LATEST NEWS FROM THE TRAFFIC AREAS
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INTER-AVAILABLE TICKETS: COMMISSIONERS" POWERS.
THE power of the Traffic Commissioners in connection with interavailable bus, tickets Was questioned, last week, at a sitting of the Southern .Scotland Traffic Commissioners.
The representative of an applicant company said that, from his reading of the statute, there was great difficulty as to the actual position of the -Commissioners and as to whether they had the right to veto any scheme for interavailable tickets. He thought that it was also questionable whether they had power to make the issue of inter-available tickets a licence condition.
Replying to a question from Mr. A. Henderson, the chairman, it was agreed that the powers of the Commissioners were exceedingly wide, but it was doubted whether they were sufficiently wide to impose such a licence condition.
It is believed that, in the future, the subject will again be raised.
NO COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER LICENSING PROCEDURE.
WE are advised by the Ministry of
Transport that there is no truth in the Statement which has appeared in the Press (not in The Commercial Motor) that a small committee, consisting of three clerks to Commissioners and a Ministry representative, has been formed to consider the simplifiaation of licensing procedure.
The position is that the Ministry has under review the possibilities of simplifying procedure, but this is purely a departmenta". matter and, naturally, the views of Commissioners' clerks, who are concerned with the work, are being invited. There is, we understand, no questien of a committee holding meetings to consider the matter.
NOTABLE SPEAKERS AT M.H.C.S.A. DINNER.
THE annual dinner and dance of the Motor Hirers and Coach Services Association, Ltd., was held on Wednesday night at the Criterion Restaurant,
London. The chair was taken by Mr. H. T. Rickards, the president of the
Association. The toast list included Mr. H. T. Rickards, Mr. J. D. Cassells, K.C., M.P., Major J. B. Elliott, Mr. F. A. Flin, Lieut.-Col. Sir Kenyon Vaughan-Morgan, 0.B.E., M.P., and Mr. Gleeson E. Robinson.
The entertainment included a cabaret and dancing continued until 2 a.m. Reference to the speeches will be made in next week's issue.
MISUSE OF RETURN TICKETS.
AS forecast in The Commercial Motor,
the East Midland Traffic Commissioners heard, last week, an application by Mansfield and District Tramways, Ltd., to make it a condition in respect of the Mansfield-Warsop route that a return ticket should be available for only one outward and one inward journey.
The company maintained that the misuse of return tickets was originally forced by the action of competitors, but the Mansfield concern had discontinued it, except on this particular route. it was contended that the misuse of re1142
turn tickets was a form of fare cutting, but the opposition argued that the abolition of the present custom would involve other operators in a new system of tickets and checking.
The Traffic Commissioners deferred their decision, Mr. J. H. Stirk, the chairman, saying that this was a matter affecting the whole country and he would rather not make a decision until co-nsultation had been made with other Commissioners.
MANY APPEALS BY OPERATORS OF RACE SERVICES.
LAST Monday, the appeals of the following undertakings, in respect of services to greyhound-racing tracks, were heard at the Ministry of Transport, London, by Mr. A. T. V. Robinson :—
Clark's Red Coaches; Maslow, Coaches, Ltd.; Dryers Coaches, Ltd.; Empress Motors, Ltd.; Eva'. Motor Coaches, Ltd.; Gidea Park Coaches; Gilberts Luxury Coaches, Ltd.; J. E. Jewell; Robin and Rambler Coaches; R. Rook; T. Short (Crown Coaches); F. W. B. Smith; Venture Transport (Hendon), Ltd.; F. P. Wells; R. G. Wood (Paddington Transport Om: asi,,s. V. A. Worraker; and London General Omnibus Co., Ltd. (against grant to IL A Young, Grove
Coaches).
The appeals were concerned with various matters and that of the London General Omnibus Co., Ltd., against the granting of a licence to Messrs. H. A. Young (Grove Coaches) was adjourned. As in similar cases, the company appealed against the minimum fare of maintaining that this should be 1s. or, alternatively, that, if the Minister considers the 6d. fare to be reasonable, the service is unnecessary.
