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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 8, Issue 4 (August 1, 1933)

[section]

The question of the relationship between railway and road transport is undoubtedly one of the most important issues at the present time. At this year's gathering of the International Railway Congress at Cairo, Egypt, the view was expressed that it was the duty of Governments to pass legislation to provide for the equalising of charges between the two methods of transport, and to put the whole problem of railroad transport upon a more equable footing.

In Britain, following the issue of the Salter Report, provision is being made for the better regulation of the movement of freight by road. Heavy commercial trucks are being subjected to greatly increased taxation, and heavy freight generally is being encouraged to pass by rail instead of by road. Across the Atlantic, an expert committee appointed by the United States Government has made recommendations for the regulation of road transport on much the same lines as those come to in Britain; while throughout the European continent active steps are being taken to remove the undoubted hardships suffered by the railways in respect of preferential treatment given to the road carriers.

That there is a place for road transport in every land is freely admitted. Road transport, however, should be subjected to suitable regulation, not only in fairness to the railways, but also in its own and the public interest. It is for everyone's ultimate good that this move should be made, and on this account legislation such as is being enforced in Britain, and such as is contained in the New Zealand Transport Licensing Act, is especially welcome. In England great strides have been made in railroad co-ordination, and one of the most successful moves has been the acquisition by the railways of established private road transport undertakings and their operation as part of the railway machine. In some cases the railways have purchased the road transport systems lock, stock and barrel; in other instances merely substantial financial control has been acquired. What is aimed at by the railways is door to door service, embracing both rail and road movement, and including all the facilities such as storage, warehousing, railhead distribution, and the like, for which the railways are admirably equipped. There is no desire to wreck road transport; it is simply a matter of seeking a suitable adjustment as between rail and road movement.

An important step forward in railroad co-ordination is found by the British railways in the increasing employment of containers for various types of freight. Both open and covered containers, capable of movement either by rail or road, are utilised in large numbers for the transport of miscellaneous merchandise, while recently the London, Midland and page 18 Scottish line developed a special container for the carriage of household furniture. Under this arrangement furniture is packed in the container by experts at the sender's address, and conveyed, at most moderate charges, by through rail and road service to the new home. A special feature is a reduction by one-third in the passenger fares to the new home town for all members of the family when the furniture is dispatched by the rail container service.

L. and N.E.R. Sheffield-London (Marylebone) Express, hauled by “Zeebrugge” locomotive.

L. and N.E.R. Sheffield-London (Marylebone) Express, hauled by “Zeebrugge” locomotive.

This year new containers for the transport of fresh meat have been introduced on the Southern Railway. These have interior floors of sheet metal, while suspended from the roof are rows of sliding steel hooks, capable of holding nearly eighty sides of beef or carcases.