LATEST NEWS FROM THE TRAFFIC AREAS
Page 66
Page 67
Page 68
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
M.H.C.S.A. PRESSES FOR APPEAL ADJOURNMENT.
LAST Monday, the Motor Hirers and Coach Services Association, Ltd., presented to the Minister of Transport, on behalf of a member, various reasons why an adjournment of the appeal by Grey Coaches, Ltd., should be allowed.
The question chiefly in dispute was that of a drastic abolition of pickingup points in London, and counsel for the appellant company, Mr. H. j. Astell Burt, submitted that, by the Minister adopting the recommendations of the .Amulree Committee and by making the statement that he proposed to apply such recommendations to all those anneals now being heard, the Minister had fettered his discretion and had prejudged the case.
An adjournment was sought to allow the legality of the Minister's policy to he tested in the High Court, but this was refused, although counsel pointed out that such a decision was almost without precedent. Application is to be made to . the High Court for a writ against the Minister to test the validity of his action in dealing with the appeals of operators.
NEW REGULATIONS FOR BLACKPOOL TRIPS.
THE Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners
have agreed to the recommendations of the Regional Fares Committee on short-day excursions to Blackpool. Short-day trips shall not start any earlier than noon from any authorized starting point", and short-day tickets shall not be issued on express services before noon.
Return trips shall leave Blackpool not later than midnight the same day and return fares shall not be less than threefifths of the period return fare charged from the nearest point of an expresscarriage service run daily throughout the year or the summer season to Blackpool.
LEEDS BUS STATIONS SCHEME.
A SCHEME for the establishment of two bus stations in Leeds has been suggested by Alderman H. Scholefield, chairman of Leeds Corporation's markets committee. The idea is to erect one station in York Street and another on a site between West Street and Wellington Street, the former structure dealing with traffic to the east and the north, and the latter catering for western traffic. The scheme has not yet been officially discussed.
U.D.C.'S AND COMMISSIONERS.
A CI-'AIM that urban district councils were neglected by Traffic Commissioners, was made at the annual conference of the Lancashire Association of
Urban Councils. The Commissioners incurred a considerable amount of criticism.
INTER-AVAILABLE TICKETS AND CUT FARES.
WHEN the Western S,M.P. Co., Ltd., Kilmarnock, applied to Southern Scotland Traffic Commissioners for permission ,to run an Ayr.Troon service, the A.A. Motor Service objected. it WAS stated that, between the two towns, inter-available road-rail tickets were in force on the Western SALT, buses and 1340
the railway return fare was the same as the single fare charged by the other bus companies. The chairman of the Commissioners, Mr. A. Henderson, said that if it were the case that companies were accepting railway tickets ior which a smaller faro had been paid, an inquiry would have to be made into the matter, and the Commissioners accordingly reserved their decision.
PROPOSED LONDON BUS STRIKE POSITION.
IT is understood that Mr. E. Bevin,
general secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union, arranged to confer yesterday (Thursday) with the management of the London General Omnibus Co., Ltd., on the proposed new terms for employees. It will be remembered that these terms were refused by the workers, and the union executive was ordered to take strike action should the company persist with its scheme. At the time of closing for press, the company was .unable to make any statement.
BOOTLE TO SEEK BUS POWERS.
A MOTION was carried at a meeting
of Bootle Borough Council, to take steps to promote, on behalf of the corporation, a Parliamentary Bill. The authority wishes to seek consent to run public-service vehicles and to secure all the powers in connection with operating them, which a local authority working a tramways undertaking is given under the Road Traffic Act. The corporation also desires to obtain authority, in certain circumstances, to fix fares. GRAVE El■T'ECT OF SALTER PROPOSALS.
MANY municipal-transport systems will fail should the recommendations of the Salter Conference become law. This view was expressed by Mr. C. Furness, Blackpool Corporation's transport manager and electricity superintendent, when presiding over the annual conference of the managers' section of the Municipal Tramways and Transport Association, The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Alderman Burman, stated that Birmingham's bus-operating costs would be increased by 175,000 a year on last year's figures. A 48-seater at present paid £313 a year in taxation, but it was proposed to increase the amount to ZOO.
