THE LATEST NEWS OF IMPORTANT EVENTS
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ROAD-RA1L CO-ORDINATION; JOINT COMMITTEE FORMED.
WITH a view to securing that the services of the London Passenger Ttansport Board shall be properly coordinated with the suburban passenger services of the four main-line railway companies, the London Passenger Transport Act provides for the establishment of a Standing Joint Committee. The members of the committee appointed by the Board are Lord Aslafield, Mr. Frank Pick, Mr. P. Ashley Cooper and Brig.-General .Sir Henry Maybury.
• The railway companies have appointed Sir Josiah Stamp (L.M.S. Railway Co.), Sir Ralph L. Wedgwood
(L.N.E.R.), Sir James Milne (G.W.R.) and Sir Herbert A. Walker (8.IL). Lord Ashfield is the chairman of the committee and Sir Josiah .Stamp deputy chairman.
MIDDLESBROUGH TRAMS TO GO?
A SELECT Committee of the Manse of Commons, under the chairmanship of Mr. A. Somerville, last week considered the Middlesbrough Corporation Bill and amended a clause concerning transport, to enable the corporation to provide bus services or to arrange for them to be run in place of the trams. Opposition to the Bin was put forward by United Automobile Services, Ltd. ADVICE FROM THE SOUTHERN COMMISSIONERS.
THE Southern Traffic Commissioners
announce that they have received reports indicating that various operators may be proposing to operate excursions or other services not _authorized under their existing road-service licences and conditions.
The Commissioners state that whether or not applications have been made for pre-booked-party licences, they cannot connive at the operation of unauthorized services requiring licences. Operators who desire to run such services requiring road-service licences are advised to apply to the Commissioners.
NEWCASTLE CLOSES STATION TO CERTAIN OPERATORS. • ON Monday last, certain platforms of Newcastle Corporation's Haymarket bus station were barred, as a result of the suspension of payment of standage fees by members of the Northern Road Transport Owner's' Association.
A dispute has for some time been'in progress between the Association mid the corporation. We understand that the platforms were laid down without consulting the operators concerned, and the members of the Association objected to the policy adopted, suggesting that the allocation of platforms should be by destinations.
They stated that the station was not workable, insofar as it was impossible to drive vehicles up to certain of the platforms. Before the premises could be used, two of the platforms had to be reduced in length. Later, the Association asked for certain obstructions, which were alleged to be cansing damage to vehicles, to be removed, and the municipality undertook to carry out the, alterations, but these were not made. Therefore, the members of the Association suspended payment as from September last.
Council's opinion was obtained to the effect that the corporation had no power to make charges and that the Haymarket was a highway.
All effnrts to reach an amicable settlement failed and the corporation notified the operators that, unless they commenced to pay standago fees at the rate of 1s. per day per bus, they would be excluded from the station, as from Monday last. This action was taken, but business proceeded much as usual, the operators affected working from the streets. The Association holds the corporation responsible for any loss or damage caused as a result of operators being excluded from the terminus, and application was made for an injunction to restrain the local authority from prohibiting its use.
NEW SOUTHEND DEVELOPMENT.
WE understand that the Eastern National Omnibus Co., Ltd., has taken a substantial interest in Borough Services, Ltd., which operates buses between Southend and Grays and Eastwood. The routes now appear in the Eastern National time-table and the vehicles, although carrying the Borough title, are in Eastern National livery. Borough Services, Ltd., is a party to the division of Southend and district between the corporation and local bus companies.
REDUCING APPLICATIONS FOR VARIED CONDITIONS.
WE are asked to make the position clear regarding the paregraph published in last week's issue and headed "Two Companies Absolved from Licence Applications." In connection with certain stage services over routes on which they are the sole operators, the two companies mentioned have asked the Western Traffic Commissioners to attach the following condition to the licences:—
"To provide for unforeseen circumstances, journeys additional to those set out in the approved time-table may be operated when such journeys are necessary or desirable its the public interest." • The object is to reduce the number of applications for the variation of conditions, and the matter has not yet been dealt with by the Commissioners.
MORE SERVICES FOR L.P.T.B.
FURTHER to the announcement in
last week's issue, the Aldershot and District Traction Company's services in the Gnildford and Dorking distriets, with six buses and a garage at Enimrst, are to be transferred to the Loudon Passenger Transport Board on August 1
REFUSAL TO GIVE UP STANDS.
SOME Blackpool coaehowners, who for years have been using street stands, have declined to give them uo. The watch committee has reaffirmed its pre vious decision not to allow the street stands to continue, and the town clerk has been instructed to take what action he considers necessary in the matter..
