercise and performance of their functions
in relation to matters which appear to the Minister to affect the national
interest
and
the Commission
are
bound
to
furnish
the
Minister
with
such
returns, accounts and other information
as
to their property and activities
as
he
may
from time to time
require.
An
annual report
and
the
annual
accounts of the Commission must be submitted to the Minister, who is to
Minister
of
Transport’s
Powers.
399
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