On the inner-circle route, upon which 56 vehicles run, said Alderman Burman, the tax would total £28,000 per year. The city council has approved a substitution scheme involving the purchase of 50 trolley-buses, but the new proposals kill it, for they seek to increase the taxation on this type of vehicle by £458 a year.
HULL UNDERTAKING NOT FOR SALE.
REPORTS have been circulating in the Hull district to the effect that there are probabilities of Hull Corporation's transport undertaking being sold to a private company, East Yorkshire Motor Services, Ltd., being mentioned in connection with the matter. The rumours have been categorically denied by Mr. J. G. Hewett, chairman of the transport committee of Bull Corporation.
LONG-DISTANCE SERVICES NOT TO BE INCREASED.
WHEN sitting at Blackpool, Mr. W. Chamberlain, chairman of the North Western Traffic Commissioners, said that, in the interests of the general public, long-distance services should not be increased, owing to the present excellent railway services.
SUPPORT FOR PREMIER LINE.
THE Minister of Transport has been
asked to give facilities for delegates from Sunbury Urban District Council to give evidence in support of the reinstatement of the Sunbury-London service of Premier Line, Ltd. Representatives of Hampton Urban District Council are prepared to attend any inquiry in support of the application for the reinstatement of the service.
LIVERPOOL AND RIBBLE.
THERE is a proposal on hand for
Liverpool Corporation's routes from SeftonChurch to Spellow Lane, and from Watts Lane to Pier Head, to be operated by Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., as an agent for the corporation. It is further proposed that the old Merseyside routes should be worked by the Ribble concern, in accordance with an agreement reached in July of last year.
RAILWAY LINE CLOSES.
THROUGH the effects of bus competi
tion, it is said, the Great Western Railway Co. closed, last Saturday, its line from Nelson to Pontypridd. Buses are meeting the transport needs. NEWCASTLE BUS STATION DISPUTE.
A DISPUTE has arisen between New
castle-on-Tyne Corporation and 11 bus proprietors regarding conditions at the Haymarket bus station, and mem,hers of the Northern Road Transport Owners Association have declined to pay any further standage rates until improvements have been effected. It is claimed that the layout of the station makes it practically impossible to run a service smoothly and efficiently.
The Northern Traffic Commissioners have decided to communicate with the town clerk on the matter.
YORKSHIRE BUS DEAL.
WE understand that the York Pullman Bus Co., Ltd., has acquired control of the Heather and Victory Services, of Holme, Yorks, which operate between HoIme and York on two routes and between Selby and Market Weighton.
U.A.S. AND CONTRACT TICKETS. REPRESENTATIVES of United Automobile Services, Ltd., recently met the watch committee of Scarborough Corporation to discuss various matters connected with the bus services in the borough. The committee further considered a letter from the clerk to the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners stating that it was open to the U.A.S. concern to apply for a variation of its licence conditions to permit the introduction of contract tickets, for which there is said to be a demand.
EXTENDED SERVICES WANTED. THE highways committee of Little hampton Urban District Council has asked representatives of Southdown Motor Services, Ltd., to meet it to discuss the provision of extended bus services.
APPEAL DECISIONS.
TRAFFIC Commissioners announce the following results of recent appeals ;— NORTHERN.
United Automobile Services, Ltd., Darlington. Appeal succeeds. SOUTHERN.
Thames Valley Traction Co., Ltd., Reading. One appeal succeeds and other fails, appellant to pay costs in latter case.
SOUTH EASTERN.
A. W. Charman, Holmbury St. Mary. Appeal fails.
Redoes Services, Ltd., Tunbridge Wells. Appeals fail.
A. E. Bradshaw. Appeals fail.
SMALL OPERATORS MERGE.
TWO small operators in the Newbury district, Mr. Profiler° and Mr. Hedges, have merged their interests with the Newbury and District Motor Services. This undertaking was formed several months ago by three Newbury firms, Messrs. Durnford, Andrews and Denham Bros., being run on an equal profit-sharing basis and controlling some 30 vehicles.
GLASGOW WAGE CUT.
IT is reported that the Transport and General Worker Union is endeavouring to persuade Glasgow Corporation to reconsider its action in reducing the wages of drivers and conductors by 2s. a week. TRAM-ABANDONMENT SCHEME.
IT is reported that a scheme has been arranged between Dewsbury and Ossett Town Councils and the National Electric Construction Co., Ltd., for abandoning the Dewsbury, Ossett and Earlsheaton trams, changing to buses.
