IMPORTANT HAPPENINGS OF THE WEEK
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Certifying Vehicles in Southern Scotland.
WE have been asked by Mr. T. E. B. Chalmers, the Southern Scotland certifying officer, to announce that he has arranged to inspect new vehicles submitted for certificates of fitness, at the following times and places :—Edinburgh, first Monday of each month; Glasgow, second Monday; Dumfries, third Monday; and Glasgow, fourth Monday.
Operators who desire to avail themselves of the facilities should give Mr. E36 Chalmers at least seven days' notice, in addition to filling up the forms of application Nos. PSV1 and PSV3. The date of delivery of the vehicles should be indicated.
Yorkshire Tramways Replacements.
THE first batch of Leyland Tiger buses has just been delivered from the Leeds bodyworks of Chas. H. Roe (1923), Ltd., to the West Riding Automobile' Co., Ltd., Wakefield, for the replacement of trams. The LeedsWakefield-Sandal route will first be dealt with, followed by the services to Agbrigg, Horbury, Ossett, etc.
The vehicles have central entrances and their special colour easily distinguishes them from the loc.al buses.
Irish Act to Regulate Passenger Services.
THE Road Transport Act, which was rushed with great haste through the Parliament of the Irish Free State before the late Government resigned office, is to come into operation on July 25th, and proprietors of passenger services
now running are required to make application for licences before May 14th, whilst operators of new services will require to apply two months before they are proposed to commence.
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce has issued regulations under the Act, and these prescribe the fees for licences and the maximum fares. The latter are not likely to be approached under present conditions. For the purpose of charges the country is divided into two zones, one being a radius of 15 miles of Dublin and the other outside that area.
A vehicle engaged on either a bus or a coach service must obtain a licence from the Ministry. The extremely elaborate returns which operators of passenger services are required to furnish to the Ministry are to be continued. These include an abstract of expenditure and receipts, a net-revenue account and a general balance-sheet.
A Suspended Service Restored,
A SERVICE, the suspension of which
caused considerable outcry in the west country, has now been restored. It may be remembered that Messrs. Gratton Brothers, of Burnham-on-Sea, were refused permission to operate on the Burnham-Holford route, and this was said to have caused untold inconvenience to village people.
At a recent sitting of the Western Traffic Commissioners, some witnesses said, in support of the service, that they were now into worse position than they were 40 years ago, when only horsed vans were available. After much deliberation, the Commissioners decided to allow Messrs. Gratton Brothers to run daily from Bridgwater to Holford and once night and morning from Burnham to Holford.
20 Per Cent. Depreciation Allowance.
A LETTER from the Board of Inland
Revenue to the Association of British Chambers of Commerce states that the depreciation edlowance on buses of 20 per cent. on the written-own value of the vehicles is to be continued until the year ended 1935-36.
Standard Tours Fares for Tyneside.
AS already announced in Die Commer cial Motor, agreement has been reached by Tyneside coach owners on tour charges for the forthcoming season and a complete list of excursions, with appropriate rates, has been submitted to the Northern Traffic Commissioners for approval. In the main, the fares show little variation from those in operation during the 1931 season.
Below is a list of the 1932 charge; from Newcastle. on a number of the most popular runs :—
,.Proportionate fares are ()noted for other parts of the district covered by theagreement
Municipality and Company Exchange Services.
TO eliminate competition the West
Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd., has ceased to operate its Bradford-Clayton service, and Bradford Corporation has given up its Bradford, Bolton Woods and Frizinghall route.
The change-over has been approved by the Traffic Commissioners and the municipality is to run extra trolleybuses on the former route, whilst the West Yorkehire concern is to put motorbuses into operation on the Eolton and Frieinghall routes in Place of trolley vehicles.
Irish Bus Fares Dispute.
THE executive committee of the Northern Ireland Municipal Authorities Association has condemned the basis formulated by the Bus Fares Tribunal for rates to be charged on public service vehicles. The committee maintains that the fares would be excessive
and would cause hardship to the public, and it cannot understand why operators could not make reasonable profits at a
basic rate of Id. per mile. .
Big Welsh Co-ordination Scheme, THE South Wales Commissioners have approved an interesting scheme for the co-ordination of services in the Western Valley area, and companies running from Tredegar, Brynmawr and
Crumliu to Newport have agreed to a complete system of interchangeable tickets. In 164) cases the fares will be decreased, whilst in 9 instances there will be increases.
Arrangements have also been made for season-ticket rates to be similar to those charged in the Eastern Valley.
More Buses for Trams.
IN preference to spending £42e340 on relaying part of the ManchesterRochdale tramway route, the municipal transport department of Manchester has decided to replace the trams by buses, Rochdale Corporation having approved the proposal.
Standard Tour Fares Proposed.
