WHAT ARE THE POWERS OF A JOINT OMNIBUS COMMITTEE?
Page 59
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
CERTAIN unusual points were raised by Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., in the appeal heard at Chorley on December 18th against the refusal of the Horwich Urban District Council to renew the licences for the appellants' motorbuses running in the council's area.
1st,-. Lustgarten, for the company, said that the application raised an issue of the greatest importance not only to local users, but to others throughout the country. What appeared to have been done in this case was that the Horwich Council had associated with other local authorities in establishing a joint bus committee, known as the Chorley Motor Omnibus Joint Committee, which, it was said, had no statutory sanction, and had delegated to this committee its powers as a licensing authority, insisting as a condition of granting the renewal of licences that applicants should accept, amongst other things, clauses regarding time-tables.
Mr. Derbyshire, for the council, alleged that Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., had broken the conditions as to an hourly service and that some of their vehicles had indulged in a certain amount of "racing." There had been no delegation of powers by the Horwich Council, which claimed to be entitled to consult with other authoritiei. The joint committee, consisting of the Chorley Town Council, the Adlington, Horwich, Leyland, Standish and Walton-k-Dale Urban Councils and the Chorley Rural District Council, had, it was said, not taken over licensing powers, and that its only interest was to secure the provision of proper transport facilities in the areas of the respective authorities and to see that the services were properly co-ordinated. Counsel quoted from the Local Government Act, 1894, which gave authority to district councils to confer with one another and work jointly.
After a lengthy private Consultation between the contending barristers it was intimated that an agreement had been reached. It was agreed by Ribble Motor Servies, Ltd., that the Horwich Council had the right to impose lawful conditions on granting licences to bus companies, and that Bolton Corporation, Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., and Messrs. Freemans should have equal running rights and facilities over Chorley Old Road in the Horwich urban district