M.H.C.S.A. AGAINST GREEN LINE.
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WREN the South Eastern Traffic — Commissioners sit at Guildford, OR October 18 and 19, the Motor Hirers and Coach Services Association, Ltd., will oppose an application by Green Line Coaches, Ltd. for a licence to run a London-Sevenoaks service.
In the view of the M.H.C.S.A„ this application is being made to legalize a service that is now being run illegally. -We are informed that the South Eastern Traffic Commissioners ordered the Green Line service to terminate at Dunton Green, but the company continued to run it to Sevenoaks, and, it is alleged, did not appeal against the Commissioners' decision within the prescribed period.
BIG OPERATORS APPEAL AGAINST CONDITION C.
AN inquiry is being held to-day, at the Ministry of Transport, London, S.W.1, into the appeals by certain of the larger companies concerning the attachment to their licences of condition C, which relates to the operation of full services, according to time-table, whether there are passengers to be carried or not.
Independent operators would be well advised to watch closely for the Minister's decision in this matter, so that they may decide whether it would be to their advantage to lodge similar appeals.
PROTECTION FOR MANCHESTER, GRANTED ON APPEAL.
pROTECTION for Manchester Cor
poration's services operating from the city to the White Hart, Cheadle, has been granted by the Minister of Transport on an appeal by Manchester Corporation and the North Western Road Car Co., Ltd., against the North Western Traffic Commissioners' decision in allowing Goodfellow Services, Ltd., to pick up and set down the same passenger between those points.
HULL CO-ORDINATION WITH EAST YORKSHIRE CO.
chETAIN informal negotiations have
taken place between Hull Corporation and East Yorkshire Motor Services, Ltd., in an endeavour to arrive at some satisfactory basis for the co-ordination of the corporation transport services with those of the East Yorkshire concern. The suggested heads of agreement which have been prepared on the advice of Mr. A. R. Fearnley, Sheffield Corporation's transport manager, have been approved.
LIVERPOOL BUS CONTROVERSY CONTINUES.
A FURTHER stage in the Liverpool
bus controversy was reached when Liverpool Corporation recently applied to the North-Western Traffic Commissioners for permission to continue a service from Walton to Sefton Church, and one from the city to Watts Lane, Bootle, and to operate a new service from the city to Sefton Church.
Liverpool Corporation sought to have the hearing postponed, but Mr. W. Chamberlain, chairman of the Commissioners, decided to hear the application. Strong opposition was provided by MacShane's Motors, Ltd., and Bootle Corporation. It was stated that the Erst-named service, had been ,operated by the corporation since 1928, and, although some loss had been sustained, it was desired to continue the service, there being hope that conditions would improve. It was intimated that, if Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., were given permission to run the services, Liverpool Corporation would be prepared to surrender the licences, an arrangement being made between the company and the municipality.
On behalf of MacShane's Motora, Ltd., it was submitted that the applications were not bona fide, and that, if. Liverpool Corporation were attempting tate against the control of fares. The chairman of the Northern Traffic Commissioners, Sir John Maxwell, considers that there is a public desire for the tickets.
TRAM REPLACEMMNT SCHEME. REPRESENTATIVES of Dewsbury Corporation, Qssett Corporation and the National Electric Construction Co., Ltd., have been in negotiation regarding the replacement of the DewsburyOssett and the Earlsheaton tramways by motorbuses. The Dewsbury authority decided that an agreement with Ossett Corporation and the National Electric concern be made. ANOTHER STAGE-CARRIAGE CASE RESULT.
THE West London magistrate has now given his decision on a stagecarriage case that was reported, some time ago, in The Commercial Motor.
PrIeeers. A. Rose and L. S. Cunningham, trading as the Cunningham Booking Agents, of Wembley, hired from the London General Omnibus Co., Ltd., vehicles to convey members of the Wembley Speedway Supporters' Club to races at Stamford Bridge, it being stated that only members could participate. Messrs. Rose and Cunningham were prosecuted for running the vehicles as stage carriages without a road service licence, it being contended that persons other than members could be carried.