A COMPREHENSIVE schedule of
minimum fares for excursions and tours from the -East Midland area has been drawn up, and the East Midland Traffic Commissioners propose to exercise their powers to attach to licences a condition that the rates charged shall be in accordance with the scherduIe.
It is proposed that at week-ends and Bank Holiday periods ope.rators should have the option to charge higher fares, will maxima as follow :-Saturdays end Sundays, up to 20 per cent above the minima ; Bank-holiday periods, up to 33iper cent. above the minima. The proposed rates are set out at length in Gazette 58 for this area.
Colchester Again Seeks Protection. AN -effort to secure protection for the municipal bus services has again been made by Colchester Corporation in an application to the Eastern Traffic Commissioners.
It may be remembered that the corporation previously made an unsuccesse ful attempt to enforce protection in the form of a 25 per cent, levy on the fares charged by private operators to passengers picked up and set down within the borough. The authority has now sought to have the fares of private. Concerns
increased to 50 per cent. over and above those charged on the corporation vehicles, or any other rate that the Commissioners might decide.
For about 25 years prior to 1929, a municipal tramways undertaking was run and private operators charged 50 per cent, above the fares-in force on the corporation system, but when buses took the place of trams, another arrangement was made for the .payment of 25 per cent, of the fares. At the present time, however, there is no protection for Colchester Corporatien's
services.
The Traffic Commissioners have deferred their decision. '
Council's Parking Action Vetoed. AN alleged attempt by Abergavenjy
Town Council to enforce an operator to give up his own private parking ground and use a site appointed by the municipality, was revealed at a recent sitting of the South Wales Traffic Commissioners. Replying to a statement by Mr. Davies, of Davies Motor Services, Llantilio, the chairman of the Commissioners said that there appeared to be no authority for the councirs action.
We are informed that the A.E.C. Regal coach illustrated on page 423 of our issue for last week was supplied by Blue Belle Motors, Ltd., Acre Lane, London, S.W.2. More Support for Green Line Services.
ANOTHER local authority is taking up the cudge,ls on behalf of Green Line Coaches, Ltd. The highways committee of Wood Green Urban District Council considers that the company's service is not only efficient, but in the interests of the travelling public, and, in that strain, it is to make representations to the Minister of Transport.
Parking Buses at Half Price.
THE watch committee of Lancaster Corporation has fixed charges for the use of the new bus station. It has offered Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., accommodation for its vehicles at the reduced charge of 3d. per bus per visit, in lieu of the scale charge of 6d. The Ribble company is, considering the matter.
Big Northern General Tour Flans.
AN attractive publication giving com plete details of the tour activities of the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., Worawick Street, Newcastleupon-Tyne, has just been issued. It contains over 200 pages and describes daily and evening tours, extended tours and limited-stop services.
The company is showing commendable enterprise in offering prizes for the best photographs taken on any of its tours. The publication, which is well illustrated and contains a wealth of descriptive matter and maps, is issued gratis.
L.M.S. Opposes Ribble Appeal.
IN Manchester, a few days ago, Ribble
Motor Services, Ltd., appealed against the North-Western Traffic Commissioners' refusal of a licence for a Blackburn-Manchester service, and against the licensing of a service operated by Lewis Cronshaw, Ltd. Objections were made by Darwen Corporation, Lewis Crenshaw, Ltd., and the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Co., the latter being, of course, substantially interested in the Ribble undertaking.
Local Councils Combine in Favour of Bus Service.
EIGHT local authorities in Lanca
shire have decided to support the appeal of Cadman's Motor Services, to be heard in Preston to-day (Tuesday), against the imposition by the NorthWestern Traffic Commissioners of conditions in connection with the firm's Wigan-Southport service, via Ormskirk. A petition in favour of the service is said to have been signed by 18,000 people.
Corporation Seeking Ban on • Private Services.
TEN decisions of the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners were the subject of a recent appeal by Bradford Corporation, when opposition was forthcoming from West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd., and Hebble Motor Services, Ltd. Bandon, Shipley and Bingley Urban District Councils, Bradford Chamber of Trade, and a local association of traders also opposed the corporation, which asked that private operators should be prevented from picking up and setting down passengers on the tramway routes.
Another Yorkshire Appeal Heard.
ON behalf of the Minister of Trans port, Mr. T. It. Kellner has heard, at Leeds, an appeal by Mr. Ernest Silverwood, of Ryhill, near Wakefield, against a refusal by the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners to license a Wakefield-Cudworth stage-carriage service. Support was forthcoming from all the councils on the route between the two points named, and a petition signed by 11,009 people was submitted.
The appeal was opposed by the West Riding Automobile Services, Ltd., the Yorkshire Traction Co., Ltd., and the West Riding Electric Tramways Co., Ltd.