THE LATEST NEWS OF IMPORTANT EVENTS
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LORRY AS BUS: PASSENGERS AND THEIR GOODS.
PUBLIC service vehicle and road ser
vice licences are required for lorries carrying passengers and goods for reward. This fact was established last week, in a King's Bench Divisional Con rt.
Police Superintendent J. H. Drew appealed against the Saltash Justices' dismissal of charges against Mr. E. Dingle, of Callington, for using a vehicle as an express carriage without the appropriate licences. He carried market produce and five passengers on his lorry, the passengers being the owners of the goods. Various charges were made, but these Mr. Dingle alleged to be in respect of the transport of the goods and would have been the seine were no passengers carried.
The respondent claimed that the lorry was adapted to carry fewer than eight persons, and that it was operated on a special occasion. The Lord Chief Justice (Lord Hewart) pointed out that fares were paid by the passengers and it was immaterial whether they carried their produce with them or not. The case was sent back to the local Justices with a direction that the offence alleged had been proved.
IMPORTANT WELSH MERGER.
TEE _ Western Welsh Omnibus Co., Ltd„ is to take over the big bus enterprise of Messrs. Lewis and James, Ltd. (Western Valley Services). The Western Valley Services are going into voluntary liquidation and are to be run as part of the W.W.O.C. system. The W.W.O.C. has long had a substantial interest in Lewis and James, Ltd.
The taking over of the services also means that the Eastern Valley Services of Messrs. Barrett, in which the W.W.O.C. had also a strong partnership interest, will pass under the control of the Western Welsh Co. and be run by that concern in its own name.
ANOTHER FARES INQUIRY.
THE Metropolitan Traffic Com missioner is to hold a fares inquiry at Caxton House, Tothill Street, London, S.W.1, on November 14, at 10.30 a.m. The decision to hold this inquiry follows the reception of a report from No. 6 (East) Regional Fares Committee concerning the period during which summer fares should he charged, and alterations in existing fares on exPress services and excursions and tours frore the Metropolitan to the Eastern Area.
PROTECTION FOR HALIFAX.
AN appeal far the continuance of pro tective fares for bus services which replace trams made by Halifax Corporation has been allowed by the Minister of Transport. He has concluded that the operation by Halifax Joint Committee of buses on certain routes served by trams may be regarded as in place of the corporation tramways, These bus services should be protected over the whole length of the tramway routes. U.A.S. TAKES OVER FIVE FIRMS, INCLUDING BLEMERS.
A MERGER, exclusively forecast in
The Commercial Motor on May 5 last, has now taken effect. ' At that time we stated that Blumers Motors, Ltd., Greatham, Stockton, might shortly he merged with United Automobile Services, Ltd., but the Blumers concern denied the truth of this announcement. The Commercial Motor, however, was right, and U.A.S. has acquired Blumers.
The position is that the latter company was formed in 1929 to acquire the services of Mr. T. S. Blinner, the shares being held by the London and North Eastern Railway Co. and Mr. Blumer. Later, the railway company acquired an interest in U.A.S., and the L.N.E.R. interest In Blumers was transferred to the "United."
Mr. Blumer has now disposed of his holding to 'MAAS., also resigning from the position of managing director, but Blumera Motors, Ltd., is being carried ,on as hitherto. It is stated that Mr. A. T. Evans, secretary and general manager of the "United," has joined the board of the other concern.
It is understood that U.A.S. has taken over the businesses of Messrs. Thompson Bros. and Messrs. Spowart Bros., of Berwick, and that of Mr. G. Morton, who operates from Ashingtou to Newbiggin. Negotiations have been completed to amalgamate the services of Mr. J. W. Young, in the Berwick area, With those of the " United," It is helived that the company is negotiating for the purchase of a Durham firm.
HIGH COURT RULING ON "CONTRACT" WORK
appeal by Police-Superintendent AN H. A. Goldsmith against the Canterbury Justices' dismissal of a case against Mr. G. T. L. Deakin was allowed by a King's Bench Divisional Court last Friday.
Mr. Deakin had been charged with using a vehicle as a stage carriage without licences. It appears that he hired a coach to a club for transport in connection with a dance. Coach tickets at ad. each were sold at the function. The operator contracted to provide the vehicle at a charge of 10s. for each journey, and agreed that the driver should collect tickets from passengers to prevent unauthorized persons from using it. No money was paid by passengers to the driver or operator.
The Canterbury Justices held that the dance constituted neither a private party nor a special occasion, but considered that the operator was unaware that the vehicle had been used as a stage carriage and, therefore, could not have permitted such use.
