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Operating Aspects of

PASSENGER TRANSPORT

THE LATEST NEWS OF IMPORTANT EVENTS

M.T. CO. LOSES THIRD APPEAL.

cOR the third time, the M.T. Co.

(Motor Coaches), Ltd., has failed in its appeals in connection with the daily services that it has run for 14 years from London to the Isle of Thant. The company appealed against restrictions as to fare stages, picking-up points and the use of vehicles in Broadstairs imposed by the South-Eastern Traffic Commissioners; against the Metropolitan Traffic Commissioner's refusal of picking-up points in Kennington and Eltham, and fare stages between London and Sturry, Hersden and Upstreet; and against the decision of the South-Eastern Commissioners permitting the East Kent Road Car Co., Ltd., picking-up points between Dane Hill and Stockers Head, with relevant fare stages, and picking-up points at Lenham, with a London-Lenham fare stage.

The East Kent Road Car Co., Ltd., appealed against the decisions of the South-Eastern Commissioners permitting the M.T. Co. picking-up points at Lenham, also against the Metropolitan Traffic Commissioner's inclusion of certain additional fare stages in a licence granted to the M.T. Co.

The Minister of Transport, in announcing his decision, states that he has decided to make no order, except. in the case of the East Kent 'company's appeal against certain additional fare stages granted to the M.T. Co. by the Metropolitan Traffic Commissioner. In that case he has decided that the additional fare stages granted to that company shall not be allowed. The remaining appeals fail, and the appellant has been ordered to pay costs.

CROSVILLE ACQUIRES MAXWAYS.

understand that Maxways Motor Services, who have operated coaches between the Merseyside and North Wales since 1920, have been acquired by Crosville Motor Services, Ltd. Garages at Liverpool and Birkenhead, and 10 coaches have been transferred to the Crosville company, whilst Mr. F. H. Macdonald, founder of Maxways, and most of the staff, will join the new proprietor.

£23,000 BUS ORDER PENDING.

AT a„ meeting of Chesterfield Town Council, it was stated that the transport committee was faced with a capital expenditure of £23,000 on new buses, and, if the undertaking could avoid a loss on this year's working, it would be fortunate.

HOURS QUESTION AT OXFORD.

OXFORD Watch Committee is to consider the advisability of requesting the Ministry of Transport to hold an inquiry to ascertain whether City of Oxford Motor Services, Ltd., has infringed the Road Traffic Act, 1930. Allegations concerning drivers' hours were made at a council meeting.

FURTHER LIGHT ON LATEST TILLING DEAL.

AFURTHER statement, which we understand to be inaccurate, has been made in the Press concerning the position of Elliott Bros. (Bournemouth), Ltd., which, as we announced last week, has not yet been acquired by Thos. Tilling, Ltd.

We believe, on good authority, that the Thos. Tilling concern is buying the Elliott undertaking on behalf of three associated companies, the Western National Omnibus Co., Ltd., the Southern National Omnibus Co., Ltd., and Hants and Dorset Motor Services, Ltd., but the negotiations have not yet been completed. Application for the transfer of the licences is being made to the Traffic Commissioners. It is possible that the Hants and Dorset concern may run the excursions and tours in its area, previously operated by Elliott Bros. (Bournemouth), Ltd. APPEAL LOST IN LORDS.

THE House of Lords, last week, dismissed an appeal by the Great Grimsby Street Tramways Co. against judgments by the Court of Appeal and Mr. Justice Farwell, in favour ' of Cleethorpes Urban District Council, the respondent.

The tramways company sought an injunction from Mr. Farwell to restrain the council from running two bus services in Cleethorpes, one being approximately parallel with, and close to, a tram route covered by the company. and the other following for the greater part of its length the same route as the first service. The company submitted that an agreement between the two parties and an Act of Parliament prevented the council from running buses "between any points served by the appellant's tramway service."

It was contended that the courts below did not give due effect to the words "served by," in concluding that they meant a service between points located on the company's tram routes. Without calling on the respondent, the House dismissed the appeal with costs.

SHOULD COMMISSIONERS AGREE?

WHETHER the North Western VI. Traffic Commissioners were entitled to refuse to sanction a change of timing on the services of Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., to Ilfracombe, Paignton, etc., when* the co-ordination scheme, under which the proposal was made, had been approved in five other areas, was a question raised on appeal by that company last Friday. The change was proposed under a coordination arrangement prepared at the instance of the Western Traffic Commissioners to reduce mileage and provide better facilities for connections with other services.

