The motorway age (1955–79) - Transport Policy and Planning in Great Britain - page 89

employment, shopping and other facilities over most of which local authorities had no
control (Moseley et al. 1977).
Another innovation of social significance included in the 1968 Transport Act was
the power given to local authorities to introduce concessionary fares for elderly and
disabled passengers on local bus services. However take-up was again variable. The
scale of concession offered to passengers and the time periods during which it was
available remained a matter for local discretion until the New Labour Government
legislated for a minimum half-fare concession thirty years later (15.7).
5.9 'The party's over' - adjusting to resource constraints
There is deep irony in the fact that, just as the overhaul of local government, planning
and transport arrangements was being completed in line with the requirements of the
motorised era, the economic assumptions on which it was based were blown apart by
the oil crisis following the 1973-74 Arab/Israeli War. Public planning would never
be the same again. As representatives from the International Monetary Fund laid
down their requirements for baling out Britain's stricken finances in 1976, Anthony
Crosland, Secretary of State responsible for local government, commented 'the party's
over'.
Until that time transport and development plans had generally been prepared
without serious regard as to whether the resources would be available to implement
them (or to the blighting consequences of proposals if they were not). The approach
of local authorities was typically to aim high and then to campaign long and hard to
central government for the money necessary to turn vision into reality. The Traffic in
Towns report did not diminish authorities' aspirations.
Pending the long-term aim of building new highway networks the Government
pursued a number of avenues aimed at bridging the gap between the demand and
supply of urban road space. In 1965 it set up a Traffic Advisory Unit to help local
authorities adopt the techniques of large-scale traffic management schemes which had
been pioneered in London. It also published new advice on car parking (MHLG 1965).
Previously local planning authorities had been encouraged to set minimum standards
for provision in new developments and to provide off-street car parks so as to ease the
problems of parking on-street. Now it encouraged authorities to take a comprehensive
view of parking policies and their possible contribution to limiting traffic congestion,
including the setting of maximum rather than minimum requirements in new
developments.
During the 1960s there was also extensive discussion of road pricing as a possible
solution to the urban congestion problem. A specialist panel was appointed to
investigate the technical possibilities (MOT 1964). As a policy option however more
sensitive issues were at stake. The Ministry's own review of the subject was published
in a report 'Better Use of Town Roads' (MOT 1967a) - a skilful title since it was
essentially concerned with traffic restraint . Road pricing was acknowledged to be
potentially the most efficient option, but not an immediately practicable one. In fact
the report seemed to be written to justify the expedient conclusion that, since parking
controls were already in existence, it would be easier to encourage local authorities
to pursue these more vigorously than to embark on something entirely new and
controversial.
When the Labour Government elected in 1974 began to undertake its review of
transport policy the public expenditure situation was said to 'overshadow' all other