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Operating Aspects of

PASSENGER TRANSPORT

THE LATEST NEWS OF IMPORTANT EVENTS•

EXCLUSION OF " RETURNS " ON

EXPRESS SERVICES. : I T is understood that Fingland's Bookings and Coach:Stations, Ltd., Manchester, has lodged an appeal against the decision of the North:, Western 'Traffic Commissioners, requiring the company to exclude all re

turn fares from its fares list. The schedul6 must be submitted to the Commissioners within three months of the date on which the renewal of a licence is required.

It is stated that the Commissioners are to exclude return fares on all express services in their area. There is considerable discontent amongst operators concerning the decision, and further action may be 'expected.

TAXICAB AS " CONTRACT CARRIAGE ": UNUSUAL CASE.

AN unusual " contraet-carriage " case, arising from the use of a taxicab for the transport of workmen, was heard at the Bradford City Police Court, last Tuesday.

On behalf of the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners, who prosecuted, it was said that no decision on facts similar to those that would be submitted to the Bench had been traced. Workmen employed on the night shift at a dyeworks at Greetland were conveyed to and from their homes in Bradford in a taxicab owned by Mr. F. Shackleton, of Bradford, the defendant, but, instead of each man directly paying a separate fare, each, in rotation, paid the full price of the hire of the vehicle on successive days. All the other men were, however, it was argued, really paying separate fares.

For the defendant, it was contended that the prosecution had failed to show that the taxicab had been used as an express carriage, and that individual payments were made. Even if this had been proved, it was not proved that the vehicle had been used as an express carriage. The hearing was adjourned until May 4.

NEW YORKSHIRE ASSOCIATION.

ANEW association of passenger and goods-transport operators has been formed in Yorkshire, as a sequel to the recent changes in Yorkshire Motor Coach Owners, Ltd. The new organization is called the Yorkshire Coach and Transport Owners Association, and its secretary is Mr. Joseph Heeling, who was until recently secretary of Y.M.C.O. Headquarters are at 229, Kirkstall Road, Leeds.

D64 The new Association was launched at two meetings, one of goods-vehicle operators and the other of coach operators, at Leeds, last Monday.

In a statement to our correspondent after the meetings, Mr. Keeling explained that the pre,sent membership of the new Association was 147. At the meeting of the goods section, the following committee was elected :— Messrs. F. Brooke (Dewsbury), H. Burns (Leeds), T. CocIsayne (Leeds), L. Senior (Leeds), S. Padgett (Mirfield), N. Hellewell (Mytholmroyd), H. Fearnley (Ravensthorpe), and J. Roberts (West Ardsley)• At the meeting of the passenger operators it was decided that, as the committee appointed by the goods section includes several operators who also own passenger vehicles, this should, for the time being, also act for the passenger section. A resolution to affiliate with the Motor Hirers and Coach Services Associaton was also adopted.

ALEXANDER'S BID FOR PERTH TRANSPORT SYSTEM.

I T is understood that W. Alexander and Sons, Ltd., Falkirk, has asked Perth Corporation's transport committee whether the Corporation is prepared to dispose of its undertaking. A sub-committee has been appointed to consider the question.

A GOOD YEAR FOR RAWTENSTALL'S BUSES.

f)URING the year ended March 31, 1934, Ra.wienstall Corporation made a net profit of £13,908 from the operation of its 38 Leyland buses. As total receipts amounted to £80,922 and operating expenses to £47,964, the gross profit was £32,958, but sinking-fund charges, etc. (£11,404), income tax (£3,191), depreciation (21,321) and other items reduced this figure to the net profit already given.

Traffic receipts for the year reached the record figure of 277,887—an increase of '£5,066 on the previous year, despite the generous fare reductions. Mr. Frank Lythgoe, A.M.Inst.T., the general manager of the undertaking, must feel highly gratified with the results, for the net profit in relation to traffic receipts certainly shows a high percentage.

