THE LATEST NEWS OF IMPORTANT EVENTS
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SOUTHERN AREA MERGING WITH THREE OTHER AREAS.
UNDER the London. Passenger Transport Act, large portions of the
Eastern and South-Eastern Areas and • Parts of the Southern and East Midland Areas have been transferred to the Metropolitan Area. The Minister of Transport proposes, as from January 1 next (subject to the provisions of Section 02 of the Road 'Traffic Act), to Merge the Southern Area into other areas, as follows :— The Isle of Wight, the county of Southampton (except the portion lying north-west of, and including, route A354) and Berkshire (except the part lying north of, and including, route A40) are te be transferred to the SouthEastern Area.
Dorset, Wiltshire and that part of Southampton not transferred to the South-Eastern Area are to be merged in the Western Area. The East Midland Area will be made to include the county of Oxford, that part of Buckinghamshire outside the Metropolitan Area which is not already included in the East Midland Area, and that portion of Berkshire not merged with the SouthEastern Area.
The Minister has also under consideration the question of certain possible adjustments of boundary between the East Midland and Eastern Areas.
CONTRACT CARRIAGE LAW.
CALLED to consider the position re specting pre-booked private parties and the question of contract carriages, coach owners in south-east Lancashire held a meeting at Manchester and adopted a number of important resolutions.
One grievance was in resnect of operators from Blackpool coming to the various districts and quoting rates below the standard for the area. It was decided that, in the case of pre-booked parties, a reduction of 5 per cent, should be made on the scheduled rates.
Concerning the proposal to limit the number of vehicles to be operated, the meeting was of the opinion that the restriction should apply only to vehicles hired and not to the number operated. Operators considered that private parties should be picked up at the most convenient point, unless there were special circumstances. Further, the opinion was expressed that the Road Traffic Act should he amended to include all contract carriages.
FINE FOR FARE-CUTTING.
A vv-EsT COUNTRY operator,
Taylor's Central Garages (Exeter), Ltd., was fined at Exeter, last week, for cutting excursion fares. The company was prosecuted by the Western Traffic Commissioners, and it was stated that, on two occasions, instead of charging the standard fare of es. ed. for each passenger, two persons were carried for this sum.
Mr. F. W. Taylor, the managing director, said that he knew nothing of these particular eases and pointed out that the company never offered reduced charges to patrons.
TRANSFERRING A SERVICE.
IN connection with a paragraph in last
week's issue, concerning a proposal to transfer a service from one operator to another, we are asked to make it clear that Sir John Maxwell, chairman of the Northern Traffic Commissioners, did not suggest that it should be sold. YORKSHIRE OPERATORS' DEPT.% TATION TO COMMISSIONERS.
A DEPUTATION from YorkShire Coach Owners, Ltd., has interviewed the chairman of the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners (Mr. Joseph Farndale). A good do-al of apprehension among members with regard to the limitation of terminal points for advertised day excursions and restrictions on the maxi mum number of vehicles for pre-booked parties and period excursions, has been removed.
The first point dealt with at the interview was the limitation of terminal points for advertised day excursions. Submitting that, under the Commissioners' decisions, operators could not give the public a sufficient choice of trips, the deputation suggested that it would have been better to grant a group of terminal points, based on the past three years' running, instead of on last year's operations. In reply, Mr. Earndale said that operators should apply for variations of their licences.
Mr. Ferndale indicated that the Commissioners would permit increases in the number of vehicles employed for prebooked-party work where public demand was proved by the fact that the bookings called for additional vehicles.
Regarding the reductions in the maximum number of vehicles allowed for period excursions, the deputation stressed the point that such reductions would have a crippling effect on the Y.C.O.'s inter-hiring scheme, under which members hired each other's vehicles to cope with rush traffic from particular towns in the area.
After considerable discussion it was agreed that individual operators should submit returns showing the number of period-return passengers which they carried under licence last year.
Since the deputation interviewed Mr. Farndale, the Commissioners have notified Mr. J. Keeling, secretary of the Y.C.O., that, subject to operators submitting figures showing the periodreturn traffic handled under licence last year, they will be permitted to increase the maximum number of vehicles sufficiently to enable them to deal with the same amount this year.