NEW G.W.E. CARDIFF TERMINAL.
AS from approximately October 1st, the Cardiff terminal of the Great Western express service will be at the new Tied and White station in Wood Street. The accommodation comprises n garage, booking office and all facilities for passengers. In our issue for last week we announced that the Traffic Commissioners had sanctioned the use of this station.
COUNCIL PROTESTS AGAINST APPEAL REFUSAL THIRSK (Yorks) Council has protested to the Minister of Transport against his refusal of Mr. G. Galley's anneal. Mr. Galley, of Newcastle-onTyne, operates a twice-daily NewcastleYork-Hull service. The Yorkshire Commissioners refused to license the YorkHull section, and the .Minister has upheld this decision on appeal. RECIPROCAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUPPLY DRIVERS.
COMMENTING recently on a case in
which a coach owner was fined £2 and costs for allowing to -be in charge of a vehicle a driver who was not licensed, a South Wales magistrate remarked, "the responsibility in such a case is on the contractor owning the vehicle, who should have arrangements with other contractors to supply an experienced and licensed driver in the event of one of his regular drivers falling
ill" (as had happened in this case). In view of the stringency obtaining in this, it is suggested that the local organisations of coach owners might arrange such a reciprocal agreement among members.
CARLISLE BUS REDUCTIONS.
„go has already been stated in The
.Commerrial Motor, Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., has been running services in Carlisle at an appreciable loss, and now the Northern Traffic Commissioners have agreed to the company reducing the frequency of buses operating on all internal routes in Carlisle, during the quiet hours.
EASTBOURNE TO TRY AGAIN.
THE bus committee at Eastbourne has decided not to appeal against the recent decision of the Commissioners placing the Beachy Head route in the hands of the Southdown undertaking, but to oppose the Southdown renewal application in November and to apply for a sole licence to operate the service.
BUS APPLICATION SUPPORTED.
THE Harringay Ratepayers Associa
tion has agreed to support the application of Universal Coaches, Ltd., of Tottenham, London, N., to operate a bus service from Harringay to Stamford Hill, along St. Anns Road.
NEW THROUGH BOOKING ARRANGEME'NT.
IT has been arranged that the South
Wales Express Co., Ltd., and Cliffs Express Services, Ltd., shall give through bookings to passengers travelling between Caerphilly and points en route to and from London, on their Llanolly-London services, the passengers to travel on Cardiff Corporation's buses between Caerphilly and Cardiff. The same arrangements operate for the service between Penarth and Cardiff.
REDUCED FARES FOR POOR..
CARDIFF' Corporation's transport committee has approved a recommendation of the general manager that, as an experiment, the age limit for the granting of half-tare facilities be extended from 14 years to 16 years to people resident in a certain part of the city. The scheme is subject to :—(1) The wages not exceeding 10s. per week ; (2) the issue of permits (for which 1s. is to be charged) by the general manager upon submission to him of a certificate from (a) the employer, in respect of an employed person, or (b) the juvenile employment officer, in respect of an unemployed person, stating that the conditions laid down are complied with, and (3) the permit issued to an unemployed person being cancelled when that person obtains employment.
NO TROUBLE WITH OPERATORS.
FOLLOWING an inquiry from the
Traffic Commissioners, Redditch Watch Committee has stated that 110 difficulty is being experienced with operators of stage carriages.
BUSES AND SOCIAL SERVICE.
CARDIFF'S transport manager has been instructed to interview the Rev. Canon D. J. Hannon, who has suggested that cheap fares should be provided to enable children to be taken to parks. SEEKING CONTRACT FACILITIES.
IT was agreed at a recent meeting of the general committee of Scarborough Corporation to recommend the town clerk to request the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners to grant reasonable contract facilities on the bus services in the borough, on similar terms and conditions to those granted before September 30th, 1931.
The authority wishes United Automobile Services, Ltd., to consider, with representatives of the council, limiting the number of free tickets and the conditions of issue of certain other tickets on the local services.
NEW LONG-DISTANCE SERVICE?
NORTHFLEET Urban District Coun cil is to make no representations with regard to an application to the SouthEastern Traffic Commissioners for a Portsmouth-Chatham service via Northfleet.