At a meeting held yesterday it was expected that 28,000 would be paid from the undertaking in relief of the rates. This is equal to a is. 3d. rate. EASTERN COUNTIES CO. BUYS CAMBRIDGE BUSINESS.

PURSUING its policy of expansion, the Eastern Counties Omnibus CO., Ltd., has, it is understood, taken over the coach and bus business of Mr. 'P. W. Wheatley, of Cambridge. It is stated that no vehicles or staff are concerned in the deal.

Mr. Wheatley's stage carriage services from Cambridge to Cottenham and Willingham to Cottenham are being run to the preVious time-table. It is also reported that his excursions will be continued by the Eastern Counties concern.

BRADFORD MANAGER APPEALS TO HIGH COURT.

IN a King's Bench Divisional Court, composed of Lord Hewart and Justices Avory and Mackinnon, last Tuesday, a decision of Leeds stipendiary magistrate was challenged by Mr. Charles Tattam, Bradford Corporation's transport manager. Mr. Tattam had been fined 40s. for "aiding and abetting, counselling and procuring" an employee to drive a bus at 38 m.p.h.

For Mr. 'rattan; it was explained that the driver was charged with exceeding the speed limit and his plea was that, as the speedometer had been disconnected, he had no means for knowing at what speed the vehicle was travelling. The case against him was dismissed, but Mr. Tattam was fined for aiding and abetting. The reason for that decision seemed to be that, as he had ordered the speedometer to be disconnected, the offence was his.

But, submitted counsel, there was no ground on which Mr. Tattam could be so convicted. The time schedule for the bus was such that the vehicle need not exceed the speed limit. The speedometer was disconnected because it was found that such instruments on a bus_ were unreliable. The law did not require a bus to have a speedometer, but if the magistrate was right, every bus would have to carry such an instrument. If a vehicle were driven at an illegal speed and it had no speedometer, the owner might be convicted.

In reply, it was stated that it seemed essential that speed limits should be observed, and that a bus should have a speedometer.

Lord Hewart, dismissing the appeal with costs, said the magistrate's finding was as a result of the evidence of fact and the Court would not interfere CURIOUS SITUATION IN M.T. CO. CASE: "PUBLIC NEED."

'N previousoccasions we have re ferred to the struggle of the M.T. Co. (Motor Coaches) Ltd., London, S.E.14, to retain its business, despite adverse decisions of the South-Eastern Traffic Commissioners. Mr. F. A. FIM, a director of the.company, has now dispatched to Members of Parliament who have exhibited some interest in the case, a further circular setting out the present position. • The case is well known to our readers and concerns the elimination of several important picking-up points which have, for many years, been served by the company. It 'may be recalled that, as a result' of representations by the residents of Lenham, one of the points concerned, the Commissioners authorized the reinsta.tenaent of the service from London to that place, also granting a similar facility to the East Kent Road Car Co., Ltd.

To-day (Friday) the Fast Kent concern is applying to the Metropolitan Traffic Commissioner for permission to inaugurate a new service from London to Lenha.m. Mr. Flin says: "We await the case with great interest, for it must apparently be full of humour, when that company endeavours to prove a public need, the existence of which it has so strenuously denied when we have previously sought facilities, and It has been an objector."

BUILDER AS BUS OPERATOR.

THE unusual case of a builder apply' ing to the South-Eastern Traffic Commissioners for a licence for a bus service occurred last week. The builder sought permission to run a 20-seater to and from a new housing estate near Portsmouth, which, when fully developed, would comprise 3,000 houses.

The applicant admitted that the prdposed service was intended to encourage the purchase of houses on the estate. In opposing the application, Portsmouth Corporation submitted that, when a real need arose for a service, the municipality would provide it. The Commissioners granted a licence to the builder to enable him to develop the estate, but held themselves free to reconsider their decision.

G.W.R. APPEALS AGAINSI MUNICIPAL INTERNAL SERVICE.

AN appeal by the Great Western AN

Co., against a decision of the South Wales Traffic Commissioners, under which a licence for a new bus service was granted to Merthyr Tydfil Corporation, was heard at Cardiff on April 19.

