THE LATEST NEWS OF IMPORTANT EVENTS
Page 55
Page 56
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Y.M.C.O. AGAIN URGES CONTROL OF CONTRACT CHARGES.
rr HE case for the control of contract.I. carriage fares has been put by Mr. L. Cadwallader, secretary of Yorkshire Motor Coach Owners, Ltd., to Mr. R. H. Turton, M.P., with a request that he should place it before the Minister of Transport, At last week's conference of ' the respective joint standing committees of Yorkshire and Lancashire independent coach operators (reported in our issue dated July 6) a resolution was passed in favour of no control of contractcarriage fares.
Mr. Cadwallader states that it has been found that the large bus companies, which require spare vehicles for duplicate services, can offer their vehicles for private-hire work at fares which are unduly low in comparison with those which the smaller operator can hope to put forward.
Excursion operators, he continues, feel that they have not been afforded by the Road Traffic Act, 1930, the protection which has been given to operators of stage and express services, and if there were some control of contractcarriage fares, it would place them in a more favourable position.
He, suggests that licences should be issued to operators which would permit the operation of contract carriages, and that the only condition should be in respect of fares.
TOLLS COST BUS SERVICE £2,152 A YEAR.
THE heavy tolls charged for the use of the Penarth road by buses operating on the Cardiff-Penarth route were referred to at the July meeting of Cardiff Transport Committee.
Mr. William Forbes, manager, told the committee that further representations might be made to the owners of the toll rights. When last the corporation made representations for a reduction of tolls, a concession of 25 per cent, was obtained, but, even so, the charges are deemed excessive, and caused the Penarth service to show a loss of £199. Toll charges last year amounted to £2,152 for the service.
Application had been made to the Traffic Commissioners for sanction to run buses to Penarth over Leckwith Hill, instead of only on the Penarth Road route, so soon as the new Leekwith Bridge was opened. The committee decided to ask the toll owners to lower their charges.
WORKERS ACCEPT REVISED S.M.T. OFFER.
DY a large majority, the representailtives of the employees of the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd., have accepted the company's terms. Thirty delegates and five district organizers met, on July 9, in Glasgow, to hear the report of the negotiations last week. The company's amended offer increases by rid. per hour the wages of drivers (Grade A drivers excepted), whilst conductors and conductresses receive an extra id. per hour. Other concessions are made with regard to overtime, rest-day and lay-over payments. The agreement represents an additional 233,000 in wages.
£26,500,000 REVENUE.
EALTRING its first year of operation, lended June no, London Passenger Transport Board's revenue amounted to £26,505,100.
TRENT CO.'s ACQUISITIONS.
IT is understood that the Trent Motor Traction Co., Ltd., has taken over three routes of Blue Bus Service (Derby), Ltd., and one route cf Messrs. Boxall.
U.A.S. EXTENDS NETWORK.
WE learn that United Automobile Services, Ltd., has taken over the bus service of Mr. Lance Pyle at Bedlington (Northumberland), and the undertaking ceased running as a separate unit last Saturday.
NINE MORE SERVICES FOR D.U.T.
TT is reported that the Dublin United -1Tramways Co. (1896), Ltd., has applied to the Minister for Industry and Commerce for Orders for the acquisition of nine services run by five independent bus operators in the City.
• PROVISIONAL SALE TO CROSVILLE CO.
TT is understood that Mr. T. 0. IMaddocks, of Chester, has entered into a provisional agreement with Crosville Notor Services, Ltd., for the sale of his coach and bus undertaking and proposes to assign to the company the tenancy of the parking ground at Bowling Green Bank, Chester.
" ECLIPSE " AND "RED AND WHITE."
TN connection with a paragraph in our lissue dated June 29, in which it was mentioned that Eclipse Saloon Service-s Ltd., was a subsidiary of, and had been acquired by, Red and White Services, Ltd., Mr. J. P. H. Hayes, general manager of the Eclipse concern, slates that his company has not been acquired by the Red and White undertaking. He adds that he has not issued confirmations or statements concerning the matters referred to in that paragraph. "1924 ACT OF NO BENEFIT TO L.G.O.C."
EVIDENCE by Mr. Frank Pick, vicelachairman of the London Passenger Transport Board, was continued on Monday in the hearing of the claim by Thomas Tilling, Ltd. Lord Aslrfield, chairman of the Board, was present.
Mr. Pick reiterated that the London Traffic Act, 1924, was of no real benefit to the London General Omnibus Co.,. Ltd. He mentioned that Thomas Tilling, Ltd., wished to participate with the L.G.O.C. to the extent of 5 per cent, in the operation of Green Line Coaches, Ltd. Certain routes were flooded with coaches and the only method of competing was by inaugurating the Green Line coach system. The freedom allowed to coach operators nullified the protection to which the L.G.O.C. considered itself to be entitled.
On Tuesday, Mr. Pick stated that the limitation of the bus services did not have a markedly beneficial effect on the tramways.