Mr. Justice Avory, in giving judgment in the Divisional Court, said that the vehicle was employed as a stage carriage. If a vehicle was hired out in circumstances in which it might be used as a stage carriage, and the operator placed an employee in charge of it, the operator was permitting it to be used as a stage carriage without an appropriate licence. MT. .1ustice Lawrence agreed.
IRRELEVANT CONSIDERATIONS BY COMMISSIONERS ALLEGED.
APPEALS" by United Automobile Services, Ltd., Tynemouth and District Electric Traction Co., Ltd., Wakefield's Motors, Ltd., and Newcastle Corporation against the refusal of the Northern Traffic Commissioners to sanction increases in fares were heard at Newcastle, on November 2. Opposition was provided by several local authorities.
For the companies, it was submitted that the Commissioners had no powers to fix fares, being authorized only to prescribe licence conditions to ensure that fares were reasonable. They could fix certain maximum or minimum fares, but could not arrange definite charges. in this case, no such application had been made.
The grounds upon which the Commissioners refused to permit increased fares were said to be as follow : They would cause public hardship ; the Commissioners resented an agreement with the railway company ; the U.A.S. and Newcastle Corporation were making a profit, whilst, although the Tyneside and Wakefield concerns were not showing a profit, the Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., which was making a profit, held shares in them. The appellants contended that these considerations, even if the facts were correct, were entirely irelevtust LORD ASHFIELD REPLIES TO MR, MORRISON.
LORD ASHFIELD, chairman of London Transport, has replied to certain complaints regarding Green Line coach services, which were transmitted to him by Mr. Herbert Morrison, who was mainly responsible for the formation of the Board.
Lord Ashfield points out that the services are operated under conditions imposed by the Minister of Transport on the advice of the Amulree Committee, and that the fares are in accordance with the findings of a special committee of operators inaugurated in 1931. These fares are now scheduled as a condition of licences issued by the Metropolitan Commissioner.
It is stated that, if coaches be allowed to pick up passengers _close to Underground railway stations, the question of reintroducing road-rail bookings would be reconsidered.
"NO OFFER FOR BOURNEMOUTH MUNICIPAL SYSTEM."
AN answer to a statement made at Bournemouth by Mr. W. Wilkinson, to the effect that Hants and Dorset Motor Services, Ltd., had offered to take over Bournemouth Corporation's transport undertaking, was given, last week, by Mr. W. W. Graham, general manager of the Hants company. No offer was, he declared, ever made to the council by the company to take over the municipal transport system.
TILLING TRANS} bit SCHEME.
THE London Passenger Transport Arbitration Tribunal has received a scheme from Thos. Tilling, Ltd., regarding the consideration to be given by London Transport in taking over the Tilling undertaking in the metropolis. The assets consist of 392 vehicles, three garages and a repair yard. 70 OBJECTORS TO "ANYWHERE "TICKET SCHEME.
AN application for permission to issue daily unlimited-travel tickets at 3s. 6d. each, on its stage-carriage services, was made to the Eastern Traffic Commissioners last week, by the Eastern Counties Omnibus Co., Ltd. The tickets would be available for use in each of four zones, from 6.30 a.m. until midnight, from Monday to Friday, during the period from June 1 to September 30, and daily from October 1 to May 31, national holidays being excepted.
Originally there were 46 objectors to the proposal, but this number grew to 70.
The object of the scheme was to induce the public to travel at slack periods and to create new traffic. The Eastern Counties concern commenced the issue of unlimited-travel tickets in 1928, and they were most successful. Their issue was, however, suspended in 1932, because it was found that the company had not been authorized by the Commissioner to issue tickets of this kind.
It was stated that the receipts from stage services in the Ipswich area totalled S135,195 in the year ended June, 1932, the unlimited-travel tickets being responsible for 16,301. During the year ended June, 1933, the corresponding receipts were £127,411 and £6,801.
The hearing of the application was adjourned until November 21, at Bury St. Edmunds.
HIGHWAYS LICENCES FOR " NATIONAL " COMPANIES.
AT Exeter, on October 2, the Western Traffic Commissioners transferred the licences of Highways, Ltd., to the Southern National Omnibus Co., Ltd., and the WesternNational Omnibus Co., Ltd. These concerns have acquired the goodwill of Highways, Ltd., and the Commissioners granted the Southern National concern a licence for a LondonPaignton service, and the "Western National" a licence for a LondonPlymouth service, both previously worked by Highways, Ltd.
The Southern National organization's applications in respect of Bournemouth excursions and tours, and a LondonIlfracombe service, were withdrawn, likewise the "Western National's" applications for a licence for a LondonNewquay service. It was stated that a pooling ageement had been reached between the two companies and Elliott Bros. (Bournemouth), Ltd., in connection with receipts.