Catalogue description British Omnibus Companies Public Relations Committee Papers: Peter Yorke Collection

Under the 1947 Transport Act the British Transport Commission (BTC) was established as a public authority with powers, inter alia, to prepare schemes for co-ordinating road and rail passenger services. The act did not nationalise outright 'bus and coach services and initially the BTC simply inherited the 'bus interests of the former railway companies. But since the latter had acquired considerable holdings in these sectors and since the Commission had been given fairly wide powers of acquisition its potential monopoly powers were considerable.

These powers were not used to any great extent though the BTC did acquire the road passenger holdings of the Scottish Motor Traction Group and Thomas Tilling as well as a number of smaller provincial companies. The only area scheme proposed - for North-East England - evoked lively opposition, not least from municipal passenger transport authorities, and was not pursued.

As the representative of provincial omnibus companies the British Omnibus Companies Public Relations Committee (BOCPRC), in conjunction with the Passenger Vehicle Operatives Association Ltd (PVOA), took a leading part in resisting nationalisation. As well as being National Director of the BOCPRC, Peter Yorke was also director of a number of other transport companies and also a member of the Council of the British Electric Traction Federation Ltd which the BTC did attempt, at one point, to take over

Most private 'bus companies found the proposed nationalisation unpalatable and the Executive Committee of BOCPRC engaged a firm of publicity consultants, Press Secretaries Ltd, to advise them how to win support for their cause. Press Secretaries recommended a) a sub-committee of the Executive Committee which would be wholly responsible for the campaign organisation and b) use of representatives of BOCPRC regional groups in mounting local opposition. The regional groups were also to act as area organisers of, and plan recruitment to, an association representing the interests of 'bus passengers which would be known as the Omnibus Passengers Protection Association (OPPA), whose regional offices would work independently of each other.

To co-ordinate their efforts, Peter Yorke became in effect the national organiser of OPPA working from the same address as BOCPRC and the BET Federation Ltd though there was no office as such. Care was taken to avoid association with political parties and industrial interests and the OPPA campaigns were based on non-political arguments such as efficiency and cost of fares.The efforts of OPPA met with considerable success.

Under the new Conservative Government, the 1953 Transport Act abolished the Road Passenger Executive which had been set up to look after nationalised 'bus interests. In addition the BTC were prohibited from acquiring further undertakings. Also in 1953, the Thesiger Committee reported favourably on the licensing system and rejected the suggestion that easier entry into the industry should be allowed. In effect, the status quo was retained. The OPPA groups at this point were virtually defunct and gradually died out.