Ministry of Transport and successors, Road Transport: Registered Files

MT 97

1927-1980

This series consists of files of the Road Transport Division relating to freight transport and public service (passenger) transport. Subjects include the regulation and licensing of public service vehicles and staff and of road haulage undertakings operators; rural road services; provision of bus stations by local authorities; trams and trolley vehicles; transportation of radioactive substances; fuel rationing in 1956; fares and charges, including concessionary travel; international road transport matters; the appointment of the Traffic Commissioners and the handling of appeals against their decisions; the drafting of legislation, including the 1952 Transport Bill and the Transport Bill 1967-1968.

Also included are papers of the Committee on the Licensing of Road Passenger Services (Thesiger Committee); Committee on Rural Bus Services (Jacks Committee); and the Committee of Inquiry into the Goods Vehicle Licensing System (Geddes Committee).

Some RT files were re-registered into the RF file series located in

MT 174

Some files from this series have been re-registered in the PTA series in

MT 147

RT Series

Public Record(s)

English

• Department of the Environment, Road Transport (Goods) Division, 1970-1976
• Department of the Environment, Road Transport (Passenger) Division, 1970-1976
• Department of Transport, Road Transport (Goods) Division, 1976-1979
• Department of Transport, Road Transport (Passenger) Division, 1976-1979
• Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, Road Transport Division, 1953-1959
• Ministry of Transport, Road Transport (Goods) Division, 1963-1970
• Ministry of Transport, Road Transport (Passenger) Division, 1963-1970
• Ministry of Transport, Road Transport Division, 1946-1953
• Ministry of Transport, Road Transport Division, 1959-1963
• Ministry of War Transport, Road Transport Division, 1941-1946

1301 file(s)

Open

From 1982 Department of Transport

Topics

Road Transport

Transport management

Nuclear energy

Rationing

Series is accruing

The responsibilities of the Road Transport Division, which emerged in 1940, fell into two major areas: freight transport and public service (passenger) transport.

During the period of these files, the earliest of which dates from 1927, passenger transport underwent major changes, chiefly the transition from the trolley and tram to the motor bus, and the gradual regulation of public service vehicles, culminating in the co-ordination of road passenger transport under the Transport Act 1947. Under the Road Traffic Acts 1930 to 1962 and sections of the Transport Act 1962, the RT Division became responsible for general administrative work related to the regulation and licensing of public service vehicles, fares, routes and the provision of bus stations by local authorities; the division was also responsible for the appointment of Traffic Commissioners and the handling of appeals against the Commissioners' decisions.

On the freight side, RT Division was involved in the implementation of the Transport Act 1947 which, amongst other things, brought under public ownership long distance road haulage undertakings. RT Division was responsible for general administrative work, including the issue of the 'C' Licenses required by the operators of such undertakings.

When the road transport industries were subsequently de-nationalised, RT Division was instrumental in transferring into private hands haulage industry property under the Transport (Disposal of Road Haulage Property) Act 1956. In 1963 the Road Transport Division divided into Road Transport (Goods) and Road Transport (Passenger) Divisions.