London's Transport Pool.

Passenger traffic in and around the world's capitals has grown beyond all belief in recent years, and this vast increase in passenger movement has presented many perplexing operating and administrative problems. In London a solution is being reached by the setting up of an enormous transport pool embracing all the rail and road carriers in the area. These, in the main, are the suburban sections of the main-line railways, the underground railways, the omnibus companies, and the street tramway undertakings. The pool will be supervised by a special Transport Board, who will so exercise their powers as to secure the provision of an adequate and properly co-ordinated system of passenger transport for the London traffic area. For that purpose, while avoiding the provision of unnecessary and wasteful competitive services, they will take from time to time such steps as they consider necessary for extending and improving the passenger transport facilities of the area in such manner as to provide most efficiently and conveniently for the needs thereof.

London should, under the new regime, soon be able to boast of one of the most efficient and scientifically co-ordinated systems of transport in the whole world. Under the arrangement, electrification of page 40 the main-line railways in the London area should be considerably hastened, and the unification of financial interests which will be brought about will make it possible to greatly improve facilities and to have through bookings and through running, at present not practicable except in limited cases.