OPERATORS MUST DUPLICATE!
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ASTRONG warning to express-service operators, in connection with duplication, was given last week by Mr. Glee_son E. Robinson, Metropolitan Traffic Commissioner. He stated that it had been brought to his attention that there was a tendency for licensed operators to seek the most remunerative traffic. Although he had not fully investigated the circumstances, the Commissioner said that it had been alleged that, instead of operating up to the maximum limit of duplication authorized on express services, certain concerns were running other services, such as special excursions or privateparty outings, which were more remunerative.
The Commissioner was aware that operators had, on account of the concentration of the holiday period, to maintain large fleets throughout the year, in order to deal with holiday requirements, and that this fact might cause some difficulty. Nevertheless, he warned operators that it was their duty to supply the needs of the districts for which they catered and to operate up to the limit of duplication permitted.
Otherwise, the Commissioner might feel bound, when applications were made for express-service licences by concerns not at present holding them, to grant those licences, because the existing licensees were not doing their best to meet the public need. He added that he wanted this statement to be brought prominently to the notice of express-service operators.
STOCKTON-MIDDLESB ROUGH MERGER SCHEME AGAIN.
THE suggested amalgamation of Stockton and Middlesbrough Corporation's bus undertakings is again to be discussed. Twelve months ago this question was raised, but the two councils could not agree on certain points and it was decided to adjourn for a year. Stockton Council is now awaiting a communication from the Middlesbrough authority before reopening negotiations.
MR. STIR K ON UNFAIR OBJECTION.
CRITICISM of an objection by the Trent Motor Traction Co., Ltd., was made by Mr. J. H. Stirk, chairman of the East Midland Traffic Commissioners, when the company opposed an application by Barton Transport, Ltd., to take over a service hitherto run by Mr. M. King from Long Clawson to Nottingham. The Barton concern had entered into an agreement with Mr. King to purchase the service, subject to the application being granted.
The Trent company contended that the existing service on part of the route was adequate, and .asked for protection. For the Barton concern, it was submitted that the objection was entirely unwarranted.
Mr. Stink asked the Trent company's B28 representative whether it would give protection to any other operator who had a more frequent service, when it purchased another business. " What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander," he said, granting the application.
HOVE AGAINST BRIGHTON BUSES.
IT is understood that Hove Town 1 Council is strenuously to oppose the proposal, reported in the issue of The Commercial Motor dated July 26, for Brighton Corporation to inaugurate a summer bus service from Saltdean to Hoye. These would be Brighton's first municipal buses.
RIBBLE CO. TO CO-ORDINATE
WITH LANCASTER? KTEGOTIATIONS are taking place J. '4 between Lancaster Corporation and Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., for the co-ordination of the local services. The corporation wished to co-ordinate only the workmen's services, but the company was not agreeable to this course, but was willing to consider a scheme embracing other routes.
HIGHER WAGES AT LANCASTER.
LANCASTER Corporation's employees are to receive higher wages, as a result of a conference between representatives of the municipality and the Transport and General Workers' Union. As from April 1 last, drivers will receive an additional Is. 3d. per week, and a further ls. 3d. per week from April 1 next year. Conductors will be paid an additional is. 9d. per week this year and a similar further increase next year.
The drivers of one-man-operated buses will receive an additional 2s. 3d. per week, this year, and an extra Is. 3d. a week next year. Cleaners and other operatives also receive increased wages.
UNUSUAL MUNICIPAL APPLICATION.
AN unusual application, under Part V of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, for permission to run buses outside the city boundary to gain access to another part of the city, was made by Leeds Corporation and was granted by the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners, last week. The service will be operated in co-ordination with those of the West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd.
£30,000 FOR CADMAN SERVICES.
LAST week, Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., was granted the transfer of the stage-service licences of Cadman's Services, Ltd., Wigan, which company, operating 20 buses on a number of routes, has recently been acquired by the Ribble concern at a reported price of £30,000. The transfer was authorized by the North Western Traffic Commissioners.
Plymouth Transport Committee is to obtain a report as to the practicability of converting two tram routes to trolleybus operation.
OPERATORS WIN ROUTE. STRUGGLE
RECENTLY, the South Wales Traffic Commissioners granted applications by Thomas White and Co., Ltd., Messrs. C. J. Vincent, Messrs. Reliance Motors, Messrs. S. J. Thomas and the Western Welsh Omnibus Co., Ltd., for permission to run services from Cardiff to Barry, via Dinas Powis, over the new Leckwith Bridge and road. This new route avoids the Penarth toll road. Cardiff City Council and Messrs. S. Harfoot and Son, Barry, whose service the corporation is to take over, objected.
Glamorgan County Council also objected, but was ruled out of order, as the required notice had not been given. On the day previous to the hearing, Glamorgan Main Roads and Bridges Committee decided that, whilst the new bridge and hill road were suitable for further bus traffic, the continuation road was unsuitable.
Mr. A. T. James, KC., chairman, said that the Commissioners had again gone over the route and had decided that no danger would be caused by it. They hoped that the council would be able to obtain a grant to improve the other section of the road.
The Commissioners allowed the applications, stating that the applicants should have the benefit of this new route. Cardiff Corporation was, however, afforded protection on the section of the route within the Cardiff boundaries. The Commissioners refused to allow Cardiff Corporation to extend its existing service to Llandough via Leckwith Hill.