CARDIFF URGED TO DROP BUSTERMINUS DISPUTE.
A STRONG recommendation to Car diff Watch Committee not to proceed with the dispute concerning the use of Westgate Street as a picking-up point for buses was made by the town clerk last week. It may be recalled that the corporation appealed against the South Wales Traffic Commissioners' decision to allow four coach and bus companies to use this street as a terminus, and the Minister of Transport dismissed the appeals. The chief constable of Cardiff later suggested that the corporation should apply to the High Court for a writ of certiorari against the Minister.
At last week's meeting the town clerk deprecated this suggestion and gave it as his opinion that the Commissioners had acted within their powers. The use of the word " terminus " in connection with Westgate Street jutplied merely the end of a journey ; it was not to be construed as meaning a stand for vehicles.
"HIGHER FARES FOLLOW MONOPOLIES "—SIR J. MAXWELL.
THE Northern Traffic Commissioners, sitting at Newcastle, adjourned an application by United Automobile Services, Ltd., to increase from 2s. to 2s, 6d. the price of 22-journey tickets between Blyth and Newcastle.
Blyth Town Council, which objected to the proposed increase, said that the evidence was more in favour of a reduction, because the " United " had secured a monopoly on the route, had reduced the frequency of the service, and had effected other economies.
In adjourning the application until the Commissioners had considered the returns for the route, Sir John Maxwell (chairman) said that no sooner was a monopoly created than up went the fares. It was a bad atmosphere, he added.
TENTATIVE BOOKINGS NOT GOOD EVIDENCE.
A WARNING to coach operators CI against the practice of advertising excursions " subject to the consent of the Commissioners," and then tendering advance bookings as evidence of demand, was given by Mr. Joseph Farndale, chairman of the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners, last Friday, when granting an application by Messrs. Wild Brothers to operate long-distance tours from Earby, as well as from 13arnoldswick.
There was said to be a population of 7,000 in Earby, but no one had run direct excursions before. Passengers objected to the change of vehicles at Barnoldswick. Mr. Wild said he had had many provisional bookings for excursions which he had advertised for the forthcoming holiday week, subject to obtaining consent.
Mr. Farndale said the Commissioners desired to condemn this practice. If the application had rested merely on the evidence thus obtained, they would not have entertained the application.
MORE BUS PASSENGERS IN I.F.S.
THE Irish Free State bus statistics for May show that 7,940,000 passengers were carried on buses within the country, an increase of 759,000 on the number carried during the same month of 1933. The receipts amounted to £95,603, as compared with £87,919. Although there has been a general increase in internal bus traffic in the State, there is a marked decrease in cross-border traffic.
For the first five months of this year, the number of passengers carried totalled +36,493,000, which compares with 32,624,000 for the same period in 1933, whilst the receipts amounted to £428,536 and £396,116 respectively. The figures for cross-border services for the same periods were 724,000 passengers in 1934 and 816,000 in 1933, and £4;632 receipts in 1934 and £6,783 in 1933.
MANCHESTER'S NEW BUSES.
REPORTING on the proposal of the transport committee of Manchester Corporation to purchase 30 double-deck buses, required to meet developments on the Wythenshawe, Baguley and other routes, the finance committee states that powers are sought to borrow £54,480 for the provision of the vehicles. The annual charges for interest and sinking fund are estimated at £8,306 and will be met out of revenue. The transport committee estimates that the income from the vehicles will be sufficient to cover working expenses and the debt charges.
MORE BUSES FOR TRAMS.
MORTHAMPTON Corporation's 1 "I transport' manager recently reported to the transport committee that the substitution of buses for tramcars on the St. James and Far Cotton routes was necessary. It was decided to purchase eight new double-deck buses for the new services. REFUNDS FOR SURRENDERED LICENCES.
THE Minister of Transport has authorized the Traffic Commissioners to make refunds in certain cases where a licensee sells or otherwise permanently disposes of a vehicle prior to the expiration of the public-servicevehicle licence.
The licensee must surrender the licence, with the relative vehicle plate, to the Commissioners by whom it was issued. The refund will be at the rate of 10s. for every two complete calendar months of the currency of the licence unexpired at the date of surrender.
RIBBLE'S RECORD REVENUE.
AT the 15th annual general meeting of Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., Mr. W. S. Wreathall, the chairman, announced that the revenue of £1,213,8,01 for the past year was the largest figure for income in the history of the company. He also mentioned that, at the end of the financial year, the concern had a cash balance of £64,361, as compared with an overdraft of £38,492 in the previous year.
Mr. Wreathall referred to the success of the company's policy of using highclass coaches for its long-distance services and its tours. He added that during the past year a new garage had been built at Bootle, as the result of the company's increasing business between that borough and Liverpool, which are now important centres of activity for the company.
Chesterfield Corporation is, The Commercial Motor understands, to purchase Messrs. Gee's work-people's bus service between North Wingfield and Brampton.