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PASSENGER TRANSPORT
THE LATEST NEWS OF IMPORTANT EVENTS
FIRST YORKSHIRE BIDS FOR 1934 "CONTRACT" LICENCES.
PROPOSED modifications to the
Schedule 2A pre booked party licensing scheme operating in Yorkshire will be argued before the Yorkshirts Traffic Commissioners at a sitting at Leeds, to-day (Friday), when the first application for such licences for 1934 will be submitted.
These proceedings have been preceded by a number of important conferences this week. The first took place last Monday, when the Yorkshire Commissioners received a deputatioti from the independent operators associations in Yorkshire. The basis of the ,diseussion was those suggested modifications to the Schedule 2A scheme which had been submitted to the Ministry by a previous deputation (reported in our issue dated February 2).
Following Monday's interview, representatives of the " independent " associations—Yorkshire Coach and Transport Owners Association, Yorkshire Stage Carriage Operators Association, Sheffield Coach Owners Association and the North-eastern Division of the Commercial Motor Users Association—had two conferences with other transport interests on Wednesday, one being with representatives of the " combine " bus companies and the other with railway officials.
-COL. REDMAN'S WARNING.
ATA T a sitting of the West Midland Commissioners, Col. A. S. Redman, chairman, pointed out that disciplinary action resulting in the restriction of business might follow
accidents in which public service vehicles were involved.
Although it may be assumed that the standard of driving of passenger vehicles is high, he said, it is incumbent upon those concerned to endeavour further to reduce accidents.
" More than once recently the Commissioners have found it necessary to take disciplinary action with regard to public-service-vehicle -drivers' licences in the Wolverhampton area. Where there is repetition of cases involving drivers employed by the same operator, we come to the conclusion that there must be something lacking in his supervision and we have to suspend or revoke his licences," said Col. Redman
ALL BUSES FOR SOUTHPORT.
Ro soon as possible, the transport 'committee of Southport Corporation is to substitute buses for trams on all services,
PICKING-UP FACILITIES ON EXCURSIONS.
AN important issue was raised at a "sitting of the Southern Scotland Traffic Commissioners, when Mr. Gabriel Young, of Strathaven, applied for permission to pick up passengers 10 miles from the starting point of excursions and tours.
Mr. A. Henderson, chairman, declared that such a practice was against the spirit of the regulations, but that the applicant could specify a place where he wished passengers to join the coaches, and the Commissioners would probably approve of the application. ENTE RPR ISING PROPAGANDA FOR 'COACH TRAVEL.
SOMETHING new in coach propaganda has been attempted this week by a group of owners running to and from Blackpool; It was an exhibition of 12 luxurious new coaches to be put into service for the 1934 season.
On Saturday and Sunday. February 10 and 11, the exhibition was held in the Blackpool garage of W. C. Standerwick, Ltd.; on Monday in the Market Square, Preston: on Tuesday at the Market Place, Blackburm _and on Wednesday in the Cattle Market, Burnley. The vehicles were owned by Armitage and Sons, Ltd., J. Bracewell, Ltd., Hebble Motor Services, Ltd., North Western Road Car Co., Ltd., Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., W. C. Standerwick, Ltd., Walker Taylor and Sons, Ltd., West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd., Wood Bros. (Blackpool), Ltd., Wright Bros, (Blackpool), Ltd., Yorkshire Traction Co,, Ltd., and the Yorkshire (Woollen District) Electric Tramways, Ltd, Photographic souvenirs of the exhibition were distributed, in connection with which a competition was held for prizes totalling £100.
ELEVEN DAYS BY COACH.
ADESERT coach service has re
cently been commenced between Algiers and ander, across the Sahara desert, via Gardaia, In Sala.h and Tarman-Massel. Vehicles will leave Algiers every 20 days, the journey occupying 11 days. The coaches are being equipped with wireless sets
NATIONAL PUBLICITY COMMITTEE TO BE INCREASED.
" INE important passenger-transport
officials have been invited by the committee of four members of the Motor Hirers and Coach Services Association, which is directing the arrangements for the National Road Passenger Transport Week, from May 6-13 next, to serve on the committee.
They are as follow :—Messrs. A. T. Evans (United Automobile Services, Ltd.), F. J. Chapple (West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd.), F. P. Haynes (Eastern Counties Omnibus Co., Ltd.), E. F. Horobin (Western National Omnibus Co., Ltd.), H. R. Lapper (Black and White Motorways, Ltd.), A. E. Cannon (Southdown Motor Services, Ltd.), 0. C. Power (Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Co., Ltd.), Crossland Taylor (Crosville Motor Services, Ltd.), and H. E. Hickmott (Ribble Motor Services, Ltd.).
