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Operating Aspects of

PASSENGER TRANSPORT

LATEST NEWS FROM THE TRAFFIC AREAS

FREE SERVICES: WESTMINSTER COACHES FINED.

ON Monday last, the North London magistrate announced his decision in connection with summonses issued against Westminster Coaching Services, Ltd., and the Hackney Wick Stadium Co., in connection with the operation of free services by the former concern for the dog-racing undertaking.

• On these services, no charge is made and no tickets are issued, the price of admission to the stadium being the same whether one travels by coach or not. Under a contract dated August 8 last, the Westminster concern is paid 10s. per coach per meeting..

In a written judgment, the North London magistrate says: "I hold that Section Gl, sub-section (2), covers these coaches, and that the passengers, by paying the usual rates of admission to the stadium, make separate Payments to the stadium company, which, In part. are used by the company to pay the hire of the coaches."

A fine of 12 and an order concerning costs were imposed upon each of the defendant companies. We understand that an appeal is to be made to a divisional court The defendants were represented by Mr. R. P. Winfrey and Mr. Comma Carr, FCC,, instructed by Mr. Cort Bathurst.

CONTROLLING INTEREST IN MACSHANE'S ACQUIRED.

WE understand that a controlling in terest in MacShane's Motors, Ltd., Booth, has been acquired by Red and White Services, Ltd., Chepstow. We have been in touch with Mr. W. MacShnne, but he is not in a position yet to divulge full details of the purchase.

NEW WELSH BUS BOARD?

A CONFERENCE of bus-operating local authorities, in Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, is to be called by the

Gelligaer Municipality. The business will be to consider a proposal to form a bus board and authorities which are being circularized in connection with the matter include those at Cardiff, Aberdare, Merthyr and Pontypridd, and the West Mon. Omnibus Board.

SERVICE DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS.

A DECISION of the North-Western

Traffic Commissioners, which resulted in a service being divided into two parts, with a distance of nearly three-quarters-of-a-mile between the inner terminals of the two sections, was the subject of an appeal heard last week.

Bolton Corporation, Lancashire United Transport and Power Co., Ltd., and the Stalybridge, Hyde, Mossley and Dukinfield Tramways Joint Board appealed against the Commissioners' division of the Bolton-Blanchester-Hyde service into two parts, one from Bolton to Manchester Cathedral and the other from Hyde to Parker Street, Manchester. It was said that the distance between the Manchester terminals was over 1,200 yds., and that over 3,000 people would be affected.

LIVERPOOL VERSUS BOOTLE.

LIVERPOOL Corporation' s• Parlia

mentary committee is recommended to petition against the provisions of the Bootle Corporation (1932) Bill, which seeks bus powers.

CHRISTMAS TRAVEL PLANS.

WE are advised by the General Travel

Agency (London), Ltd., that its services will, except on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, be run as usual during the Christmas holiday period. On Christmas Eve, the last coach will leave London at 11.30 p.m., and the service will be resumed from South Wales at midnight on Boxing Day.

On Afonday last, the company took charge of the charts of County Motor Services, Ltd., which operates a daily setwice from London to Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow, leaving the metropolis at 8.15 p.m. SHARE TRANSFER FROM INDEPENDENT TO COMBINE.

AT a sitting of the North-Western

Traffic Commissioners, it was stated that an agreement had been reached between the shareholders of W. C. Standerwick, Ltd. and the NorthWestern Road Ltd., Co., Ltd., and Ribble Motor Services, Ltd.

It appears that certain shares have been transferred to the North-Western and Ribble undertakings, hut Mr. Victor .Standerwick has stated that he is in full control of the business bearing his name.

12-JOURNEY TICKETS AUTHORIZED.

THE Eastern Traffic Commissioners announce that they are prepared to authorize forthwith the issue of 12-journey tickets by the Eastern Counties Omnibus Co., Ltd., Norwich, Messrs. B. Beeston and Sons, East Bergholt, and Mr. T. Skinner, Boxford. No ticket of this class must be issued over any stage where the existing ordinary single fare is less than 3d. .

Gazette 81 of the Commissioners" contains a list of the routes upon which the tickets have been authorized and explains the bases of the charges. On 35 services the tickets will be issued on the basis of a charge for eight single journeys, on four routes on the basis of seven single journeys, and on 37 services of six single journeys.

We reported in our issue dated November 25 that the Commissioners had accepted the principle of 12-journey tickets, which replace season tickets.