LOOSE WORDING OF CONDITION CAUSES PROSECUTION.
THE word " within " in the condi
tions regarding duplicate buses figured importantly in an unsuccessful prosecution brought 'against Samuel Morgan, Ltd., by the Yorkshire Commissioners, in Doncaster Borough Court.
The evidence of two police witnesses was, in the first place, that they saw the regular bus leave -at the scheduled time and that the duplicate bus started away almost immediately afterwards, but, when recalled later, one of the constables said the buses left almost together. The magistrates'
clerk said that the with had been recorded as stating that both buses left at 9 o'clock.
The prosecuting solicitor said that the Commissioners had laid down that a duplicate bus should start three minutes before the scheduled bus. A vehicle examiner agreed with the defending solicitor that the regulation said that a duplicate should start within three minutes in advance of the service bus, and the defending solicitor thereupon stated that that meant the duplicate could leave at any
time -from 8.47 until 9 o'clock. If the Commissioners meant the duplicate to leave at S.57, they would have used the word " at," and not " within."
BIG LOSS ON PARIS TRANSPORT
THEannual report of the Societe des Transports en Commun dans la Region Parisienne has just been published, and it shows that in 1934, 47,244,637 fewer passengers were carried, as compared with 1933, and that receipts dropped by 32,000,000 francs. This falling off may be attributed in part to the severe business depression in France, but it is largely due to the fact that Paris has lost its great floating population of visitors.
The number of passengers carried was 948,929.843, and vehicle-kiloms. run totalled 173,482,751. The receipts per kilom. for the buses and trams were 3 francs 92.7 centimes, and the running cost 4 francs J4 centimes. The revenue and running costs vary over a wide range.
A general revision of services is now taking place, with a view to improving the financial conditions. To the credit of the T.C.R.P. it may be said that the replacement of tram services by bus systems has been speeded up remarkably during the past 18 months.
COUNCIL'S BUS-STATION DECISION ILLEGAL,
PI.A HITCH has arisen at West Hartlepool concerning a proposal by United Automobile Services, Ltd., to erect a bus station. The council has decided that the matter should be reconsidered next month, when the watch committee will be asked to proceed with the scheme.
The council originallyintended to build a station to cost E12,000. including £6,000 for the land, which would be bOught from the London and North Eastern' Railway Co., but in June the corporation agreed to release the L.N.E.R. from its agreement, in order that it could re-sell the land to the "United," which would build the bus station, instead of the corporation. This was agreed by 14 votes to eight. It now transpires that the decision is illegal, because nine members of the council are either directly or indirectly interested in the L.N.E.R., whilst another is an agent for the "United."
THREE SCOTTISH TRANSFERS.
ATElgin, on August 2, W. Alexander and Sons, Ltd., Falkirk, applied to the Northern Sccitland Traffic Commissioners for power to take over the services operated between Aberdeen and Stoneywood and Dyce by three Aberdeen companies, Aberdeen Suburban Services, Ltd., Bydand Motor Transport Co., Ltd., and the Radio Bus Service, the last-named owned by Mr. Robert Raffan.
Mr. Henry Riches, chairman, in granting\ the application, said that it
was well known that the Alexander concern had acquired the entire share capital of the two first-named concerns and that they had agreed to take over Mr. Rattan's goodwill and vehicles.
BIG NORTH LONDON SERVICE REORGANIZATION.
AN extensive series of changes in bus .services in the north of the Metropolitan Area will be brought into force by the London Transport, on August 14. Certain services are being withdrawn, whilst others will be extended and Unproved. The area affected is bounded approximately by Baldock, Letchworth, Bishops Stortford, Epping', Ponders End and Watford. A coordinated system is to operate where Six different operators have worked in competition.
BARTER OF LICENCES ALLEGED
'THAT the transaction was merely a. .I. barter of licences was alleged during the hearing of appeals against the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners' decision to grant the transfer from Messrs. A. E., Keeling and Sons, of Leeds, to the West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd., of a number of licences for excursions and tours, starting from Leeds, Bradford and elsewhere.
Mr. A. Masser, for 13 appellants, stated that at the Commissioners' inquiry a good deal of time was devoted to the transaction between Messrs. Keeling and the West Yorkshire concern, but he suggested that they did not get to the bottom of it. If it were a sale of licences, it was contrary to the law. As no vehicles had been transferred, they were still being operated by Messrs. Keeling. How and in what circumstances could be only conjecture. '
' Mr. H. R. B. Shepherd, for Mr. Samuel Ledgard, submitted that the evidence proved that this was merely a barter of licences. There was clearly a sale of something, but it was neither Messrs. Keeling's vehicles nor premises.
For the West 'Yorkshire..Rod Car Co., Ltd., Mr. W. R. Hargrave 'submitted that the appellants' arguments were extraneous .and irrelevant.. The contention that there could be no goodwill,, apart from the premises or vehicles, revealed an entire misconception of the law. It would be futile to argue that Mr. Keeling, an operator of long experience, had no goodwill to sell. -.
LONDON-NEWCASTLE FARES TO BE VARIED.
HAVING been in consultation, as 1 I directed by the Ministry of Transport, regarding coach• fares from Newcastle to London and intermediate points, the Traffic 'Commissioners for the various areas concerned will shortly issue jointly a variation of fares throughout the whole route. An announcement to this effect was made by Mr. J. Farndale, chairman of the Yorkshire Commissioners, last week.