In inviting these officials to serve on the committee, special attention has been paid to the need for obtaining national representation by men who have the full confidence of the industry. The affiliated organizations of the M.H.C.S.A. are all undertaking certain duties in connection with the campaign, and their views and advice will be conveyed through the four members of the M.H.C.S.A. at present constituting the committee. It is felt strongly . desirable to maintain continuity in this important work.
LIVERPOOL ESTIMATES £87,000 SURPLUS.
1T is estimated that, during the current municipal year ending March 31 next, Liverpool Corporation's bus de' partment will incur a deficit of £71,937, a decrease of some £14,000 over the previous year's figure. The improved result follows a reduction in working costs by £19,000, but the receipts are £7,000 lower.
As the trams are estimated to show a profit of £158,910, it is hoped that the joint surplus will amount to £86,979, before charging the cost of renewals and alterations, £25,000 being recommended for allocation to the rates.
PROPOSED NEW FARES.
PROPOSED revised fare schedules were discussed at a meeting of No. 5 Regional Committee on Fares in Manchester yesterday (February 15).
• At a meeting earlier this month, the railway companies announced that they did not propose to send representatives to the meetings, but the committee is to continue to invite them to do so, and it is hoped that, in future, railway representatives will be empowered to act.
It was reported at the latter conference that agreement on fares had been reached by operators from London to Lancashire, and it was decided that the London-Liverpool period-return fare on day services should remain at 25s. The secretary was instructed to prepare suggested fare schedules for B40 the London-Lancashire routes via Coventry and Birmingham, to be submitted at the next meeting (yesterday).
The meeting formally approved fares in respect of services from London to Newcastle, via Darlington and Durham, York and Middlesbrough, and Durham and South Shields ; also from London to Yorkshire, via the Great North Road and via Leicester, the latter including the Kettering and Northampton routes.
MAIDSTONE CO. TO TAKE OVER PART OF TIMPSON'S.
TWELVE stage-carriage services in the Hastings district, an express service from London to Hastings and a group of excursions and tours from Hastings, all operated by A. Timpson and Sons, Ltd., London, SE., are, subject to the approval of the Traffic Commissioners, to be taken over by Maidstone and District Motor Services, Ltd., which has already applied for the licences and backings. We understand that 67 vehicles are involved and that the applications will be heard next week. M.T. APPLICATION TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK. THE adjourned hearing of the appli
cation of the M.T. Co. (Motor Coaches), Ltd., to the South-Eastern Traffic Commissioners for the reinstatement of certain intermediate pickingup points held for many years on services from London to the Isle of Thanet, will take place in the Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London, W.C.2, on February 20, at 10.30 a.m.
Following that application, the Commissioners will hear applications by the East Kent Road Car Co., Ltd., to continue its Deal and Dover services, with the addition of some of the picking-up points which the M.T. Co. is seeking.
An application ii also listed for hearing by the Metropolitan Traffic Corn
missioner on March 1, and we understand that he has consented to hear full arguments by the M.T. Co. on new circumstances not previously before him.
LEEDS SEEKING MONOPOLY?
THAT Leeds Corporation demanded a monopoly of football traffic in Leeds was a declaration made on behalf of certain independent operators during the hearing of an appeal, at Leeds, a few days ago. Leeds Corporation appealed against the Yorkshire Commissioners' action in granting 24 licences to nine independent operators to run buses to Leeds football grounds, and asked for the number to he re
duced. It was contended that the private operators were mainly concerned with long-distance excursions and had used the football matches as a new sideline.
For the independents, it was replied that, although the corporation had not begun set bus services until several years after the private operators had commenced buses, it was thought that, because it could operate, say, 25 buses on one route, it should have the whole of the traffic. "EASTERN COUNTIES" TO ABANDON NORWICH TRAMS.
so soon as Parliamentary powers and the approval of the Eastern Traffic Commissioners are obtained, the Eastern Counties Omnibus Co., Ltd., proposes to substitute buses for trams on the system of the Norwich Electric Tramways Co., Norwich. As already announced in The Commercial Motor, the Eastern Counties concern has acquired practically the whole of the share capital of the tramways concern.
At an extraordinary general meeting of the "Eastern Counties," a few days ago, Mr. John F. Heaton, chairman.
explained the proposals, and it was decided to increase the capital to £900,000 by creating 200,000 new 5 per cent, cumulative redeemable preference shares of £1 each. The new capital is required to assist in financing the cost of the developments.
COMMISSIONERS INVESTIGATE COMPLAINTS.
COMPLAINTS by Messrs. Bell's Ser vices, of Westerhope, also by United Automobile Services, Ltd., concerning the operation of a service by Mr. Thomas Dale, of Denton Burn, were investigated by the Northern Traffic Commissioners a few days ago.
