"EASTERN COUNTIES" WINS FARES APPLICATIONS.
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THE Eastern Traffic Commissioners
have announced their decisions in connection with applications by the Eastern Counties Omnibus Co., Ltd., for permission to issue season tickets and weekly 12-journey tickets, and to abolish return fares on specified stage-carriage services. Progress with the hearing of the applications has been reported, from time to time, in The Commercial Motor.
The Commissioners are prepared to authorize the issue of weekly tickets, subject to certain conditions for the protection of municipal or statutory transport undertakings. In the case of these tickets, all single fares of 3d. or over are multiplied by six, seven or eight, according to the route, to arrive at the total fare. The Commissioners are also prepared to sanction the issue of season tickets in accordance with the revised standard schedule.
The Commissioners are prepared to sanction for certain routes a revision of existing return fares, where these are at a rate below id. per mile for the return journey. The fares must not, however, be increased beyond that figure. Full details of the Commissioners' decisions and schedules of fares are published in Gazette 98 of the Eastern Area.
NOVEL TOUR SCHEME.
UNDER the title "Happy Valleys," Red and White Services, Ltd., Chepstow, has inaugurated a series of inclusive, 7-day, 10-day and 14-day tours of the Wye Valley, Vale of Usk and Royal Forest of Dean Districts.
We understand that, at a cost of under per day, a holiday-maker is provided by an inclusive payment, with a return coach ticket that permits travel from his or her own town to a point in any one of the above-named districts, to be used as a centre for touring. The fare also includes hotel accommodation and travel facilities in the four areas by the "Red and White" local buses, and meals on the coach journey in each direction.
ONE-MAN BUSES OPPOSED. OBJECTIONS to one-man-operated
buses were voiced at a recent meeting of Bangor Town Council. In reply to criticisms, it was pointed out that bus companies were within the law in running such vehicles. There had been two 37-seater buses running from Bangor along a certain route in Anglesey, and each was manned by a driver and conductor. Now the company operated four smaller buses ever the same route and the result was that the same number of men was employed, and the public had a better service. The council had no right to interfere with the internal arrangements of any company.
It was decided to form a joint committee consisting of Caernarvon, Menai Bridge, Bethesda, Ogwen, Llanfairfechan and Bangor to discuss the matter.
"BUSES TAKING AWAY TAXICAB REVENUE."
AN application by the Yorkshire Traction Co., Ltd., Barnsley, to the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners, at Leeds, on April 12, for a licence to run between railway stations, dance halls and theatres and points on the company's ordinary routes, was opposed by G. Booker, Ltd., a taxicab concern.
For the traction company, it was exB40 plained that the main services proposed werelo meet L.M.S. railway excursions arriving in Barnsley after the ordinary transport services had ceased. The dance and theatre buses would be confined to private parties. Mr. Booker said the services would take away a quarter of his annual revenue from the operation of taxicabs.
A statement that the rail fares, plus the fare on the traction company's vehicles, would be considerably less than excursion coach fares to holiday centres, was made on behalf of other bus owners, who, it was stated, desired a scheme of co-ordination. The Commissioners intimated that they would consider the traction company's application.
UNDERGRADUATE SERVICE STARTED AT EASTER. THE inaugural service, from Cambridge to Skegness, of Undergraduates Roadways, was run last week-end. As already announced in The Commercial
Motor, the company was formed by 10 Cambridge undergraduates and the service is operated on Sundays and certain other days.
The company is also prepared to undertake trips to Cathedral services, on the lines suggested by a correspondent in our issue dated April 14, and is negotiating for private hire in connection with musical and religious festivities in Cambridge, London and elsewhere.
WEST MON. BOARD SUBSIDY.
TEE rate fixed for the current .half year by Mynyddislwyn Urban District Council includes 4a. in the S as the share of the subsidy required by the West Mon. Joint Omnibus Board, in which the Council is in partnership with Bedwellty Urban District CounciL ANOTHER PLYMOUTH MERGER.
A POPULAR service linking up
Yealmpton, Brixton, Elburton and a number of other contiguous places with Plymouth, and operated under the name of Zenith by E. V. Lowe and Co., Plymouth, has been absorbed by the Western National Omnibus Co., Ltd. The Zenith was amongst the last of the independent bus services operating from Plymouth. A WELL-EQUIPPED NEW GARAGE.
