UNIFORM CONTROL OF BUS TRAFFIC.
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ATOTORIWS questions came under 1.V.Ireview at the second annual conference of the North Western Rural District Councils Conference at Preston, on Monday, July 4th, when a resolution was adopted urging the National Rural Councils Association to endeavour to secure the insertion of clauses in the draft' Road Traffic Bill providing for the establishment, where local authorities so desire, of Motor Omnibus jmut Boards, so as to secure uniform administration. It is suggested that such boards should operate over sufficiently wide areas and consist of representatives of all the local authorities within the area, with the addition of the county council, and that they should be invested with all the powers-of licensing authorities.
Mr. Charles Sixsmith, chairman of the Chorley Motor Omnibus Joint Committee, said that the joint committee with which he was connected now included representatives of the county boroughs of Bolton and Wigan, the borough of Chorley, and the urban councils of Adlington, Horwich, Leyland, Standish, Walton-le-Dale and Withnell, and the rural council of Chorley. It was purely advisory, the various authorities reserving their licensing rights. The functions of the joint committee are to consider all applications for licences to ply for hire, particularly in regard to proposed new services, to co-ordinate services in order to prevent " racing," to secure the safety of passengers and of the general public, to ensure similar conditions in relation to the issue oil licences by all authorities and to see that all authorities act upon common lines.
It is said that the joint committee has amply justified its existence and has rendered valuable service to the licensing authorities, to the public and to the bus proprietors, and its value has been recognized by the Ministry of Transport. There are 20 services operating in the rural district of Charley, on which no fewer than 336 vehicles are used. At the meeting it was mentioned that rural councils are more concerned in any legislation than are the most populous urban districts, because of the wider roads in rural areas. Comment was made on the draft Road Traffic Bill which, it was said, contained much that was good. Some of the proposals have already been anticipated by the Chorley Motor Omnibus Joint Committee.
Co-operation with neighbouring authorities was, it was said, essential for the arrangement of the time-table of competing services to prevent overlapping, racing and other risks. The Bill contained no provision to secure such co-operation, and it was thought that the interests of local councils would be best served by the inclusion of a clause providing for the formation of joint boards.