NEW "BRISTOL" ACQUISITION.
IT is reported that the Bristol Tram ways and Carriage Co., Ltd., has acquired the bus services in the Westonsuper-Mare district operated by Burpelts, Ltd.
FINGLAND CHANGES TERMINUS.
THE General Travel Agency (London), Ltd., advises its agents that, as from Monday next, July 31, the
Fingland service to Manchester wi I commence from the London Terminal Coach Station.
NO MORE ROAD-RAIL TICKETS?
FURTHER to the paragraph in last week's iSSUE, No. 6 (East) Regional Committee, last week, decided that the issue of inter-available road and rail
tickets should be discontinued. The recommendation will be forwarded to the Central Fares Committee. FINAL ORDERS ON EAST LONDON APPEALS, THE Minister of Transport has now made his final Orders on the appeals against certain decisions of the Metropolitan Traffic Commissioner, in respect of services described as Group VIII (Chelmsford and Brentwood to Tilbury) in the second report of the Amulree Committee.
The ' companies concerned are as follow :—Edward Hillman's Saloon Coaches, Ltd., Green Line Coaches, Ltd., Sunset Pullman Coaches, Ltd., New Empress Saloons, Ltd., Westeliff-on-Sea Motor Services, Ltd., Amalgamated Omnibus Service and Supplies, Ltd., and Tilbury Coaching Services.
The Orders do not affect conditions as to routes and picking-up points on those parts of the routes which lie between the old and new boundaries of the Metropolitan Traffic Area. The Minister's decisions will come into force on October 1.
SUCCESSFUL M.H.C.S.A. DEPUTATION TO MINISTER.
ON Tuesday last, the deputation (fre quently referred to in The Commercial Motor) of all the road passengertransport associations met the IS–Mister of Transport. The deputation was arranged by the Motor Hirers and Coach Services Association, and we understand that an interesting dismission was held, and there are great hopes of useful results being obtained.
We are informed that certain important concessions are to be granted to passenger-transport operators, but we are not at liberty to reveal theta until confirmation has been obtained.
FARES MEETING NEXT MONDAY.
NEXT Monday, July 31, at 2.30 p.m., the Motor Hirers and Coach Services Association will hold a meeting, at the Central Hall, London, of an operators working into and out of the Metropolitan Area. The object is to ascertain what revisions of fares are desired, in order to facilitate the work of the Regional Fares Committees when they meet at the end of August.
MORE APPLICATIONS FOR " CONTRACT " LICENCES.
ON Monday next, /lily 31, the West
Midland Traffic CollimisSiOUCTS Will continue the hearing of an application for it pre-booked-party licence, which was commenced on Monday last. The application was made by 13rown'e Motor Co. (Tunstall), Ltd., and was opposed by the Potteries Motor Traction Co., Ltd., which had, however, applied for licences for similar work, but had withdrawn.
For the Brown concern, it was submitted that it was illogical for customers of a public house to be deprived of the facilities for private travel permitted to clubs, works. etc. It was thought that the Road Traffic Act was not intended to draw such a distinction.
For the Potteries Motor Traction Co., Ltd., it was maintained that the granting of the licence wouli be apposed to the public interest. It would be open to misuse and, if appropriate restrictions were applied, its value would be destroyed, so far as the operators were concerned. UNUSUAL LICENSING CASE.
AN unusual case was heard at Aber deen recently, when MT. W. J. Macintosh, manager to James Sutherland (Peterhead), Ltd., was fined for causing or permitting a bus to be used as a stage carriage without a roadservice licence.
It appears that the previous operator of the service had been in the habit of sending a vehicle to a certain inn to pick up passengers to catch a regular service bus, and the practice had been continued. No fare was charged on the route between the inn and the commencement of the route for which the company was licensed.
Mr. Macintosh said that he was unaware that this special service was operated and that he had now applied for a licence. A mitigated penalty of f3 was imposed.
THE estates committtee of Ilkeston Corporation has passed an emphatic protest against the recent bus-fare increases and has decided to ask the Commissioners to reconsider the matter. TOURING EUROPE BY COACH.
RECENTLY MO Ainerican tourists, while touring Europe by coach, crossed from Dover' to Calais by the Townsend Channel ferry with five coaches. This is the largest number of coaches yet to be carried across the English channel in one shipment, we are .informed.
The party is visiting England, Scotland, France Belgium, Holland, Germany, Czecho Slovakia, Austria, Switzerland and Italy, by some of Europe's finest roads.