Road Transport Activities
Page 42
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
in PARLIAMENT
By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent
The London Passenger Transport Bill Approved.
TlEIE Joint Committee of the two Houses of Parliament on the London Passenger Transport Bill announced its decision last Monday. The chairman, Lord Lytton, intimated that it had been decided to allow the Bill to proceed, subject to certain alterations. The first alteration which the Committee wished to make in the Bill as a condition of its proceeding through the remaining stages was that the minimum period of office of a member of the Transport Board should be three years.
Power to Manufacture Refused.
THE Committee, he said, had decided that the Board should not have power to manufacture, but this would not limit its right to repair. The Com
mittee also wanted to make quite clear that only such powers were to be taken over by the Board as had already been exercised by the undertakings to be transferred.
With regard to the contract for vehicles with the Associated Equipment Co., Ltd., the Committee wished the Board to be perfectly free either to accept the new contract which had been suggested or to make a new contract by agreement with the company, or to place its orders elsewhere, provided that if the last-named course were adopted the Associated Equipment Co., Ltd., should have the right to compensation for the loss of the new contract.
The promoters had stated that they were willing to make such an amendment in the Bill as was necessary to give payment in cash or stock at the option of the independent undertakings. The Committee wished to see that carried out.
A Provision Omitted.
.TT had been decided to omit the pro
vision which gave the Minister of Transport power to appear before the Arbitration Tribunal when discussions were taking place between the Board and the various undertakings. The Committee wished to ensure that in all arbitration proceedings the arbitrator should be free not merely to allot such amount of stock as he might regard as the value of the undertaking under consideration, but also to arrive at the value of the undertaking on the same principles as had been adopted in dealing with all previous settlements by agreement.
The Committee also wished to amend the Bill to secure that the right to apply to the High Court for the appointment of the receiver, or manager, should be given in the event of the Board failing for two consecutive years, instead of three years, as proposed, to pay a dividend on C stock.
The Board would be empowered to provide garages for its own vehicles. The chairman also intimated that the Committee desired to see the taxicab drivers represented on the Advisory Committee.
A number of other matters was referred to and it was intimated that the Committee would meet later to hear arguments on some of the clauses.
Conclusion of the Hearing.
TN the •closing stages of the hearing, lbefore the Committee's decision was given, evidence was given by Mr. Walker Bonallack, a past president of the Institute of British Carriage Builders and Automobile Manufacturers, against the proposal in the Bill that the Board should have power to manufacture vehicles. He said that 11,500,000 of capital was involved in the industry which be represented, and a large number of people was employed, but not one concern was working to its full capacity.
In the past practically all the operating companies which it was proposed to .transfer to the Board had taken some of their bus and coach bodies from the companies included in the Institute. In 1930 one concern alone supplied the L.G.O. Co. with bodies to the value of 197,520. The sole concern of the undertaking for whom he was speaking was to try to preserve to the industry the business which they had in the past been obtaining. If that were lost it would be a serious matter.
Evidence was given in support of the petition of the Motor Agents Association that the Board should not be allowed to carry on business as a garage proprietor, and in that respect to compete with the members of the Association.
Taking Over Powers.
.SIR H. CA:UTLEY, a member of the
Committee, wanted to know whether the Transport Board would have power to carry out all the operations which were set out in the memoranda of association of the various concerns which were being taken over.
Mr. Wilfred Greene, K.C., on behalf of the Ministry of Transport, explained that the intention was that the Board should take over the powers of those undertakings which were being exercised, but not powers which bad not been hitherto used.
Mr. Bruce Thomas, K.C., submitted on behalf of the objectors that the garages to be taken over should be confined to those which were provided for the Board's own vehicles.
The Railway Carriage and Waggon Builders Association's petition was then heard in opposition to the proposal to confer power on the Board to
manufacture rolling stock. The remainder of the hearing was devoted to counsel's speech on behalf of the promoters and in reply to the objections which had been raised against the Bill.
Coach Service Banned.
AQUESTION was addressed to the Minister of Transport by Mr. Perkins, asking the reasons for the threatened suspension by the Traffic Commissioners of Messrs. Grey Motors' through service between Malmesbury and Gloucester. He pointed out that the District Councils of Tetbury, Minchinhampton, Avening and Nailsworth were in favour of the retention of the service.
Mr. Morrison stated that the company concerned was exercising its right of appeal, under the Road Traffic Act, against the decision of the Traffic Commissioners for the area, and in such cases it was his practice to hold an inquiry so soon as possible, so as to assist him in reaching a decision.
Unhired Cabs Regulations.
WITH reference to the restrictive regulations proposed to be applied to taxicab drivers in certain London streets, Mr. Morrison states that the representations that he has received regarding the proposed London Traffic (Unhired Cabs) Regulations have been referred to the London Traffic Advisory Committee, and he is awaiting its report before reaching any decision in the matter.
Raised Fares. _
ASKED by Mr. L. Smith to state the number of eases in which coach or bus fares had been raised by order of the Traffic Commissioners, Mr. Morrison stated that he had no information with -regard to this matter. In so far as he had to deal with such questions, they came to him on appeal from a decision of the Traffic Commissioners, so that he had no power to deal with them otherwise.
The Road Traffic Act deliberately provided that the Traffic Commissioners should have the right to review fares if, on the one hand, they were too low, or if, on the other, they were too 'high. Low fares, he pointed out, might be secured at the expense of the workpeople concerned.
Inspecting Petrol Stores.
J'IS MAJESTY'S inspectors of explosives state in their annual report that during 1930 they. Visited 73 petroleum stores, the majority of which was good. Three were classed as bad and in these cases the local authority was as much to blame as the occupiers of the premises.
The inspections covered large bulkstorage depots and can-filling depots representing the wholesale trade, and service stations and garages representing the retail trade. The larger depots were uniformly well kept.
With regard to accidents in conveyance, in the case of two accidents to petrol lorries the cardan shafts broke or came adrift and struck the supply pipe below the tank, with the result that spirit escaped. There were 25 mishaps in connection with petroleum spirit reported during the year, causing nine deaths and injuries to 31 persons.
Two accidents took place in connection with storage, and nine accidents, causing two deaths and injuries to eight persons, in connection with fuelling the tanks of internal-combustion engines. Six of these mishaps were caused by the presence of naked lights.