The G.W.R. objected to the corporation's being allowed to run buses on a new road entirely within the municipal area, between Merthyr and Abercanaid. The ground of objection was that the bus service would jeopardize the existing G.W.R. train facilities from Pentrebach (near Abercanaid) to Merthyr.

The council's case was that the sanc tion was merited by the municipal work of road building, and was supported by a petition signed by over 1,000 adult residents of Abercanaid.

• SEVERAL LEICESTER TRAM ROUTES TO GO?

.1—( EADING members of Leicester City

Council are suggesting that buses should be substituted for trams on a number of routes. Although some of the tram services are adequately remunerative, the total receipts decreased by £11,750 during the past financial year, whilst there were 1,787,213 fewer passengers. On the other hand, the bus revenue has increased by nearly £14,200, the total being £115,785. Altogether, the buses carried 17,649,759 persons.

MINERS RUN THEIR OWN BUSES.

AS foreshadowed in The Commercial Motor some months ago, miners employed at Betteshanger Colliery,

near Deal, have purchased from the funds of their club six buses to transport them to and from their work. The South Eastern Traffic Commissioners have granted the necessary licences.

Three lorries have also been acquired for the delivery of coal to subscribers to the club'.

ANOTHER YORKSHIRE PURCHASE.

V' is announced that Mr. Samuel

Ledgard, of Armley, Leeds, who operates extensive services in the Wharfedale area of Yorkshire, has taken over the Otley-Wetherby service of Mr. A. Thornton. EXCURSIONS RUN BY TANK CORPS: COMPETITION QUESTION.

THE question of competition between bodies running their own vehicles and regular coach operators was raised at a sitting of the South-Eastern Traffic Commissioners. The Royal Tank Corps applied for permission to run excursions and tours, the application being made, it was stated, to regularize the Corps' position as an operator.

The regiment had purchased a small coach out of its funds and the vehicle was used to carry teams to matches and to transport the band. On certain occasions, the vehicle also conveyed the wives and children of the soldiers. When not required for any other purpose, it carried excursion parties.

Sir Henry Piggott, chairman of the Commissioners, referred to the undesirability of encouraging such competition with road-transport operators, but granted the licence with strict limitations as to the occasions on which the vehicle was to be operated and the class of passenger to be carried.

MORE OILERS FOR ROCHDALE.

ROCHDALE Corporation's passenger transport committee is to spend a . little over £10,000 on converting 16 petrol buses to the use of oil. It is also proposed to purchase four new double-deck buses for £8,000.

The present fleet consists of 114 vehicles, 48 of which are single-deckers. Between 5.30 a.m. and 9 a.m., 90 vehicles are in service; 9 a.m.-noon 37; noon-2 p.m., 50; 2 p.m.-4.30 p.m., 49; 4.30 p.m.-6.30 p.m., 103 on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, and 106 on Wednesdays ; 6.30 p.m-ft pm., 59; and 9.30 p.m.-midnight, 51.

Before bringing forward its recommendation to purchase four more buses, the committee tried to persuade some of the larger works to stagger their leaving-off time in the evening. If the effort had been successful, the purchase of extra vehicles would have been unner-eisary.

ALL BUSES FOR ABERDARE? A BERDARE Urban District Council, riavhich runs trams, trolleybuses and. petrol buses, is to be asked to consider replacing the trams by either or both of the bus systems. The Matter will be discussed at an early date.

LONDON TRANSPORT EMPLOYEE: DISMISSAL QUESTION.

WHICH tribunal should hear a claim for damages by an employee of London Transport for alleged wrongful dismissal'T When this question was raised in the King's Bench Division. last week, Mr. Justice Acton expressed the view • that the case should be brought before the arbitrator appointed by the Lord Chancellor.

The case was one in which a conductor alleged that he bad been wrongfully dismissed and that, contiary to the statement of London Transport, he had not been discharged for misconduct. He claimed compensation under Section 73 of the London Passenger Transport Act.