While all around them has changed quite markedly, the passenger transport authorities & executives have remained largely intact, having stood the test of time. The government created the first four 40 years ago this year. Yet, today, 9 February 2009, we witness changes.

1969 and All That—Part 2

I say ‘remained largely intact’ above because in 2006, Strathclyde (Scotland) PTA/E changed into an organisation responsible for all transport planning, not just for public transport.

Today’s developments in England don’t go that far but the governing PTAs that oversee their PTEs morph from being familiar passenger transport authorities to integrated transport authorities or ITAs, thanks to the Local Transport Act 2008 and its extended powers. The ITAs still have nominated councillors from their constituent metropolitan boroughs. See our fantasy PTA, posted in May 2007.

The change reflects the ITAs’ wider transport role, including a strategic responsibility for planning and delivering transport. More changes and powers are to come, as the regulations underpinning the Act are published.

In our six largest urban areas outside London, there’s been deregulation, arms length operation and subsequently privatisation of the PTE bus fleets. The Big Five have become dominant. As the private sector has grown, so has the PTA/PTE structure, in stature. They have been a remarkable stabilising force for good in the turbulent times of deregulation within the city regions, overseeing large- and small-scale infrastructure projects, successful urban railways, publicity, integrated ticketing, concessionary & free travel, even trams. And introducing best practice. Critics might argue that passenger decline was greatest in the PTA/E area; the PTAs might counter that with a lack of regulatory powers.

The PTA/Es have remained intact through the many hues of government. Created under socialist Labour transport secretary Barbara Castle, you might expect successive conservative governments to have abolished them as monoliths. Instead, PTA/Es became partners in the successful delivery of a privatised, Conservative railway.

And under New Labour and the 2008 Act, there’s the prospect of expansion, as consenting local authorities in England can band together to create new ones, subject to checks & balances, including at Whitehall & Westminster. See our spoof, fantasy ITA, first posted in May 2007.

A Brief History of PTA/Es

There was much opposition, indeed hostility, during the run up to the Transport Act 1968. None were in favour of PTAs and PTEs. This in spite of some existing joint working and co-operation.

1969 saw the emergence of the first four PTAs in the West Midlands, south east Lancashire/north east Cheshire (SELNEC, to become Greater Manchester), Merseyside and Tyneside. The PTAs had oversight of the newly created executives and local municipal corporations ceded their operations to these PTEs. The executives began integrating buses and rail.

Upon the creation of metropolitan county councils in 1974, the PTA function transferred intact to the counties. The PTEs continued and expanded, where county boundary changes enlarged their operating areas. There emerged an additional two PTEs, upon the creation of South & West Yorkshire counties.

Upon the abolition of the metropolitan county councils in 1986, the PTAs were recreated as a separate entity. These, along with fire and police authorities, were the only remnant of the old county regional authorities. PTA/Es often saw themselves as successors to the old regime. PTA/E staff would tend to continue to refer to their area as “the county” and perhaps contemptuously refer to the metropolitan borough constituents as “the districts”.

From 1986, PTEs lost their direct operational responsibilities, as operations first became arms length and them privatised, leaving the PTA/Es as enablers and tendering authorities. PTEs retained and then strengthened their rail powers. Unlike local authorities, PTEs were unable to own and operate fleet though this is remedied by the 2008 Act.