THE NEWCASTLE BUS CONTROVERSY.
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1 The Decision of the Ministry of Transport after Holding an Inquiry at which Municipal and Private Interests were Considered.
HAS the Tyneside bus controversy, which culminated in a lengthy inquiry by the Ministry of Transport early this year, been terminated by the /report just issued embodying the findings and decisions of the Minister, or is this latest turn in the battle merely the ending of one phase and the opening of another? Road passenger-carrying interests in the north-country are divided in their opinions on the matter, and the position as it now stands certainly indicates, in some directions, that the last may not have yet been heard of the Newcastle Corporation's ambitions to build up an extensive motorbus system catering for a large area in the counties of Durham and Northumberland.
It will be remembered, from the exhaustive reports published in The Commercial Motor of the proceedings of the inquiry conducted by Mr. E. M. Kronstam at Newcastle on January 19th, 20th and 21st last, that sanction was sought by the municipality to run omnibuses over ten routes, some of which aimed at the linking up with Newcastle of townships 15 and 20 miles distant.
Basing their opposition on the ground that such competition seriously affected their branch-line traffic, the London and North-Eastern Railway Co. raised strong objections to the proposals of the corporation, whilst further opposition was forthcoming from. the Blaydon and District Motor Omnibus Proprietors' Association, which contended that the action of the corporation in extending its services was unfair to its members as pioneers of several of the sections covered by the application.
Two of the most striking features of the inquiry were tire admissions secured by Mr. R. Harker, counsel for the railway company, one to the effect that the municipal bus developments had involved a loss of about £40,000, and the other that the corporation had worked provisional services without legal sanction.
The decision of the Minister of Transport has been awaited with the keenest interest in the north. Now that it has come and gives permission for only six of the ten services in respect of which application was made, there is jubilation in the ranks of the priVate owners in the area, tempered, however, with a sense of curiosity as to what will be the next step of the authority, in view of a loophole which appears to exist in fire phrasing of a vital paragraph in the report.
In brief, the Minister has declined to give the corporation permission to operate the following services which have been worked provisionally for some time past :— Dudley to Gosforth Park ; Dudley to Holystone ; Heddon to Hexham ; Belsay to Pouteland.
The corporation, accordingly have B36 been compelled to withdraw the services, as from May 29th.
Sections for which sanction is given are :— Westerhope to Walbottle ; Castle Garth to Coxlodge; Cross Street to Heddon ; Bewiek Street to Mickley (Branch End) ; Haymarket to Ponteland ; Haymarket to Cramlington ; Haymarket to Seaton Sluice.
It is the few lines at the end of the Ministry's report which have given rise to the doubt. in the minds of many owners. These state that in regard to the remaining routes, or parts of routes—apart from those granted—the Minister-" has resolved to withhold his sanction." -Whether this may be interpreted to mean that further application might be made by the municipality with the Prospect of a more favourable outcome at a later date remains to be seen, but it is gathered that there is a probability of renewed application being made.
For the corporation it is urged that the only routes refused are prolongations of sanctioned routes where no opposition is experienced The Belsay section is cited as a case in point, and it is gathered that residents in that area are already preparing a petition pointing out the convenience and utility of the "Blue" bus facilities in a district which will be entirely without rail or other transport services once the cox'• poration service is withdrawn.
The corporation compute that the withdrawal of the sections for which sanction has been withheld will result in a loss of approximately 10,000 passengers per week. The present average weekly total of passengers dealt with is 140,000.