UNIFORM TICKET SYSTEM. ACCRINGTON Corporation has
appointed a deputation to meet representatives of Haslingden add Rawtenstall Corporations with a view to arriving at a uniform system of issuing workmen's bus tickets.
PASSENGERS' ASSOCIATION TO RUN ITS OWN BUSES?
THE Mumbles (Swansea) Travelling
Association decided, on November 18, to apply to the South Wales Traffic Commissioners for licences to run its own buses, if the replies from the South Wales Transport Co., Ltd., to the association's request with regard to the Mumbles-Swansea bus service, be not considered satisfactory. Certain seasonticket concessions, etc., are demanded.
YORKSHIRE OPERATORS VISIT GLASGOW.
ABOUT GO members of Yorkshire Motor Coach Owners, Ltd., combined business with pleasure, last week, when they visited the Scottish Motor Show, at Glasgow, and made a trip to Loch Lomond.
The journeys to and from Glasgow were made in a 32-seater Tiger bus, loaned by Leyland Motors, Ltd., and a 26-seater Valiant bus loaned by Albion Motors, Ltd.
On arrival in Glasgow, a tour of the Albion works opened Wednesday's programme. The afternoon was devoted to an inspection of the Motor Show at the Kelvin Hall. Thursday morning's visit to Loch Lomond was made in a Dennis Lancet coach, having the new type of gearbox, and the Albion Valiant.
YORKSHIRE EXCURSIONS: FINAL DATE FOR APPLICATIONS.
TiIP, Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners•
announce that all applications in respect of excursions and tours next season, as well as for express-carriage licences for special holiday weeks and in connection with the Blackpool illuminations, must be submitted not later than eight weeks before February 28.
A scheme prepared by Yorkshire Motor Coach Owners, Ltd., to simplify the granting of licences to Yorkshire operators of excursions and tours will shortly be presented to the Yorkshire Regional Fares Committee, with a view to recommendations being made to the Commissioners.
The scheme provides for fares based On previous experience, taking into consideration railway competition and other services offered by the large combine
companies, it has the approval of various municipal authorities and 90 per cent, of the excursion operators.
THE " ANYWHERE " TICKET CONTROVERSY.
SOME criticism has lately been made of the Eastern Traffic Commissioners' refusal to allow the Eastern Counties Omnibus Co., Ltd., to continue to issue 8s. "anywere " tickets.
Copies of correspondence on the subject were sent to all Members of Parliament for Suffolk by Mr. G. W. Mallender, of Bury St. Edmunds, who has received a reply from Colonel Burton, M.P„ enclosing a letter from the Minister of Transport.
From this it appears that the only thing to do is for the Eastern Counties concern, if it wishes to persist in the issue of " anywhere" tickets, to make another application and, if necessary, to appeal to the Minister of Transport.
TRAVEL-BY-ROAD MOVEMENT ON NATIONAL SCALE.
A MEETING connected with the new
travel-by-road campaign, organized by Travel and Transport, Ltd., was held on Wednesday afternoon, in London, when Mr. F. Boyle Monkruan was in the
chair. The agenda included a resolution to the effect that operators agreed to proceed with the election of the committee to study the possibilities of, and to plan, the travel-by-road movement on a national basis.
Messrs. C. Rudy, H. Wyatt, T. Howard, M.P., and E. B. Hutchinson had promised to speak. This scheme was first outlined in our issue dated November 4.
PAIGNTON WANTS MORE BUSES.
FOLLOWING a request from Paion ton Urban District Council's traffic committee, the Western National Omnibus Co., Ltd., is considering the operation of a new service from Paignton to Coilaton.
The Devon General Omnibus and Touring Co., Ltd., has on hand a proposal to run new services in the urban district, and is applying to the Western Traffic Commissioners for a modification of the licence to operate on the inner and outer circle of the district. This company is to be asked to provide workmen's fares for intermediate, stages on the Paignton-Brixham service.