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Operating Aspects of PASSENGER TRANSPORT
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LATEST NEWS FROM THE TRAFFIC AREAS
LICENCE TO BE REVOKED: MANY COACHES AFFECTED.
STORM of public protest has been caused by the announcement that the Minister of Transport has decided to revoke the licence of Upminster Services, Ltd., for the Aldgate-Upininster route, via Ilford, upon which a large number of , coaches is engaged. The Minister alleges that the service has been illegally worked since inception.
Mr. Edward Hillman, managing director of the company and of Edward Hillman's Saloon Coaches, Ltd., has stated that he will probably contest the decision in the High Court.
On the Aldgate-Umninster service, some 40,000 passengers are carried per week, excluding season-ticket holders, of whom there are several thousand. Protest meetings are being held in the various ateas,affected, and questions on the matter are to be asked in Parliament. Well over 100 men will be thrown out of employment if the vehicles be taken froth the road.
It is understood that 137,000 has been spent on the provision of coaches and garages for the Upminster service. Some of the residential districts served are new, and many people are said to live a mile or two from a railway station,
The London General Omnibus Co., Ltd., has already made application to increase its service on the LondonUproinster route.
ANOTHER MERGER WITH RAILASSOCIATED COMPANIES.
IT was reported in Manchester, this
week, that negotiations had been completed for the acquisition by Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., the NorthWestern Road Car Co., Ltd-, and other associated undertakings, of the businesses of Wood Bros. (Blackpool), Ltd., and Messrs. Bracewell's Motor Services. Both work long-distance services from Blackpool to various parts of Yorkshire and Lancashire, whilst each runs a daily London-Blackpool service. It is stated that the services will operate as hitherto.
LEADING QUESTIONS DISALLOWED.
WHEN Mr. Eric Monkman applied,
on behalf of Keith and Boyle, Ltd., for a series of excursions from Holloway, Mr. Strong, on behalfof George Ewer and Co., Ltd., wished to put some questions regarding the numbers of passengers picked up at certain points. Mr. Monkman argued that the objecting company was not entitled to ask for figures on points at which it did not hold licences for the excursions in question.
Mr. GIeeson Robinson pOinted out that applicants should not be requested 5118 to disclose facts which were not necessary for him to know, but whieh might prove valuable to a possible business competitor.
" WESTERN NATIONAL" AND PLYMOUTH: NEW AGREEMENT. THE terms of an agreement between
the Western National Omnibus Co., Ltd., and Plymouth Corporation have been approved by the transport committee and are being submitted to the Traffic Commissioners for the Western Traffic Area.
The arrangement is on the lines of that already in existence and is for five years, when it is subject to a year's notice by either party. One of the amendments to the present agreement
is that 25 per cent. a the revenue shall be payable by the company to the corporation, instead of 50 per cent.
The municipality is negotiating on similar lines with the remaining bus proprietors.
TROLLEY-BUSES FOR BOURNEMOUTH.
LAST Tuesday, Bournemouth Town Council decided, in the face of much opposition, to inaugurate an experimental trolley-bus service over a mile of route.
INQUIRY INTO PROTEST AT GRANTHAM STATION CHARGES.
AS a result of protests by certain small operators against the charges for the use of Grantham Corporation's new bus station, the East Midland Traffic Commissioners held an inquiry into the Matter.
On behalf of the operators concerned, it was stated that the charges would make a local service entirely unre=lucrative. For the council, it was said that the station cost £7,991 to build. The expenditure on the station was estimated at £1,208 per annum, and the revenue would be £467. An amicable agreement was reached. CASE AGAINST M. OF T. POSTPONED UNTIL NEXT WlEEK.
THE case of the King versus the Minister of Transport (ex parts Grey Coaches, Ltd.) was not heard before the Lord Chief Justice and Justices Avery and Talbot, in the King's Bench Divisio_nal Court, last Monday.
No public announcement was made as to the reason for postponement or the date to which it is postponed. It is understood, however, that the AttorneyGeneral, Sir Thomas Inskip, K.C., is indisposed and that the case has been postponed op that account until February 14.
COMPREHENSIVE SCHEDULES OF STANDARD FARES.
