Autocratic Commissioners
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FROM the action taken by certain of the Traffic Commissioners appointed under the Road Traffic Act, 1930, it appears that some of them consider they have the power to make their own regulations as to the procedure to be fol lowed in the case of applications for licences and backings, whereas, in fact, they do not possess this power, which can alone be wielded by the Minister of Transport.
Complaints have been made to us that proprietors of public-service vehicles are being ordered either to be present or represented at hearings, not only for road service licences but also in respect of backings, the proviso being made that particular cases may be heard on the date given, on the following day or days, or that they may even be postponed to some subsequent date.
• One licence may thus involve several attendances, plus an attendance for each backing. This is manifestly a heavy burden of expenditure and waste of time which falls particularly hard on the shoulders of the proprietor in a small way of business, although It is by no means a light one in the case of the bigger concerns.
Section 79 of the Road Traffic Act provides that the Minister may make regulations as to the procedure on applications for, and the determination of questions in connection with the granting of licences by the Commissioners. It also provides that those regulations may make provision as to the particulars to be furnished and the , persons to whom notices are to be given, the manner in which notices are to be published or served and that in which objections may be made. The Act does not deal with the question as to whether an applicant must attend personally or •be represented before the Commissioners when his application is considered.
The Minister of Transport has made The Public Servibe Vehicles (Licences and Certificates) (No. 2) Provisional Regulations, 1931, dated June 23rd, 1931,, which revoked other regulations previously made. Part VII deals with road service licences, and Regulation 40 provides that every application for a licence or backing shall be sent to the Commissioners so as to reach them not less than eight weeks before the date on which it is desired that the licence or backing shall take effect, but the regulations do not provide for attendance when the _application is considered.
Our view on this matter is that the Commissioners are bound to consider all applications which are properly sent to them, and that they are not entitled to require the applicants to attend or to be represented.
If licences or backings be refused by the Commissioners concerned on the ground that the applicants were not represented at the hearings, we would strongly advise the aggrieved parties to lodge strong appeals with the Minister of Transport against such refusals, but in the interim the whole subject should receive close attention.
The question as to whether it is advisable in their own interests for applicants to attend the hearings need not be considered here. It depends to a great extent upon the opposition which will have to be faced.
The Value of Pooling Technical Knowledge.
TN this country there is, and always has been, much reluctance in pooling knowledge gained in connection with experimental work. The modern tendency towards rationalization, however, indicates, that it would be advisable in the real interests of the commercial-motor industry to have some central fund of knowledge which will, in future, save useless expenditure.
There are in existence certain bodies which could be made the medium for regulating and grouping the information provided. Such a scheme is already in existence, but on a scale which, it is felt, might be much enlarged.
Obviously, it is a needless waste of money for one particular manufacturing concern to investigate such a complicated problem as oil consumption when much of the information which is required is already in existence, although it is not available for general distribution.
Fear of assisting a competitor is largely at the root of the trouble, but the grouping of manufacturing interests is, to some extent, tending to overcome this difficulty. This subject offers a golden opportunity to our technical societies for collaboration, which would ultimately give rise to lower production costs, followed by reduced selling prices.
A Fair Commission for the Booking Agent.
filFIE tendency of the Traffic Commissioners, -Iwhich has already been given expression at sittings in one or two areas, to fix 5 per cent. as a maximum commission for motor-coach booking agents, is one which needs rather more consideration before effect can be given to the suggestion.
Presumably, the aim is that road-travel agencies should receive no greater percentage of commission than is paid on railway tickets and, of course, the Commissioners wish to prevent undue profits being made out of the sale of road-travel facilities.
It must be remembered, however, that the motor-coach booking agent has to do a good deal more work for his money than is required of an agent selling railway tickets. Whereas in the latter case 10 applicants may be disposed of in as many minutes, the coach booking agent will probably take live minutes for each customer. He has to telephone to reserve seats, a convenience, it may be noted, which the railways only provide, as it were, as an afterthought and at extra cost. The telephone itself means an expense and often considerable trouble and delay.
The Commissioners should, before making decisions, find out whether the costs of local advertising, premises, telephone, etc., are borne, or partly borne, by the respective operating companies, also whether, in each case, the booking business is the sole occupation of the agent. We understand that in the latter case the Northern Commissioners are prepared to regard 7.1 per cent, as a reasonable rate, but, as most sole booking agents are main agents, it is difficult to see how, out of their 74 per cent., they are going to be able to pay 5 per cent, to their sub-agents.