TRANSPORT TROUBLES OF MERTHYR TYDVIL
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Disputes with the Ministry of Transport Regarding Facilities Due to Private Operating Concerns. THE Ministry of Transport has. called upon Merthyr Tydvil Corporation to enter into an agreement for inter-availability of tickets with a private company—the Rhondda Tramways Co., Ltd.—in respect to the Merthyr-Cardiff route. Merthyr Corporation has declined to adopt this course, and in correspondence that has passed on the subject the Ministry has taken a firm stand,
Wheal, in February last, The Ministry agreed to Cardiff and Merthyr Corporations running a joint bus service on the 25 miles of route from Cardiff, via Pontypridd, to Merthyr, it was after agreement had been reached at the public inquiry respecting the route by which the Rhondda Tramways Co., Ltd., was to be licensed. Condition of Such issue of licences to the company was to be withdrawal of opposition by the company to the proposed joint municipal service, subject to the joint service and
the company's service having a working agreement giving equal opportunities. The joint municipal service was founded and an agreement on times of running, fares scale and mutual terrniui was made with the company and the corporations as parties. The corporations, however, declined to admit the company. to the agreement, as to inter-availability of tickets, applying to municipal buses.
The Ministry, at the request of the company, ordered Merthyr Corporation to make such an agreement with the company as "a matter of public convenience." On Merthyr Corporation declining to adopt this course, although asked by Cardiff Corporation to agree to it, the Minister sent a letter, which was dealt with at a recent meeting of the council's watch committee, pointing out that agreements made at Ministry inquiries must be carried out. The Minister states that at the inquiry held at Cardiff on February 13th last the legal representatives of Cardiff and Merthyr corporations agreed that three licences be issued to the company, and that, subject to the Minister licensing a , corporation's joint service on the route, it be run in working agreement with the company. In view of this agreement the Minister had to point out that only by mutual assent of all three parties to it could it be broken in the event of nothing happening otherwise
to render it void. Therefore, as the two corporations. had inter-availability uf tickets the company must be admitted to the facility of this agreement.
Cardiff Corporation suggested on this letter that the. Ministry advice be carried out, provided the company undertakes not to issue stage tickets in the corporation areas. The Merthyr authority, however, has informed the Ministry that it cannot agree to such inter-availability of tickets with the company.
Further Ministry action in the matter is awaited.
The Ministry has taken up with the Merthyr Council its attitude to the Imperial Motor Co., Abercynon, the fourth holders of licences for the CardiffMerthyr route. The company had corn
plained to the Ministry that, whilst Cardiff and Merthyr Corporations and the Rhondda Tramways Co., Ltd., all run their route buses from the prominent Castle Street bus stand, Merthyr Council assigned to it an obscure and less convenient terminus, which meant detraction from the service possibilities. The complainant had endeavoured to meet the corporation in all ways, even altering its fare scale to the higher corporation rates to work in amity with the local authority. However, the council declined to admit Imperial buses to the Castle Street terminus.
The Ministry wrote asking the corporation to state any justification it might have for its action anent the terminus, and the corporation has replied that it adheres to the allocation made.