THE Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners publish in Gazette 93 lists of fares for excursions and tours proposed to be charged on services from:—
Barnoldswick, Harrogate, Ripon, Skipton, Scarborough, Filey, Bridlington, Hornsea, York, Goole, Withernsea, Askern, Wakefield, Castleford, Normanton, Pontefract, Selby, Barnsley, Thorne, Doncaster, Sheffield, Chesterfield, Todroorden, Keighley, Haworth, Heavy Woollen District, Sutton-in-Craven, Cowling, Pudsey, Bradford, Yeadon, Shipley, Bingley, Halifax, Ilk/ey, Morley and Leeds.
The gazette also contains long lists of objections by various companies to the proposed rates.
Under the scheme, which has been prepared by Mr. J. Keeling, secretary of Yorkshire Motor Coach Owners, Ltd., operators in each sub-area of Yorkshire will have a group of sanctioned terminal points to which they will be able to run, at any time, with a special licence. The scheme is the first of its kind in the country.
SALFORD'S BIG LOSSES OF REVENUE: INCREASED FARES.
SOME revealing statistics were given
when Salford Corporation applied to the North-Western Traffic Commissioners for permission to increase bus fares throughout its system.
It was stated that, since March, 1928, traffic revenue had dropped from 1496,233 per annum to 1366,437 in March last year. It was estimated that the revenue for the current year would be £335,000. Had not substantial reductions been made in the tramways interest and sinking-fund charges, and a large decrease made in the assessment of the tramways, the surplus on the whole undertakings, last year, would have been wiped out. The Commissioners postponed their decision.
RIPON STATION PROGRESS.
FURTHER steps are being taken in connection with the provision of a bus station at Ripon. A. plan has been produced and negotiations are in progress with regard to a site. An Order under Section 90 of the Road Traffic Act is to be sought. MINISTER'S RULING ON APPEAL RECALLED.
IA,N appeal by the Eastern Counties "—Omnibus Co., Ltd., against the granting of " consent " to Lowestoft Corporation to run buses over a section of road which may shortly be brought within the municipal boundary, was heard by Mr. R. H. Tolerton.
Mr. Tolerton quoted the Minister's findings in connection with an appeal at Morecambe. He pointed out that a prima facie case had to be made out for the provision of a service before "consent" could be given, and, after granting it, the Commissioners were not committed in any way to issue a road service licence. Mr. Poles-ton further remarked that the Minister felt that adequate services already in existence did not make it necessary for the Commissioners to refuse "consent."
For the Eastern Counties concern, it was claimed that, although it had no agreement with the corporation, it was recognized as the operator of all services outside the town, as well as within the borough. For the municipality, it was stated that the corporation did not have to prove the growing need for an extended service, but merely that the prospective route was reasonable.
P.S.V. OPERATORS' OFFICES.
THE offices of P.S.V. Operators, Ltd., the concern working the standard:zed-ticket scheme for booking agents, have been established at First Avenue
House, 52, Bedford Row, London, W.C.1. The company invites applications from coach operators for membership. As announced in our issue dated January 27, the chairman and secretary are, respectively, Mr. W. F. French and Mr. S. EL Waters.
A HIRING OFFENCE.
AT Morpeth, last week, Mr. J. Kane, of Kane's Motor Services, Choppington, was fined for operating two express carriages hired from Messrs. Orange Bros., Newcastle, whereas his service was licensed only for stage carriages. Mr. Kane's own three vehicles were out of commission, and, in hiring buses he had failed to satisfy himself that they were licensed as stage carriages. TEN YEARS AS A LONDON INDEPENDENT.
A PAPER entitled "Ten Years in the
London Bus Industry" was read, last Friday, before the members of the Omnibus Society, by Mr. A. G. Partridge, chairman of the Chocolate Express Omnibus Co., Ltd., chairman of the Association of London Omnibus Proprietors, and member of the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee.
Mr. Partridge came to London some 25 years ago, and joined the London Road Car Co., Ltd. In 1920, after returning from the Army, he found that London needed more buses, and, with two partners, he purchased a Leyland, which was put into service in August, 1922. Other independent operators commenced work in London in 1923-24.
Eventually, however, certain independents sold out to the combine, and, later, the London Public Omnibus Co. was formed to merge independent operators who had passed into the control of the L.G.O.C.
Mr. Partridge also referred to competition from the suburban coach services. He emphasized the importance of adequate maintenance, and pointed out that, during the past 10 years, his vehicles had carried over 21,000,000 passengers, eaeriog over 1,000,000 busmiles, with only four involuntary stops. In addition to nightly examination, a thorough inspection of Express vehicles is carried out every 10 days.