NEW BRADFORD PROJECT.

AMONGST the improvement schemes in hand at Bradford is one for the construction of a wide, new thoroughfare and a bus station in the centre of the town. It is believed that a definite step in the matter will be made early

in the New Year. The station will have waiting rooms and a parcels office, but it will not be used as a terminus for buses.

SOUTHERN FARES INQUIRY.

THE Southern Traffic Commissioners hold a fares inquiry at Salisbury on Tuesday and Wednesday last. Efforts were made to obtain a declaration from the railways to the effect that they would not undercut stabilized coach fares, whilst another part of the business was to define a concession ticket.

Mr. Guilmant attended on behalf of the Motor Hirers and Coach Services Association, Ltd.

WITHDRAWN SUMMONS FOR "BROKEN" CONDITIONS.

AN unusual case was heard at Brighton, last week, when Mr. B. R. Roberts, of Hove, was summoned for failing to comply with licence "C" conditions. He pleaded not guilty.

It appears that the conditions have been in farce since 1927, and that there are 125 stands on the south side of Madeira Drive, Brighton, whilst there are also 15 stands lettered and included in the conditions. These conditions provide that no licensed carriage shall take up a stand between certain hours, and it was alleged that Roberts had infringed this regulation.

Police evidence ■ was given to xh. effect that, on a certain day, 16 coaches were present on the rank, Roberts's vehicle being the last. Defendant, however, said that he arrived late at the rank and there were only 14 coaches in front of him ; therefore, he occupied stand 15, and not 16. He considered that it was most unfair to have to take up a stand close to the fish market, a position not calculated to draw pub lie patronage. The case was withdrawn.

SOUTH WALES BUS STRIKE.

REPRESENTATIVES of Messrs. Bassett's Motors, Gorseinon met officials of the Transport and General Workers Union and the bus employees' representativhs, last Tuesday, to discuss the differences between the company and the men which led, on December 10, to a strike.

The differences were stated to be over the non-recognition of the union by the firm and the dismissal of a driver. There was hope, it was stated, that the strike would terminate on Wednesday.

FIRST SOUTH WALES APPEAL.

THE legality of a decision of the South Wales Traffic Commissioners, the chairman of whom is Mr. A. T. James, K.C., is to be tested by Cardiff City Coum.cil. This, it is believed, will be the first appeal against any ruling of the Commissioners for this area.

Cardiff Luxury Coaches, Ltd., has been permitted by the Commissioners to operate from Westgate Street, Cardiff, despite' the view of the chief constable that the street is already seriously congested, that the parking space for private cars would be practically eliminated, and that the present terminus for coaches on Fitzhamon Embankment was available.

HIGH COURT APPEAL AGAINST BLACKPOOL DECISION.

IN the King's Bench Divisional Court -• (the Lord Chief Justice and Justices Avory and Branson), Mr. W. Marshall and Mr. R. W. Marshall, coach proprietors, of Blackpool, appealed against Blackpool Corporation's refusal to allow the construction of a crossing over a footpath on a certain road. It appears that the matter turned on the construction of Section 62 of the Blackpool Improvement Act, 1879, and the question was whether the corporation had taken into account factors which it was not, as contended by the appellants, permitted to consider. The corporation's contention was that it was entitled to consider public safety. It was said that added importance was given to the cage by reason of the fact that other muncipalities had passed similar Acts. The case was adjourned.

BIG IRISH CO-ORDINATION SCHEME.

RumouR's are circulating around Dublin that extensive co-ordination of the existing numerous independent bus services will shortly take place, and negotiations are said already to be in progress. There are considerable difficulties in the way of the acquisition by one company of the services operating in and around Dublin.

OFFERS TO BUY GLOUCESTER-CORPORATION'S UNDERTAKING,

A SUB-COMMITTEE of the Glouces ter municipality is considering the offers of Red and White Services, Ltd., Chepstow,, and the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Co., Ltd., Bristol, to purchase the corporation's transport undertaking. So far, Mr. S. Billington, the transport manager, informs us, the committee has met only once.

In March last, Gloucester Corporation operated 19 buses, 15 being Vulcan 26-seaters and four Thornycroft 32seaters. REORGANIZATION OF FARES.

IMPORTANT variations of fares schedules in South Wales were indicated last week at a sitting at Swansea of the South Wales Traffic Commissioners.

