ELECTRIC TRAIN SERVICES TO FIGURE IN LICENSING STRUGGLE
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Decision in Respect of Several Licences Postponed by the Northern Commissioners AT the sitting of the Northern Area Traffic Commissioners, held at Newcastle on April 23rd and 24th, Mr. Henry Riches, the chairman, said that the question of imposing as a condition a speed limit of 30 miles an hour, or even a lower speed, was being considered.
Turning to competitive services, Mr. Riches made it clear that strict timetable working would be insisted upon. Any hanging back by competitors, he said, would be regarded as one of the most serious forms of abuse of a licence. Such a practice definitely would not be tolerated, and complaints of offences of this description, even if they were not the subject of a prosecution, would nevertheless be taken seriously into consideration on occasions when renewals of road-service licences were being made.
Five applications, to which there were no objections, were granted.
Newcastle Corporation made 23 applications for the continuance of existing licences, without modification. Mr. A. M. Oliver, the town clerk, urged that the corporation was not in the same category as a commercial undertaking, in that its main object was to meet the requirements of the people, and not to make a profit. This being the case, he submitted that some of the general conditions mentioned by Mr. Riches should not apply to a local authority. Instances which he quoted were in respect to fares and charges. The Commissioner agreed that the Act laid down that local authorities could fix their bus fares.
After exhaustive evidence had been presented Mr. Riches announced that the remaining corporation applications would be adjourned until the next sitting of the Commissioners, which is to be on May 14th. It is anticipated that on that occasion the greatest tussles will develop around the corporation's applications in respect to services working to the Walker, Wallsend and Heaton districts. These districts are served by the railway company by electric trains, which they are extremely anxious to protect On the second day of the inquiry Mr. J. Petrie, on behalf of the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., and its associated undertakings in Lancashire and Yorkshire, made application for licences for limited-stop services between Tyneside and Manchester and LiverpooL Mr. Riches intimated that he had received notices of opposition from the L.M.S. Railway Co., together with a request that the hearing should be adjourned. The evidence, therefore, would be taken at the next sitting. The cases, it is understood, will probably be heard on May 15th, after the Newcastle Corporation applications.