HULL CORPORATION AND "EAST YORKSHIRE" AGREEMENT.
FOLLOWING the announcement in
last week's issue, we are now able to give further details of the co-ordination arrangements reached between Hull City Council and East Yorkshire Motor Services, Ltd. The agreement was approved by the council on July 6.
Contrary to a statement which has appeared elsewhere, the arrangement does not constitute a merger, as each undertaking retains its own identity as the transport operator.
With the concurrence of Hull's transport manager, Mr. Fearnley, Sheffield Corporation's transport manager, who is well known for his ability as a negotiator, was called in to assist Hull in reaching an agreement with the cornany. The Hull area is to be divided into three districts, and in the first the corporation will have sole right of operation. In the second section, the corporation and the company will run jointly, whilst the third area will be devoted to the East Yorkshire concern.
It is provided that, if the scheme does not work satisfactorily, it may be modified at the end of a year. The agreement, incidentally, was reached at the request of the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners.
NORTHERN HOLIDAY WEEKS COMMENCE.
THE great annual holiday weeks in the industrial centres of Lancashire and Yorkshire, and some of the adjoining areas in Derbyshire and Cheshire, have begun. Bolton and Nelson always inaugurate the season, to be followed, Weekly, by other towns, the peak being reached as August advances. A few of them take a short holiday in September, including those that have had -a full week earlier in the summer. Incidentally, the expression " wakes " belongs only to Oldham and a few other places.
As a rule, each town has the whole of its coaches booked in good time and supplementary vehicles have to be hired from neighbouring centres. The holiday weeks provide considerable business for the coach operators, but some of these have found difficulties in taking parties by road to a distant resort, and then waiting until required for the return journey.
Many of the people in the industrial areas prefer to travel in large parties from the holiday clubs of various institutions. A Llandudno firm recently provided for a party of 100 persons to be carried from Bolton to Llandudno. Five coaches were sent to Bolton on Friday night—a journey of 100 miles— and a start was made on Saturday at 7 a.m. The contract included tours of the district surrounding Llandudno on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the visitors being left, for the intervening days, to their personal pursuits.
This class of operation has the advantage that caterers are able to quote lower terms for a large party for the week than is possible in the case of a stay of only a night. Moreover, the party assembles at a fixed hour for meals, and catering is much facilitated.
From the point of view of the coach operator, these holiday tours represent ready money, because the members of the clubs contribute in advance all the year round.
BUSES FOR TRAMS AT LEEDS.
FURTHER to the paragraph in our issue dated June 30, Leeds City Council has accepted the heads of agreement reached between Leeds and Morley Councils for the substitution of buses for trams on tlA route to Morley.
It is also proposed to abandon the trams and operate buses on the Guiseley route, the restoration of the track on which would, it is stated, cost over i100,000. There may be a possibility of the employment of trolley-buses, but a decision on this point will not be reached for some time.
78 CLAIMS TO COMPENSATION.
SEVENTY-EIGHT claims to compen sation under the Road Traffic Act have been made by former .employees of the Keighley Corporation's transport undertaking, which was merged into a new company formed by the corporation and the West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd. The Ministry of Transport will decide on the Claims. MINIMUM FINES FOR CONTRACT-CARRIAGE OFFENCE.
THE
echo of an important High Court
case concerning contract-carriage work was heard at Aldershot, last week, when Westminster Coaching Services, Ltd., Wag fined 10s. on each of seven counts, for carrying soldiers in coaches without having road service licences.
It may be remembered that the work was undertaken last December, and the Aldershot magistrates dismissed the case against the company. An appeal to the High Court was then made by the prosecutor and the magistrates' decision was reversed, the ease being referred to the local justices for conviction.
At Aldershot, last week, the magistrates imposed minimum fines, and refused costs to the public prosecutor. We understand that this decision may be the basis of rulings in several other cases.
Incidentally, similar action was recently taken in the West Country, following the reversal of a local bench's decision by the High Court.
COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE SALFORD'S LOSSES.
A SUB-COMMITTEE of the trans
port committee of Salford Corporation is to be appointed to consider means for reducing the losses on the undertaking. Permission to increase fares and rearrange stages was refused by the North-Western Traffic Commissioners, some time ago.
