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TWO SAD LOSSES TO THE TRANSPORT INDUSTRY

Mrs Gwyneth Dunwoody MP Mr John Mervyn Pugh FInstTA

1930 - 2008 1933 - 2008

The death has been announced of Mrs Gwyneth Dunwoody Labour MP for Crewe and Nantwich. Since 1997 she has been the Chairman (yes ChairMAN) of the Government Select Committee on Transport. She has always defended the right of the electorate to have the best transport available even when this put her at loggerheads with her own party. She is quoted as saying
"For me, Parliament is not only the most important forum for the British people, it is also the last defender of the rights of all citizens. In recent years, it has given the impression of no longer fulfilling this vital task. Now we have the chance to restore the power to elected members, speaking for their constituents, monitoring and improving how government works. Recently the public have began to believe that the Government is arrogant and unresponsive. Staying in touch with people can be difficult for politicians. I have always tried to be approachable, and follow what is really going on, but Westminster can make us seem remote, and our electors are more likely to see us on the news, than in person. We come to rely on the media to tell us what citizens think and feel, rather than finding out for ourselves and I think it is not quite right".

She was born on 12th December 1930, has two sons and a daughter. Having been a Councillor in Totnes Borough Council from 1963-66 she entered Parliament as Labour member for Exeter in 1966. She lost her seat in the 1970 elections and became Director of the Film Producers' Association. She won the seat at Crewe in 1974 which became Crewe and Nantwich in 1983 and has remained ever since. She was also a Member of the European Parliament from 1974 to 1979. She was Opposition Spokesman on Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 1979-80, Opposition Spokesman on Transport 1979-83 and Opposition Spokesman on Campaigning and Information 1983-84. It was in 1997 that she made her name as Chairman of the Select Committee on Transport, a post she held right up to her death on Thursday 18th April 2008.

The majority of those in the Transport Industry will sorely miss her and the Institute sends its deepest condolences to her family, the people of Crewe and Nantwich and her colleagues in the Palace of Westminster.

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It is with great sadness that we have to announce the death of John Mervyn Pugh. All the delegates who attended the 2007 National Conference in Newport will have fond memories of John’s hugely entertaining talk on his times as a Traffic Commissioner. An imposing figure, John emphasised his approach to the role of Traffic Commissioner as being to educate and inform, not just prosecute; a man devoted to justice as well as the law who combined authority with humanity.

John Mervyn Cullwick Pugh was born in Birmingham in 1933. He qualified as a solicitor in 1957. He retired from private practice in 1984 and in 1985 he was appointed Deputy Traffic Commissioner for the West Midland traffic area, in May 1986 he became Traffic Commissioner for the Eastern traffic area based in Cambridge and Nottingham. In February 1987 he was appointed Traffic Commissioner for both the West Midland and South Wales traffic areas; for nine months he was also Traffic Commissioner for the Western traffic area, thus running three areas at one time. He retired as a Traffic Commissioner in May 1998 when he reached the statutory age of 65. He is the only person ever to have been the Traffic Commissioner for four traffic areas. John also wrote four books and edited a fifth.

He leaves his wife, Maggie and four children, including the eldest, Jonathan, who is The Times pocket cartoonist “Pugh”. The Institute would like to offer our deepest sympathy to all his family.

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New Scottish News page - click here to go to Centres In Action page for link

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Millar McDaid Award

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The annual presentation of the Millar McDaid Award was made to John Murray FInstTA at the October National Conference. John is the Publicity Officer at Solent Centre and edits the excellent Solent Newsletter which can be seen on the Solent Centre webpage. Congratulations to John from all his IoTA colleagues.

This is the highest individual award our Institute present in the Institute's calendar year and is awarded to a single member at National Conference each year. The award is presented to a member, who has given outstanding contribution/s to the Institute. Nominations are therefore invited from all 'centres' or individuals and must be received at Head Office no later than the 1st August in each calendar year

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