Operating Aspects of
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Passenger Transport
ONE-DAY LICENSING SCHEME MAY BE DROPPED.
TWO vital points have emerged from
the interview of representatives of Yorkshire Motor Coach and Transport Owners Association, Commercial Motor Users Association, Yorkshire Stage Carriage Operators Association and Sheffield Motor Coach Owners Association, with officials of the Ministry of Transport, in London, last Tuesday. It seems clear that the Minister's oneday licensing scheme for pre-booked parties will not be proceeded with, and that the Minister intends to amend that part of the Road Traffic Act relating to contract carriages.
Opposing the new scheme, thedeputation put forward as an alternative, and subject to certain modifications, the Schedule 2A system of the Yorkshire Commissioners. The opinion is eipressed in some quarters that some scheme on these lines may be introduced for the whole country.
The deputation was introduced by Mr. F. G. Bristow; and was interviewed by Mr. A. T. V. Robinson and Mr. Steadman.
Mr. J. Keeling outlined the 2Aschedule system in Yorkshire, and suggested that, with modifications, it would meet the problem of the prebooked party and the contract carriage. It was felt that the section of the Act relating to contract carriages should be made more elastic, so that certain marginal cases should definitely be classed as contract work.
Mr. R. Barr, of the C.M.U.A., said he still thought there was room for some private-party work to be done under contract. Mr. Keeling added that the Y.M.C.T.O.A. did not object to control and licensing, but felt that operators should be allowed to quote lower fares for private parties.
The modifications to the 2A system suggested included the following :— The number of vehicles allowed should be governed by traffic demands. Licences should be operative all the year round. Fares should be standardized according to recommendations by operators' committees in each district. The introduction of speedier licensing procedure. The radius for picking up pre-booked parties should be fixed according to the requirements of the district. Operators should be given general permission to operate to places in a specified zone. It was emphasized by the deputation that the proposed modifications were put forward without prejudice to any review of the position in the light of any alteration to Section 01 of the Act which the Minister might introduce.
B.A.A. TO BE REORGANIZED?
THE possible reorganization of the
Booking Agents Association of Great Britain will be discussed at a meeting of paid-up members of that organization to be held in London on February 20. We understand that this step has been made necessary as the result of financial stringency.
The committee, which consists of over 20 members and is considered in some quarters to be too unwieldy for rapid action, is to offer its resignation. If this be accepted a new committee a 15 members may be set up.
NEW EASTERN COMPANY.
COMPANY with the title of Shoe' busyness Motor Services, of 18-20, Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, has been formed to take over the coach and bus business of Mr. E. E. Hart, of Shoeistirvness. The nominal capital is A17,000, in AI shares.
The company is a subsidiary of Westcliff-on-Sea Motor Services, Ltd., and the directors are Messrs. 5, H. Carr, S. Smith and R. Smith, the secretary being Mr. H. M. Lomax.
VALIDITY OF LICENCES NO TO . BE EXTENDED.
VURTIIER replies to proposals made
to the Minister of Transport by a. deputation of road passenger-transport interests, in July last, are contained in a statement issued by the Ministry.
It is stated that, in future, applications for the renewal of licences without modification will be required in duplicate instead of in triplicate. No schedules will be required with applications fot the renewal of licences or backings for excursions and tours without modification.
The Minister is not prepared to suggest to Parliament that the validity of the mad service licences should be extended beyond a year.
" UNITED COUNTIES" AND ALLC.I-IIN'S.
"IF we give the railway companies all
they want and stop all the longdistance and semi-long-distance services, how long will it be before they take off the summer tickets? " asked Mr. J. H. Stirk, chairman of the East Midland Traffic Commissioners, last Tuesday, when application was made for the transfer to the United Counties Omnibus Co., Ltd., of a licence held by AlIchin's Luxury Coaelmays for a Northampton-Birmingham service. The decision was adjourned. The Commissioners are to await communication with the Western Commissioners.