The acquisition, in conjunction with Bury and Bolton Corporations, of Mr. H. G. Orr's service from Little Lever to Manchester will, it is hoped, improve Salford's financial position.
• "AGENT-PROVOCATEUR": MAGISTRATE'S COMMENTS.
STRONG comments on what was said to be the employment of an agentprovocateur were made by the Leeds Stipendiary Magistrate, when an operator was charged with running vehicles without licences.. It appears that an inspector from the Traffic Commissioner's office arranged to make a certain journey and, having completed it, told the operator that he would be reported.
The Stipendiary maintained that it was not the inspector's duty to adopt such methods, and that be should have warned the defendant that he would be committing an offence. The summons was dismissed and no order was made as to costs.
BOOTLE BILL TO BE REPORTED.
A COMMITTEE of the House of Commons, the chairman of which was .Mr. David Reid, last week ordered the amended Bill of Bootle Corporation to be reported. The measure has been modified in several respects.
, It is now provided that, should the corporation wish in, or after, 1942 to abandon the tramways, it shall, failing an • agreement with Liverpool, obtain permission from Parliament, through a Provisional Order Bill, prepared by the Ministry of Transport. Liverpool Corporation endeavoured to make it obligatory for Bootle to present a private Bill. If Bootle be satisfied that the local bus services are not adequately or efficiently operated by others, it may, with the Traffic Commissioners' approval, institute its own services.
WORK ON BIRMINGHAM'S TROLLEY-BUS PLAN STARTED.
THE conversion of Birmingham Cor poration's Coventry Road tramway to trolley-bus operation has now been commenced. It was proposed to put this work in hand last year, but further action was deferred until the Government's intentions in connection with the Salter Report were known. Contracts for the electrical equipment and the bodies for the ao vehicles required have been placed locally. The tram and bus committee is watching closely experiments in the use of coal gas as a fuel for buses, and is co-operating with the gas committee. A gas-operated single-deck vehicle is in daily service in the city.
NEWCASTLE OPERATORS' BID FOR HIGHER FARES.
ANOTHER attempt was made, last
week, by the Tynemouth and District Electric Traction Co., Ltd., United Automobile Services, Ltd., Wakefield's Motors. Ltd., and Newcastle Corporation to obtain sanction to raise fares on rontes from Newcastle to the Coast.
It was stated that, if the Commissioners sanctioned the raising of these fares, the railway rates would be increased. Reference was made to the fact that, on one route of the United concern, the receipts per vehicle-mile were 9.1d., the operating cost being 10d„ for the period from June, 1932, to May, 1933. On three other routes, the receipts per vehicle-mile were 8.88d., the
Cost again being It was stated that on only one route was a profit shown, and that was 0.28d. per bus-mile.
Sir John Maxwell, chairman of the Commissioners, inquired as to whether the companies had any written agreement with the railways and he received a negative reply.
STATION AT FALKIRK.
WORK is well in hand in connection
which inc
with a bus station, includes WORK is well in hand in connection
which inc
with a bus station, includes
shops, at Falkirk. The premises are being constructed for W. Alexander and Sons, Ltd., at a cost of £12,000.
PORTLAND FARES REVISION.
p ORMAND Urban District Council has requested the Southern National
p
Omnibus Co., Ltd., and the Express Services to send representatives to meet the council to discuss the revision 'of bus t fares.
INTERESTING INFORMATION ON COACH STATIONS. •
A PARTICULARLY attractive book
dealing with coach stations has been issued by the British Steelwork Association, Artillery Rouse, Artillery Row, London, S.W.1. In a foreword, the value of coach stations is emphasized, and the folio" ing pages of the book are devoted toexcellent illustrations and brief descrip
tions of several well-known premises. For instance, the Victoria coach station of London Coastal Coaches, Ltd., is illustrated in various stages of construction and when completed. Several photographs of the Ring's Cross coach station are reproduced, along with a description of its salient features. Other interesting pages deal with the Smithfield bus station, Belfast, of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Co., and the s-tation of Green Line Coaches, Ltd., in Broad Street, Soho, London. The Bournemouth premises used by Hants and .Dorset Motor Services, Ltd., and Elliott Bros. (Bournemouth), Ltd., are particularly well described and illustrated, whilst finally, the London Terminal Coach Station is dealt with.