A member of the Commissioners' staff stated that Mr. Dale had used a 26-seater bus when only a 14-seater was licensed and that he had run certain unlicensed services. A representative of Messrs. Bell's alleged late running by Mr. Dale, and, on one occasion, failure to complete a journey. For Mr. Dale it was submitted that his service was passing through a transition period, due to reorganizationThe Commissioners reserved their decision.
LONDON TRANSPORTS . PUBLICITY METHODS.
THE next meeting of the Omnibus Society will be held at the Institute of Marine Engineers, London, on March 8, when Mr. George W. Duncan, publicity manager of London Transport, will read a paper on "The Publicity Department of a Large Undertaking." Inquiries regarding the Society should
be addressed to the hon. secretary, 4, Wellington Road, London, E.3.
560 MORE PARIS BUSES.
OUR French contemporary, Le Poicls Lourd, reports that the Societe des Transports en Commun dela Region Parisienne will require 560 additional buses to replace the Paris trains. As a first instalment, the Seine Prefectural authorities have authorized a loan for the purchase of 300 new vehicles.
L.M.S. OPPOSES "DAY RETURNS" TO BLACKPOOL.
THE question of the issue of day
return tickets on . services from Leeds to Blackpool was raised on an appeal by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Co. against the Yorkshire , Traffic Commissioners' action in granting the West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd., and Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., permission to charge such fares.
These tickets, stated counsel for the appellant, were to be issued at a fare 20 per cent. lower than that for period-returntravel. The lower charges were to be made for journeys from specified points to Blackpool, but not throughout the route and, therefore, it was argued, constituted something in the nature of an excursion facility. Already 23 concerns were permitted to run up to 136 vehicles on excursions from Leeds to Blackpool.
The L.M.S. contended that the reduced fare would result in wasteful competition, and that the Commis-. stoners' decision was contrary to pre-. vious rulings of the Minister of Transport on appeal.
The opponents to the appeal maintained that the Commissioners had exercised discretion, and that only two out of four similar applications were granted. Other operators of express services from Leeds to Blackpool issued day-return tickets. The Minister had already suggested that, an express services worked regularly throughout the year, there should be no restriction of tickets.
SUNDAY EXCURSIONS DISPUTE CONTINUES.
THE opposition of a certain section
of the public in Northern Scotland to the operation of excursions and tours on Sundays has not ceased with the decision of the Northern Scotland Traffic Commissioners to authorize such services.
Last Tuesday a meeting was held, at Inverness, of the Inverness and North of Scotland section of ' the Lord's Day Observance Association of Scotland, to protest against the Commissioners' decision. Hopes are expressed that an appeal to the Minister of Transport will be lodged.
" CONTRACT-CARRIAGE " CASE DISMISSED.
A CASE against Messrs. T. Allen and
Sons, of Blyth, alleging that they ran buses without road-service licences, was dismissed, on payment of costs, by the North Shields magistrates, last week.
It appears that vehicles were engaged by the North Shields Supporters Club to carry spectators to a football cuptie and special tickets were issued. A witness stated that he had made a journey to the match for' the fare of is,, and that, had he been a member of the club, he could have travelled for 6d. The defendants contended that this was contract-carriage work not requiring a road-service licence.
ADVICE TO APPLICANTS.
USEFUL advice to applicants for road-service licences in the new section of the East Midland Area was given by Mr. J. H. Stirk, chairman of the Commissioners, at Oxford. He said that the Commissioners insisted upon full co-ordination of times and fares, and that objections only from the railway companies would be heard in connection with the 1934 agreed excursion fares, the publication of which was announced in last week's issue of The Comtnerciai Motor.
He added that the Commissioners would not grant excursion licences in cases where an operator ran a stage service over the same route. Moreover, an excursion licence would not be granted in any case in which a driver is required to drive for more than 100 miles.
SHOULD EXISTING OPERATORS PROVIDE NEW SERVICES?
F new travel facilities be required, 'should they be provided by existing operators in a district or should an additional operator be licensed to carry out the work? This point was raised in an appeal, by the North Western Road Car Co., Ltd., against the North-Western Traffic Commissioners' decision in granting a licence to Mr. E. J. Bostock for a service from Congleton to Eaton. The appellant concern implied that the Commissioners' duty was to give existing operators an opportunity of • providing any new facility required instead of licensing a fresh operator who would take passengers from the established services. For Mr. Bostock it was maintained that the service in question covercd a district not hitherto served. • ALL BUSES FOR DERBY.
I NT the near future it is anticipated that Derby Corporation will complete the abandonment of its trams, these being• replaced by trolleybuses and motorbuses. There are 44 trolleybuses now in service, a further 12 are on order, whilst, at the next meeting, the council will be recommended to purchase a further 10 vehicles.