The variation in the North-Western Area was stated to be smaller than those sanctioned in the other areas. c51

TWO FARES commIrrEES APPROVE REGULAR MEETINGS.

ON Friday last, Nos. 1 and 2 .../Regional Sub-committees on Fares agreed that two regular meetings should be held annually and that emergency meetings should take place within 28 days of the receipt of a requisition signed by any operator, and not only with the approval of an association. It was also decided to recommend the Central Fares Committee to hold a meeting 14 days after the Regional Committee meetings.

About half the expense of meetings is to be borne by the Motor Hirers and Coach Services Association, whilst the period proposed for the 1935 season was approved. The questions of running cheap excursions and issuing weekly contract tickets were abandoned.

MAGISTRATES CRITICIZE LAW.

1N fining Edward Davies and Son, Ltd., Llanidloes, £3 for carrying passengers on a lorry, the Welshpool magistrates stated that the law in this connection was harsh and that their opinion would be communicated to the Magistrates Association, Montgomery Quarter Sessions, and the Justices Clerks Association, with aview to alleviating the position.

The passengers were two farmers who were travelling with their stock to market. The bench considered that the law inflicted considerable hardship, not only on those engaged in transporting farm stock, but also on the agricultural community.

EXTRA CHRISTMAS SERVICES.

SPECIAL arrangements to deal with Christmas traffic have been made by Associated Motorways. On December 21 and 24 an additional service from London to Cheltenham and Gloucester will leave the Terminal Coach Station at 6.45 p.m., and on December 22 and 24, from Gloucester at 6.30 p.m. On December 22 there will be a departure from London at 8.45 p.m., in addition to the extra service at 6.45 p.m.

On Christmas Day all services will be suspended, whilst on Boxing Day the normal daily timings will be resumed. On December 22 an additional service will operate from Cheltenham to Swansea to connect with the 1.30 p.m. service from London.

INDUSTRIAL COURT AWARD.

IN an award issued on Monday, the 'Industrial Court decided that the wages and conditions of employment of bus workers in Northern Scotland should not be less favourable than the following:— Drivers : On appointment, 11/d. per hour per six-day 48-hour week ; after six months, is. Old.; after 12 months, is.. 0/d. ; after 18 months, 1s. lid., and after 24 months, 1s. lid. Conductors of 18 years of age, 6/d.; 18/ years, Old.; 19 years, 7/d., and 20 years, 71d. Overtime shall be paid at time-and-aquarter rates on Sundays, local holidays, rest days and for all time worked c52 in excess of 108 hours per fortnight, excluding time worked on rest days. An eight-day holiday with pay (64 hours at normal rates) shall be afforded annually to employees with 12 months' continuous service.

This award has been made on a case concerning Mr. G. Scott (Rover Bus Service), Aberdeen, who has, it is stated, contravened the Road Traffic Act, 1930, in connection with the fairwages clause.

NO AGREEMENT ON PROTECTION.

REPRESENTATIVES of the Dunferraline District Traction Co., Ltd., W. Alexander and Sons, Ltd., Fife County Council and the burghs of Dunfermline, Cowdenbeath and Lochgelly, again failed to reach agreement at a conference at Dunfermline. They were discussing the terms of a proposed agreement under which it is claimed, on behalf of the traction company, that it is entitled to a continuation of protection for its -tramways service over

the Dunfermline-Lochore route. Protective fares have been charged by bus operators during the past /2 months. The confereece decided that the matter S' should be dealt with by the Commissioners.

SMALL LOSS AT MERTHYR.

ALOSS of £753 on Merthyr Corporadon's bus undertaking was reported to the omnibus committee, last week. This sum included a deficit of £1,243 on the operation of the Merthyr-Cardiff service and the provision of £1,644 in respect of the depreciation of buses purchased from the reserve fund during the past few. years. It was anticipated that the undertaking would not incur a loss this year.

JOINT OPERATION OF BLACKPOOL-OLDHAM SERVICES?

APPLICATION has been made to the North-Western Traffic Commissioners by the Lancashire United Transport and Power Co., Ltd., Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., and the. NorthWestern Road Car Co., Ltd., for permission to take over, and operate jointly, a number of services between Oldham and Blackpool, by several different routes. These services were previously operated by M. and H. Motors, Ltd.

Reading Corporation is to seek power to run trolleybuses. . ENCOURAGING I.F.S. BUS STATISTICS.