RAWTENSTALL Corporation is now occupying its new garage, which, with a maximum length of 329 ft. and maximum width of 119 ft., can accommodate 40 buses in such a manner that any vehicle can be removed without obstruction, or 70 in closer formation. The main entrance is through Esavian folding doors, whilst a Wayne electric pump is fixed centrally and has an output of 23 gallons per minute. Oil fuel is supplied from an overhead tank through an ordinary flowmeter, at the same point, and the arrangement has been completely successful.
Washing gantries, with troughs and guns, have been constructed within the entrance, and enable speedy washing operations to be undertaken. The repair shops are extremely conveniently situated, and all pits are glazed, equipped with Gabriel pit lamps and are interconnected. Pits solely for lubricating are situated in the main garage to avoid interference with repair-shop activities. Each well-equipped body and paint shop has a wide entrance, whilst the electricians' shop is complete with battery-charger, magnetotester and water-distiller, as well as all general equipment. Blacksmiths', welding and tyre shops and mess-room are included in the scheme. Oil-fired boilers -have resulted ie a heating chamber as clean as a bathroom, and we are assured that the capabilities and economy of the apparatus have exceeded expectations. The premises have been well thought out by Mr. Frank Lytbgoe, general manager of the undertaking.
SERVICE EXTENSION REFUSED: APPEAL LOST.
THE Minister of Transport has dis
missed the appeal of the Amersham and District Motor Bus and Haulage Co., Ltd., against the refusal of the Southern Traffic Commissioners to permit the extension to Chesham of the company's Arnersham-London express service. The appellant is to pay the wrir4ts.
IMPROVING BUS EMPLOYEES' CONDITIONS AND WAGES.
IT is understood that the Transport and General Workers Union has tendered three months' notice to the directors of the Scottish Motor Traction Co., Ltd., for the revision of the existing agreement concerning the hours and wages of bus operatives. A new agreement is to be prepared incorporating proposals submitted by various branches throughout the country.
Representations on the subject of employees' hours and wages have also been made to the Northern and Southern Scotland Traffic Commissioners, and it is understood that a meeting of chairmen of the Commissioners is to be held this month, when the question of limiting drivers' licences will be discussed.
In Liverpool, it is being urged that there should be closer co-operation between the passenger group of the Transport and General Workers Union and the Municipal and General Workers Union. It is stated that some dissatisfaction exists amongst bus and tram employees in Liverpool concerning their conditions of working.
The Industrial Court has decided that the wages and conditions of employment of drivers and conductors em
ployed by the Thames Valley Traction Co., Ltd., Reading, were not in accordance with the requirements of section 93, sub-section 1 of the Road Traffic Act.
WIRELESS FOR BUSES.
IT is reported that the Eastern Coun ties Omnibus Co., Ltd., is equipping with wireless-receiving apparatus one of its long-distance coaches employed on the Norwich-Birmingham route.
Id. FARES AFTER 14 YEARS.
AFTER an interval of 14 years, Wolverhampton Corporation has reintroduced id. fares on its transport system, the stages being about / mile long.
RAILWAY USERS SEEK BUS SERVICE.
AT the request of the Ilford and Dis trict Railway Users' Association, Green Line Coaches, Ltd., last week appliedto the Metropolitan Traffic Commissioner for a licence for a stagecarriage service from London to Gidea Park. The members of the Association are dissatisfied with the conditions obtaining on the line to Ilford, where the trains are said to be overloaded. The application was adjourned. RULE AGAINST YORKSHIRE COMMISSIONERS DISMISSED.
A RULE nisi for certiorari, which
was obtained by Mr. George Galley, of Newcastle, was discharged with costs, last week, by a King's Bench Divisional Court. The rule called upon. the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners to show cause why an Order made on April I, 1932, should not be quashed.
It was explained that Mr. Galley ran, until May, 1930, an express service from Newcastle to York, which was subsequently extended to Hull. The service passed through two traffic areas and the Yorkshire Commissoners refused to back the primary licence. It was submitted that this refusal was contrary to the provisions of sections 72 and 73 of the Act, as the contention was that the Commissioners in the primary and backing areas were obliged to grant or reject a service in toto.
NEW BOOKING FACILITY.
FURTHER to the paragraph on the subject published in last week's issue, Eastbourne Corporation has granted the application of the London Coach Owners' Federation to erect a kiosk at the coach station, subject to the payment of 130 per annum.