The magistrate considered that the formality of paying a 2s. subscription to become a member of the club did not constitute any effective and exclusive barrier between members and the general public, and he decided that each of the defendants should be fined £2 and ordered to pay £5 5s. costs. Notice of appeal was given.
DUNDEE BUYS A.E.C. BUSES. THE latest municipal authority to join the ranks of A.E.C. Regent users is Dundee Corporation, which has just put into service five double-deckers of this type. Two bodies have been built by Messrs. R. M. Reid, of Dundee, and three by the Metropolitan-Cammell Carriage, Wagon and Finance Co., Ltd., the latter coachwork being of special light-weight all-metal construction. An outstanding feature of this type of body is that the outer panelling is secured by wood screws in such a manner that any section can quickly be replaced.
In the construction of these bodies, extensive use is made of patented tubular-section pillars, and of coppercovered steel sheets and aluminium, the whole structure being effectively braced.
The interior decoration scheme of the vehicles is most attractive, it being carried out in red, rose pink and oak, with relief provided by stainless-steel bright-metal parts.
NEW RATES FOR " SEASONS "? NORTHUMBERLAND and Durham bus operators have jointly agreed to apply to the Northern Traffic Commissioners for sanction to amend charges for contract tickets and cheap 12journey weekly tickets. Another suggestion is that the practice of issuing return tickets at rates lower than those for two independent journeys over the same route be abandoned.
MORE BUSES FOR TRAMS. THE Swansea Tramways Co., Ltd., has written to Swansea Parliamentary Committee signifying its wish to abandon trams on the Yuysforgan route and replace them by buses. It is requested that the committee assist the company in obtaining licences from the Traffic Commissioners.
The committee has agreed to the proposal, subject to safeguards of the council's letting rights.
LAST TRAMS TO GO? MIDDLESBROUGFI Corporation's
transport manager is to report on the estimated cost of changing the last remaining tram route in the town, between the Transporter Bridge and Linthorpe, to motorbus or trolley-bus working. UNUSUAL CASE UNDER LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT.
A N unusual case came before the Caer
philly magistrate when Mr. F. E. Goode, the manager of the West Monmouthshire Joint Omnibus Board, the undertaking of Mynyddislwyn and Bedwellty Urban District Councils, was summoned to answer an information that he was illegally acting as a member of Caerphilly Urban District Council.
Prosecuting counsel said that Mr. Goode acted as a member of Caerphilly Urban District Council while disqualified from holding such a position by the provisions of the Local Government Act. This Act sought to prevent any member having a business interest in matters with which, as a councillor, he would have to deal. In 1930, Mr. Goode was elected a member of Caerphilly Council, and in 1932 he was appointed manager of the West Mon. Omnibus Board. In April, 1932, he became chairman of the Caerphilly authority, which had, before that date, entered into an agreement to run a joint service with the West Mon. Omnibus Board from Markham, via Caerphilly to Cardiff.
It was dear, contended counsel, that there was a personal interest, because Mr. Goode was concerned in the contract entered into between the council and the board.
Mr. T. C. Griffiths, clerk to the West Mon. Joint Omnibus Board, said that Mr. Goode had no part in the preparation of the agreement. He had a salary as manager of the undertaking, but this depended in no way on the working of the agreement, which was made before he became manager.
For the defence, Mr. T. F. Owen submitted that there was no case to answer, because Mr. Goode derived no pecuniary or material advantage from the contract. The magistrate, without calling on Mr. Goode for evidence, dismissed the summons and agreed to state a case.
EASTBOURNE NOT DAUNTED.
EASTBOURNE Corporation is to renew its application, which was recently refused, to run a service to the top of &achy Head. It is pointed out that the corporation is able and willing to provide such a service, and the result of the existing competition has been prejudicial to the municipal service to the foot of Beachy Head.
