THE BELFAST BUS AGREEMENT.
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Brief Details of Developments which Have Followed the Corporation's Agreement with Private Bus Concerns.
THAT the future development of road traffic in Northern Ireland will be seriously inconvenienoed by the agreement recently entered into by the Belfast Corporation and the representatives of the larger bus CorilllaniCs is the view of Many people in Ulster. This feeling is strongest in the country districts, where a uumber of protest meetings have recently been held and the Northern Ireland Liberal Association has identified itself with the movement against monopolies.
At a recent meeting of the Central Council of the Association a protest wag entered against the action of the Government in involving the residents in the country districts in what is described as "a local dispute between the Belfast Corporation and the bus owners in connection with city traffic."
The Council expressed the view that the agreement was unconstitutional and an arbitrary infringement of the rights of the people. It passed a resolution stating that the convenience of the rural districts should not be used as a pawn to buy out city competition and pro-, tested against monopolies of road transport, as these would inevitably interfere with the further development a the province by limiting competition, which,: it is said, has been responsible for efficient services and reasonable fares.
Already the agreement between the
corporation and the bus oompanids is being enforced by the Tvlinistry of Home Affairs. No further licences are being issued for routes on which the Ministry is satisfied that an adequate service is being maintained, whether by large or small bus companies. Where the Ministry considers that the public eonvenienee is not being fully met, however, additional licences will be issued and, in the case of new routes, the sameprinciple will govern the granting of licencee.
Under the agreement, the Belfast Corporation is to take over 50 buses from the private companies operating in the city, and when the department is satisfied that the municipal transport undertaking is in a position to meet the reasonable requirements of the public the agreement, se far as it relates to the control of city traffic, will be implemented. After that traffic within the city area extending to a quarter of a mile beyond the tramway termini will be the exclusive right of the munici pality. .
It will be possible for buses passing through the city to pick tip and disembark passengers on payment of a proportion of the fare to the corporation equivalent to the mileage covered within the city area, providedagreements 'to that effect are previously entered into..