A SUCCESSFUL BUS APPEAL AGAINST A MUNICIPAL DECISION.
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The Ministry Of Transport recently held an inquiry at Northampton into the appeal of the Birmingham and blidland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd., against the refusal of the Northampton Corporation to grant licencee toply for hire in the town with omnibuses.
The Ministry has notified the corporation that, after due investigation of the facts, the Minister has come to the conclusion that he cannot fully support the corporation in its decision not to grant licence e to the company. UO appreciates the fact that the corporation is satisfied with the existing local services on the metes in Northampton over which the company are desirous of extending their long-distance Fiery ice s, and, to this extent, he is prepared to accept the deeirrion of the eorporation. Having
regard to all the circumstances, however, he is of opinion that, in the interests of the general public, the company should be permitted to ply for hire in Northampton for the purpose of picking up passengers who wish to travel long distances.
In this connection it must be borne in mind that the jurisdiction of the corporation extends only to the limits of the borough, and, for this reason, the Minister indicates that any restriction imposed through the medium of the corporation's licensing powers must be confined to the borough. Accordingly, he suggests that the corporation should agree to geant licences on condition that the company give an undertaking so as to arrange their fares that they shall be in excees of the fares charged on the
existing local services for journeys between the terminal points in Northampton and the borough boundary.
The Minister requested that the corporation would reconsider the application of the company in the light of these viewe, and expressed the hope that, as a result of further deliberation, it would grant the necessary lieences, subject to the condition suggested, and so obviate the necessity for making a formal order allowing the company's appeal.
When the matter came before the watch committee it was decided to recommend the corporation to grant the licences under the conditions suggested by the Ministry, the question of making suitable stopping and picking-up places being left the hands of the chief constable; •