PROTECTION FOR TRAM SERVICES IN SOUTH SHIELDS Parliamentary Sanction to
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Substitute Buses Not Considered to Confer Right of Protection IN our issue for last week, on page 805, we dealt with the sitting of the Northern Traffic Commissioners at Newcastle, when the question of protection for municipal transport services, operated by seven local authorities, was considered. South Shields was one of these authorities, and it is now, learnt that, at a recent watch-committee meeting, the town clerk of South Shields
Corporation reported in connection with this matter. He dealt particularly with the applications made for licences to run buses within and into the city of Newcastle, out of which arose the questions of inter-availability of tickets and the protection of corporation tramways and bus services.
The town clerk announced that a statement had been received from the Commissioners to the effect that they would be prepared to accede in part to the request of the town clerk of NewCastle, and to allow protection on the various fare stages of routes within the city at present operated by trams to the extent of id. over the fare for each stage, this condition applying to buses operated by the corporation, but the same protection could not be allowed for external services.
The Commissioners were also prepared to give effect to the general principle of protection to trams by fixing a minimum fare of 3d. on each
route to be charged for any person picked up or set down within the city boundary, this applying to private operators. They were not prepared to adopt a general principle of giving pro, tection to tram routes outside the city, whether or not operated at the present time by trams.
According to the town clerk, the Commissioners stated that they were not prepared to assent to the principle of protection for buses operating on routes for which Parliamentary powers had been obtained to construct tramways and for which buses have been sub stituted. It appears that the Com missioners do not think that Parliamentary sanctiou to operate a service of buses in place of trams confers any right on the corporation to protection for these vehicles. The question is a vexed one and it is to he hoped that the various Traffic Commissioners will adopt a common policy.