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The Opportunity for Municipal Cooperation in Bus Enterprise.

24th January 1928
Page 35
Page 36
Page 35, 24th January 1928 — The Opportunity for Municipal Cooperation in Bus Enterprise.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

WHERE interests clash in public service enterprise, co-operation is better than continued .conflict, fOr the public must sooner or later suffer through lack of co-ordination hi travelling facilities. r Where a municipal authority is in a position to exercise its powers to conduct a passenger service within its area and is, at the same time, the licensing authority for services conducted by private enterprise, every consideration has, in almost all cases (there are notable exceptions, fortunately), been sacrificed to the need to bolster up the waning municipal tramways department, which fact points to the desirability of separating the two functions and the transfer of the licensing to a branch of the Ministry of Transport whenever a municipality is financially interested in a public passenger service.

That should be the first reform, becauseonly in that way can enterprise—private or municipal— be encouraged and traffic facilities be developed according to the requirements of the public. At present public convenience is not served by the obstruction of the municipal authorities who, in order to attract or force traffic to the tramcars, refuse licences to bus operators to ply for hire within the municipal boundaries. If it be agreed_ that a municipality owns the right to supply transport services in its area, it would not be fair to deprive it of that right or to render the right valueless by admitting competition, for the public whilst being convenienced individually would be put to a communal loss.

Co-operation is, therefore, suggested as a way Out of the difficulty. A municipal authority finding itself faced with formidable competition from pri vate enterprise based upon modern traffic equip/Dent should enter into a bargain with it, agreeing to license approved services, acting as a traffic• control authority, licensing vehicles up to the limits of public requirements, and participating in the revenue either by way of a sharts, of the profits or on the payment of a royalty on the basis of so much per mile run in the area of the corporation.

The idea is not claimed to be new, but vested in terests have in nearly every instance served to prevent its adoption. The experience and organ ization of the traffic department of a municipality entering into such an agreement need not be wasted, as they could be employed in the control and supervision of the services, in their apportionment to traffic needs in the way of frequency and in the framing of running schedules. Bus operators. would benefit by the fact that they would be able to develop their services without hindrance from the municipal authority, being able instead to profit from the advice which only an independent supervising body would be in a position to give.

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Organisations: Ministry of Transport

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