PROPOSED TAXATION EXCEEDS ROAD COSTS.
THE Salter Conference recommenda tions would Increase the charges of Plymouth Corporation's transport department by over £15,000 per annum, 3334 making the estimated total sum payable by motorbuses alone, in taxation, over £47,000 a year. This sum is considerably in excess of that paid by the corporation in maintenance costs for all the highways, classified and unclassified, within the city.
BURNLEY'S INCREASED COSTS.
THE additional threepence on the price of petrol will cost Burnley Corporation's transport department another £2,225 for the current financial year. The Salter Conference proposals would involve an additional payment for the buses of £6,328 per annum.
CARDIFF TRANSPORT CRITICISMS ANSWERED.
THE general manager of Cardiff Corporation's transport undertaking has reported with regard to criticisms of the City of Cardiff Ratepayers' Association in connection with the tramways trading.
The manager points out that the combined tramways and bus undertakings for the financial year ended March 31, 1932, showed a profit of £3,198, and, taking the past six years of operation, namely, from 1927, he finds that the years in which losses were incurred were in 1927, when it amounted to £16,104, in 1029, when the loss was £7,221, and in 1031, when it was £12,293.
It should also be observed that, during this period, expenditure of a capital nature, amounting to approximately £28,500, was charged to revenue, and thus reduced the above losses to a negligible sum. Further, Cardiff Corporation Act, 1930, provided for superannuation to all employees, and this has increased the burden on the undertaking for superannuation from £1,056 in 1930, to £12,660 in 1932.
FUTURE OF BURY-BOLTON TRANSPORT.
A. MEETING of representatives of
Bury, Rochdale and Bolton Corporations' transport committees is to be arranged again to consider Bury's intentions concerning a certain length of tram track and with regard to the future policy of transport between Bury and Bolton.
OPPOSITION TO L.G.O.C.
FOLLOWING further representations from the London General Omnibus CO., Ltd., the roads committee of Croydon Corporation has reconsidered its decision to oppose the company's proposal to extend service 159a. It still, however, objects to the suggestion. YORK TO FOLLOW KEIGHLEY'S LEAD?
PROPOSALS for the future of York Corporation's transport undertaking will, it is understood, be placed by a special committee before the next monthly meeting of the city council.
The committee, it is learned, recommends that provisional agreement should be entered into with the West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd., and a new company formed, with six directors, three being selected from the corporation and three from the private company. Provision is made in the recommendation for the adjustment of financial liabilities. The York system has for some years past been worked at a loss.
A scheme on these lines has been put into force at Keig,hley.
SOUTH WALES BUS GRIEVANCES.
URBAN district councils in the Mon mouthshire mining valleys have held conferences to consider bus operation in the various districts. The councils have decided to present the South Wales Traffic Commissioners with a schedule of " grievances " which, it is understood, are manifold. They include complaints of " anomalies " in bus fares, as between districts, and differing charges for equal mileages in various areas.
It is also requested that the Great Western Railway Co. should issue interavailable road-rail tickets.
A TRIBUTE TO RIVALS. BURRY PORT Urban District Council asked the Western Welsh Omnibus Co., Ltd., to run a LlanellyBurry Port-Carmarthen service the tickets to be interavailable with all other services on the route and with the railway.
In reply, the company pointed to the excellent services provided by South Wales Transport Co., Ltd., and Messrs. J. M. Dacus, of Burry Port. The W.W.O. Co., Ltd., did not think that the suggested service would pay.
SCARBOROUGH AND U.A.S. THE general committee of Scarborough Corporation has met Mr. G. Cardwell, managing director, and Mr. A. T. Evans, secretary and traffic manager, of United Automobile Services, Ltd., with regard to the following matters connected with the bus services in the borough :—
• (a) Lack of authority of the local manager to settle points arising from local services ; (b) contract tickets ; (c) free or cheap facilities ; (d) country services, and (e) picking up and setting down passengers in the borough.