BID TO RAISE FAR-ES LEGALITY DOUBTED
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A REMARKABLE position, includ ing the calling of a Trades Council mass conference and the retention of legal advisers, is arising in consequence of Portsmouth's endeavour to increase bus fares.. Powerful opposition has been organized by the local Trades Council and, as a consequence, the tramways committee has postponed its decision. The parties opposing farestage revision have declared that the South-Eastern Traffic Commissioners' decision, acceding to increased fares, was not in order. The Commissioners, however, wrote to the corporation stating that "they had decided to vary the condition of
the road service licences . ." At this stage, the opposition called legal advice. Subsequently, the Commissioners, replying in correspondence, pointed out that the revision of fares was not an application for a licence. Objections could be made to a renewal under Section 72 of the 1930 Act, when the corporation next applied for licences on the routes concerned. The Commissioners did not feel justified in preventing the raising of fares.
Now a doubt arises as to whether the corporation's position is legal, having regard to the fact that no council resolution exists instructing this fare-raising application to be made to the Commissioners. The mass meeting called will be made up of five delegates from each protesting organization.
NOTTINGHAM BREAKS RECORDS.
RECORDS established last year by Nottingham's passenger transport -undertaking were revealed at a recent luncheon. Alderman J. Farr, chairman of the passenger transport committee, stated that in 1935-36 47,500,000 passengers were carried by the trolleybuses and 37,000,000 by the motorbuses.
There were 130 route-miles of trolleybus system, no of buses and only 4 of trams. Capital expenditure amounted to over £1,000,000, of which threequarters had been repaid. Last year, 97,000,000 passengers were carried3,0110,000 above the record. Miles run were 10,000,000, or 180,000 more than the average, whilst traffic income was £18,000 above the record.
DOVER AGREEMENT SEALED.
DDOVER Town Council has ordered sealing of the agreements with the East Kent Road Car Co., Ltd., concerning the replacement of the municipal tramways by bus services operated by the company.
LYTHAM APPROVES AGREEMENT.
D ECOMMENDATIONS by the IN-negotiating committee, set up by Blackpool and Lytham St. Anne's Corporations, for the co-ordination of the two municipal transport systems, have been approved by Lytham Town Council. A special sub-committee has been appointed to consider final details and report to the council.