Bishopston (Gower) Parish Council asked that the Swan Motor Co. Ltd., should issue to residents at Bishopston discount tickets similar to those issued to Kittle and Pennard people, on the projection of the Swansea-Bishopston route.

In granting the application, the chairman (Mr. A. T. James, K.C.) said that it was a curious anomaly that the same privilege was not granted to Bishopston people. The Commissioners, furthermore, considered that the time had arrived when discount tickets should be merged into the ordinary fares and the ' basic fares be adapted to their alteration. It would mean some reductions in fares. The whole matter of the issue of discount tickets, he added, was unsatisfactory and was to be investigated and would shortly be put on a proper basis.

An interesting departure from the present custom with regard to the issue of school-children's tickets by bus COMpanics was allowed by the Commissioners on the application of the Swan concern, which asked that school-children's tickets should be issued only for use to and from schools. The South Wales Transport Co., Ltd., made a similar application for all its routes, which, likewise, was granted.

There will be general satisfaction with the Commissioners' decision, which will not preclude the issue of half-fare tickets for children when not attending school.

STANDS FOR MORECAMBE, THE Minister of Transport has given Morecambe and Heysham Corpora. tion permission to establish coach stands on the promenade.

LICENCE-REVOCATION INQUIRY.

WHEN M. J. Jenking, of Blackpool, was called upon by the NorthWestern Traffic Commissioners to show cause why his licence should not be suspended or revoked, the Commissioners decided not to withdraw his licence, but intimated that they would speak to him.

jenking admitted that he had operated 4--,rn certain stands without being licensed to do so, that he had cut fares, and had failed to answer•a letter from the South Wales Commissioners.

RECEIPTS ON EASTERN ROUTES.

SOME interesting receipt figures were

given, last week, at a sitting of the Eastern Treffie Commissioners, at Cambridge. On behalf of the Eastern Counties Omnibus Co., Ltd., it was stated, in relation to tha CambridgeYarmouth route, that the receipts per vehicle-mile for the second fortnight in June were 2.02d. On the Birmingham-Yarmouth route the receipts were, during June, 12.04d. per coach-mile.

Mr. Wheatley, an objector to an application of the company; gave his receipts as 8.38d. per vehicle-mile, whilst Mr. A. G. Brown, another objector, submitted his figure for the Cambridge-Yarmouth route as just under 5d.

POLICY IN SPEEDING CASES.

IN view of the great interest now cen tring around the speed of publicservice vehicles, it is interesting to note the policy of East Yorkshire Motor Services, Ltd., in connection with speeding offences by its drivers.

At a sitting of the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners, last week, it was stated that, generally, first offenders were suspended without pay, usually for two

days, Whilst dismissal was the penalty in the case of subsequent offences. Exceptions are, of course, made in special instances. If the company be not satisfied that a driver actedin its best interests, he, himself, has to pay any fine that may be made.

SPEEDOMETERS ON JANUARY 1.

OPERATORS are reminded that, on and after January 1 next, all express carriages must be equipped with efficient speedometers, as required by the Public Service Vehicles (Equipment and Use) (Amendment) Provisional Regulations, 1932.

MYSTERY-TOUR POLICY.

THE Northern Scotland Traffic Com missioners are pursuing the policy, in connection with mystery tours, announced in our issue dated December 2, in relation to the Southern Area.

BUS CONVERSION SOON.

IN the near future, Thomas Tilling, Ltd., is to replace by covered-top double-deckers all its open-type buses operated in the Caterham and Warlingham area. SOLVING A LUGGAGE PROBLEM.

DURING the discussion 011 his paper

at a meeting of the Omnibus Society, last Friday (reported on this page), Mr. A. E. C. Bryant outlined a scheme ;which Greyhound Motors, Ltd., proposes to put into force next season.

Owing to the similarity of suitcases, it is proposed to issue to each passenger a numbered ticket, a corresponding check being attached to his or her luggage. The bags would, where possible, be packed in numerical order, so that they could conveniently be removed at intermediate points. Probably, a differently coloured label would be used on each service.

EASTBOURNE LOSES AGAIN.

EASTBOURNE Corporation has again failed in its application to the South Eastem Traffic Commissioners for a licence for a service to Beachy Head and the licence of Southdown Motor Services, Ltd., for the route, has been renewed. The corporation maintained that it had prior rights of operation within its boundaries, but the Comniissioners disagreed with this argument.