RAILWAY CHECKS BUS-ROUTE TIMES
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AT a sitting at Hartlepool, last week, the Northern Area Traffic Commissioners promised to investigate allegations made by the L.N.E.R. that coaches operated by the United Automobile Services, Ltd., were exceeding the speed limit on the Newcastle-London services. The company was applying for the renewal of certain licences under existing time-tables.
Mr. E. A. Boothroyd, for the L.N.E.R., said the speeding question was not a new one, as last November the Traffic Commissioners had made an announcement regarding complaints of speeding. Mr. Boothroyd complained, that on the existing time-table, it was almost impossible to operate the service without exceeding the speed limit.
On February 15, one of the railway company's representatives had travelled on a U.A.S. vehicle, and whilst the bus had left London 5 mins. late, it arrived at ,Newcastle 25 rains, ahead of time. The average speed was over 29 miles an hour, and, in certain areas, it was alleged that it travelled at nearly 40 m.p.h.
The railway company had taken a check on the running times of the buses and on many occasions there was a gain on scheduled times, once as much as 1 hr. 15 mine., which made it come to the conclusion that the vehicles travelled in excess of 30 m.p.h. on a considerable portion of the route.
Mr. E. S. Herbert, for the United concern said the L.N.E.R. had objected to road services to London right from the start. Being unable to prevent them running, it was now apparently trying to make them as inconvenient as possible. The railway company had resisted duplication, and was now trying to make the services a little longer. The L.N.E.R. had knocked minutes off its own London-Newcastle route time, but was trying to put a few minutes on the bus time.
The existing road time-table, said Mr. Herbert, had been examined and approved by the Traffic Commissioners. United Automobile Services, Ltd., was, however; prepared to meet the allegations made. There had been no objection, added Mr. Herbert, to the renewal of the licences in the Metropolitan or East Midland areas.
Sir John Maxwell, chairman of the Commissioners, said they would investigate the charges, and if the conditions of the licences had, not been observed, they would authorize a prosecution. Mr. Herbert said the distance covered was 255 miles, and the average speed f'4.1 11Lp h