BID TO END PRICECUTTING IN WALES S TRONG efforts to eliminate
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pricecutting in connection with privatehire work are to be made by the coach owners' section of the Motor Omnibus Proprietors Association, of South
Wales. A membership campaign is being launched early next month and a series of meetings is to be held in November and December, at which the question of obtaining an agreement for uniform charges for private-hire work will be discussed. It is hoped that this campaign will bring in over 200 new members.
The programme of meetings, and the speakers to attend them, are as follow:—
Merthyr, November, 3, Messrs. S. G. Llewellyn, A. G. Gibbs and C. Thomas; Brynmawr, November 7, Messrs. H. Porter, C. H. Stephenson and C. Thomas; Bargoerl, November 10, Messrs. S. G. Llewellyn and C. Thomas; Llanelly, November 20. Messrs. C. H. Stephenson and C. Thtmas; Newport, November 22, Messrs. S. O. Llewellyn, Chas. Morgan, C. H. Stephenson and C. Thomas; Swansea, November 26, Messrs. C. H. Stephenson and C. Thomas; Aberdare. Deeeml^er 3, 1%Tessn. S. G. Llewellyn and C, Thomas; Pontypool. December 11, Messrs. H. Porter, John Eve es and C. Thomas.
Meetings will also be arranged at 1VIaesteg, Port Talbot and Neath during December.'
STATION RATING: APPEAL FAILS.
GLASGOW Burgh Valuation Appeal Court has dismissed an appeal by the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd., against the valuation of M,850 fixed by the assessor on the new bus station in Buchanan and Killermont Streets, Glasgow. The appellant suggested a figure of £1,240.
It was pleaded that the company would not have built the station, and incurred a capital expenditure. of 47,000 if the question of buses standing in the' streets had not been raised by the appropriate authority. The station had been erected in the public interest and bad not benefited traffic receipts. Counsel for the corporation said that it was immaterial whether a bus company had erected a station voluntarily or not. The argument that it was unremunerative might as well apply to a railway station.
A stated case was sought.
COMMISSIONER FORESEES FEW BIG COMBINES.
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I KNOW of no men who are vested with more autocratic powers than are the Traffic Commissioners," said Mr. Gumley, one of the Southern Scotland Traffic Commissioners, in an address to Edinburgh Rotary Club. Nevertheless, he considered that no existing bus company would wish to return to the conditions_obtathing prior to the passing of the Road Traffic Act, 1930.
In Southern Scotland, the Commissioners annually issued about 2,000 road service licences to 290 operators. Meeting the persistent objections of the railways,, Mr. Gumley thought; must cost 1.)u.q :Operators thousands of pounds a year. Strangely enOugh, the rail. associated companies were, perhaps, the
most bitter opponents of the railways at public sittings.
Although the present trend of events suggested the likelihood of the future control of road passenger transport by a few combines in, which a large amount of railway capital was invested, Mr. Gumley felt that, so long as there were strong and fair-minded Commissioners, the public interest would not be neglected.
WAGES MAY BE CUT TO PAY FOR STRIKE.
AS a consequence of the recent bus strike in Swansea and West Wales. in which its employees were involved, a statement has been issued by the South Wales Transport Co„ Ltd., Swansea, in which the great loss (not yet definitely ascertained) caused by the 25 days' stoppage, is emphasized. A warning is given that the company may be unable to continue the prestrike rate of wages and conditions of employment,
The weekly travel vouchers issued to employees for use by dependants are to be withdrawn and the use of employees' passes will be restricted to cover only the holder.
TROLLEYBUSES FOR SWANSEA?
MEETINGS have taken place, in private, between representatives of Swansea Borough Council, the South Wales Transport Co., Ltd., and experts who have reported to the council on traffic congestion at Swansea, to consider the future of Swansea's transport system.
The S.W.T. Co., in its recent Parliamentary Bill, sought sanction to replace its trains by buses. The corporation, which leases its tram-running rights to the coMpany, opposed the Bill. .
The present Meetings aim at an agreement between the parties and the substitution of trolleybuses for trams is suggested as a likely compromise. ESTATES AND PEAKLOAD PROBLEMS AN insight into the transport problems created by the construction of housing estates on the outskirts of cities is afforded by a report by Birmingham Transport Committee on the possibilityof reducing workmen's 5d. fares to 4d. The committee, in pointing out that the proposal cannot be accepted, states that .passengers can at present travel 13 miles for 5d., on account of the fact that most of the housing estates are about 64 miles from the city centre. The proposed reduction would cause an annual loss of revenue of £32,476.
The difficulty of providing an adequate number of vehicles to deal with morning and evening peak loads is continually being accentuated by the development of housing estates, and every additionalbus placed in service puts the department in a worse financial position, because there is no possibility of the extra machines ever being required for mid-day work. At present 1,256 vehicles are required ir0 the morning and evening, whereas the maximum number of vehicles needed for ordinary service is 399.
During the peak periods the buses to the housing estates run with few passengers in one direction and earn about lid, per mile. The operating costs alone for 1934-35 averaged 11.25d. per mile, to which figure must be added 2.5d, per mile for depreciation and net-revenue charges.
BUSES FOR NEWPORT IN TWOAND-A-HALF YEARS.
ALTHOUGH they are stated to be one of the chief causes of traffic congestion at Newport, the trams are to continue in use. for another 2i years by a decision of. Newport Town, Council. They will then be replaced,by trolleybuses or motorbuses.