DURING October last, the total gross receipts from passenger fares on wholly internal services in the Irish Free State amounted to £91,769, as compared with £87,499 in October, 1933. The total number of passengers carried was 7,703,000, and 2,414,000 vehicle-miles were run, as compared with 7,089,000 and 2,507,000 respectively a year ago. On the cross-border services 140,000 vehicle-miles were run, 160,000 passengers carried, and £4,760 gross receipts obtained from fares, representing decreases of 59,000 vehiclemiles, 11,000 passengers and £2,012 receipts on the figures for October, 1933.

From January-October, this year, the gross receipts from passenger fares on internal services amounted to £964,943, an increase of £48,226 on last year's figure, whilst 76,310,000 passengers were carried and 25,046,000 vehiclemiles run as compared with 69,373,000

passengers and 25,314,000 vehicle-miles in 1933. During the first 10.months of this year, cross-border services carried 1,63 '5;000 passengers, yielding £54,136 gross receipts, and representing a decrease of 199,000 passengers and £29,135 receipts on the figures for the corresponding period last year. The number of vehicle-miles run on the same services during the same period fell from 1,954,000 in 1933 to 1,374,000 in 1934.

BLACKPOOL'S BUSES DO WELL.

THE recently issued accounts of the transport department of Blackpool Corporation show that, in the year ended March 31, 1934, a gross profit of £16,549 was made on the operation of the municipal buses, income having totalled £81,886 and working expenses £65,337. Interest and debt repayment charges account for £7,651, whilst £5,615 was contributed towards the cost of new vehicles, so that the net balance on the year's working was £3,283, which compares with a loss of £9,586 in the preceding year.

During the period under review the buses covered an aggregate mileage of 1,526,214 and carried 11,618,516 passengers. At the end of March last, the corporation had 55 buses, mainly of Leyland make. It is also to seek power to run trolleybuses and abandon the trams. COMPANY SEEKING TO EVADE LOCAL ACTS?

A T a meeting of Bournemouth Town .1-1,Council last week, Alderman F. B. Summerbee, chairman of the transport committee, stated that the Bill to be promoted in Parliament by Hants and Dorset Motor Services, Ltd., to operate motorbuses in Poole, when Bournemouth Corporation's tramways lease expired next June, was an attempt to evade the provisions of existing local Acts. The Bill is being supported by Poole Corporation and opposed by Bournemouth Corporation.

At the meeting approval was given to the prcposal to apply to the Minister of Transport for a Provisional Order for permission to run trolleybuses in Poole.

THE POSITION IN DUBLIN.

I N connection with a paragraph pub lished last week, we learn from Messrs. Fureys' Tours, Dublin, that there is still a number of independent concerns operating bus services in Dublin and district. Messrs. Fureys' coach business, which has been established for many years, has not been., acquired by the Dublin United Tramways Co., Ltd. or the railways, although some of their licences have, under the Road Transport Act, 1933, compulsorily been transferred to the railways.

SEASON TICKETS FOR GLASGOW: THREE-DAY HEARING.

AFTER a hearing occupying three days, the Southern Scotland Traffic Commissioners granted, on December 6, Glasgow Corporation's application to introduce bus season tickets. Objections were lodged by the Central S.M.T. Co., Ltd., and the railway companies, amongst others.

The Commissioners granted the application for Is. " anywhere " tickets, but refused that for Id. fares. The season tickets, costing 3s. per week, will be permitted within the city boundaries and for passengers travelling to and from places outside the city boundary, in the latter case at fares not less than those of other operators. OPPOSITION TO LICENCE TRANSFER.

LAST Friday the Eastern, Traffic Commissioners heard the application of George Ewer and Co., Ltd., for the transfer of the licences of Messrs. Holliday and Bangs for services from London to Fakenham and King's Lynn, via Bury St. Edmund's. The Ewer concern's proposal VMS to link the service with its London-Yarmouth route, making various alterations. and curtailments.

The Eastern Counties Omnibus Co., Ltd., one of the objectors, submitted that George Ewer and Co., Ltd., in eliminating 21,000 vehicle-miles, would save nothing. Messrs. Holliday and Bangs could not be losing less than 3d. per vehicle-mile, or £2,027 a year, on their services to Fakenham and King's Lynn, for 20 miles were run for every passenger carried. Such services should not, it was submitted, be transferred to an operator who merely thought that he could do better.

The Commissioners reserved their decision.