Transport Act 1968

Transport Act 1968
Dates
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to make further provision with respect to transport and related matters.
Citation	1968 c. 73
Territorial extent	United Kingdom
Royal assent	25 October 1968
Commencement	1 January 1969
Status: Amended
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended

The Transport Act 1968 (1968 c.73) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The main provisions made changes to the structure of nationally owned bus companies, created passenger transport authorities and executives to take over public transport in large conurbations.

National Bus Company

The Act formed, from 1 January 1969, the National Bus Company by merging the bus operating companies of the government-owned Transport Holding Company with those of the privately owned BET. NBC operated bus services throughout England and Wales outside of large cities, although independent operators still thrived in many rural areas.

Scottish Transport Group

The Scottish Transport Group was also formed at the beginning of 1969. It combined the state-owned Scottish Bus Group and Caledonian Steam Packet Company shipping line.

Passenger transport authorities and executives

The Act also allowed the formation of passenger transport authorities to co-ordinate and operate public transport in large conurbations. The authorities were to be made up of councilors from the various local authorities in the area, while the executives were to be the operators of public transport: for the most part taking over the existing local authority bus fleets. Following consultation the following PTAs/PTEs were established under the Act:

West Midlands on 1 October 1969
SELNEC (South East Lancashire North East Cheshire) on 1 November 1969
Merseyside on 1 December 1969
Tyneside on 1 January 1970
Greater Glasgow on 1 June 1973 (also operated the Glasgow Subway)

Subsidies for socially necessary but unremunerative railways

Section 39 of the Act introduced the first Government subsidies for railways which were unremunerative for British Rail but deemed socially necessary. Grants could be paid where three conditions were met: (i) the line was unremunerative, (ii) it is desirable for social or economic reasons for the passenger services to continue, and (iii) it is financially unreasonable to expect British Rail to provide those services without a grant.

Waterways

The Act made changes to the use of facilities controlled by the state-owned British Waterways. Reflecting the decline in the use of canals and rivers for freight distribution, waterways were divided into three categories:

The Act recognized the value of the waterway network for leisure use, and set up the Inland Waterways Amenity Advisory Council to give advice to both government and British Waterways on all matters concerned with the use of the network for recreation.

Vehicle testing and driving hours

The Act made changes to the MOT vehicle test. Previously vehicles had been liable to annual testing ten years after first registration. This was reduced to three years from first registration. The Act also introduced maximum driving hours for goods drivers, and also allowed the introduction of the tachograph to record driving periods, despite the resistance of the trade unions, which called them 'the spy in the cab'!.

References

Transport Act 1968 (1968 c.73)
Text of the Transport Act 1968 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from the UK Statute Law Database

History of bus transport in the United Kingdom

General	Charabanc John Greenwood

Organisations	British Electric Traction British Transport Commission Defunct manufacturers Former PTE bus operators National Bus Company (UK) Scottish Bus Group Transport Holding Company Tilling Group Ulster Transport Authority

Regulation	Bus deregulation Former municipal bus companies History of the PTE bus operations

London	History of public transport authorities in London Buses in London Former London bus operators London Country Bus Services London Omnibus Traction Society London General Omnibus Company Privatisation of London bus services Routemaster Star Omnibus Company

Parliamentary Acts	London Traffic Act 1924 Road Traffic Act 1930 Transport Act 1947 Transport Act 1962 Transport Act 1968 London Regional Transport Act 1984 Transport Act 1985

United Kingdom legislation

Pre-Parliamentary legislation	List of English statutes Charter of Liberties Magna Carta

Acts of Parliament by states preceding the Kingdom of Great Britain	Acts of the Parliament of England to 1483 1485–1601 1603–1641 Interregnum (1642–1660) 1660–1699 1700–1706 Acts of the Parliament of Scotland Acts of the Parliament of Ireland to 1700 1701–1800

Acts of Parliament of the Kingdom of Great Britain	1707–1719 1720–1739 1740–1759 1760–1779 1780–1800

Acts of Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland	1801–1819 1820–1839 1840–1859 1860–1879 1880–1899 1900–1919 1920–1939 1940–1959 1960–1979 1980–1999 2000 to date Halsbury's Statutes UK Statute Law Database Short titles

Church of England measures	List Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919

Legislation of devolved institutions	Acts of the Scottish Parliament Acts and Measures of the National Assembly for Wales Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly Acts of the Parliament of Northern Ireland Orders in Council for Northern Ireland

Orders-in-Council	Order in Council

Secondary legislation	United Kingdom Statutory Instruments Scottish Statutory Instruments Act of Sederunt, Act of Adjournal

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