Break Up
By the late 1950s the BTC was in serious financial difficulties, largely due to the economic performance of the railways. It was criticised as an overly bureaucratic system of administering transport services and had failed to develop an integrated transport system (such as integrated ticketing and timetabling). It was abolished by Harold Macmillan's Conservative government under the Transport Act, 1962 and replaced by five successor bodies:
- the British Railways Board (railways, hotels and some shipping)
- the British Transport Docks Board (docks)
- the British Waterways Board (inland waterways)
- the London Transport Board (London buses and the London Underground)
- the Transport Holding Company (remaining interests, in shipping, travel and road transport)
These changes took effect on 1 January 1963. Notwithstanding the abolition of the BTC, the British Transport Police continues to exist. The BTC heraldic shield is still displayed on the BTP badge.
Read more about this topic: British Transport Commission
Famous quotes containing the word break:
“We may not all break the Ten Commandments, but we are certainly all capable of it. Within us lurks the breaker of all laws, ready to spring out at the first real opportunity.”
—Isadora Duncan (1878–1927)
“Hours before dawn we were woken by the quake.
My house was on a cliff. The thing could take
Bookloads off shelves, break bottles in a row.
Then the long pause and then the bigger shake.
It seemed the best thing to be up and go.”
—William Empson (1906–1984)