That negotiations were proceeding with a view to co-ordinating services in the west was mentioned when that concern sought the transfer of Messrs. Alichin's Torquay service licence. The railway companies also objected to this application, but the chairman sug.gested that the opposition should his withdrawn until the co-ordination schedule was before the Commissioners. This course was followed and a licence. was granted until June next. SUGGESTED BASIS FOR CONTRACT-CARRIAGE RATES.
LICENCES for pre-booked-party work and the fares to be charged were referred to by Col. A. S. Redman, chairman of the West Midland Traffic Commissioners, last week. The Commissioners would, he said, have to consider the conditions to be attached to oneday licences, and he hoped that, pending any amendment of the Road Traffic Act, operators would agree upon a basic fare for each area.
He suggested that consideration should be given to a system of calculating the ordinary excursion fare for a full load and deducting the cost of, say, two seats for a 14-seater, three for a 20-seater, four for a 26-seater and so on. An alternative basis was the deduction of three seats for a I4-seater and a further seat for every six more.
EWER APPLICATIONS ADJOURNED.
THE adjourned application of George Ewer and Co., Ltd., for the transfer of express-service licences of Monty Super Coaches and Sid Page, Ltd., had to he further postponed by the Eastern Traffic Commissioners last Monday. When the applications were first con-• sidered by the Eastern Commissioners on January 15, the strong opposition necessitated their adjournment. No further date has yet been fixed.
L.P.T. TRIBUNAL TO SIT.
nN February 5 and 6 the London 'Passenger Transport Arbitration Tribunal will sit at the Royal Courts of Justice, London, W.C.2, to determine the question of the extent of transfer between the Westminster Omnibus Co., Ltd., and London Transport.
MORE OILERS FOR BIRMINGHAM.
THE fleet of oil-engined buses run by Birmingham Corporation is to be increased from six to 30 by the purchase of Daimler vehicles with GardTier compression-ignition engines. The order for bodies has been divided equally between the MetropolitanCammell Carriage, Wagon and Finance Co., Ltd., and the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Co., Ltd.
For some time the transport department has been experimenting with oilengined vehicles, but Mr. A. C. Baker, general manager, has made it clear that the increase in the number of such machines does not indicate the intention of the municipality to replace all the petrol buses by oilers.
L.C.C. SUPPORTS TROLLEYBUS BILL " IN PRINCIPLE."
0N Tuesday last, the London Counf y Council was recommended by its highways committee not to oppose in principle the introduction of trolleybuses by London Transport. A petition against certain clauses of the Board's Bill has, however, been deposited.
A report of the highways committee shows that the question of the ine42
auguration .of trolleybus services in London is by no means new, for the subject was considered as far back as 1918, when it was decided that motorbuses were more suitable. The matter again came up in 1922, 1924 and 1932.
SLOGANS FROM BELGIUM.
1HE Motor Hirers and Coach Ser vices Association is issuing an appeal to booking agents to give greater publicity to the £100 slogan competition. Posters and entry forms may be obtained free of charge from the M.H.C.S.A.. 17. Euston Road, London, N.W.I. The closing date for entries is February 16. Six entries have been received even from Belgium.
NEWCASTLE STATION DISPUTE: OPERATORS' ALLEGATIONS.
IT has been stated that Newcastle 'Watch Committee has charged United Automobile Services, Ltd., 8d. per bus per day for using the Haymarket station, whilst other operators have had to pay Is. In a statement issued by Mr. J. J. • Berry, chairman ot the Northern Road Transport Owners Association, and Mr. W. C. Percival, secretary, the watch committee is blamed for unnecessarily prolonging the dispute between the operato-s and the authority.
The committee refuses to reopen negotiations for a settlement until the operators recognize it as landlord of the station and pay the arrears of standage dues. The operators. it is pointed out, are willing to agree to the former and to concede 75 per cent. of the latter claim.
Strictly speaking, says the statement, the corporation is not entitled to make any charge, but the operators are not seeking a free station and win only for fair treatment. It is further alleged that the dispute could have been settled last September if the watch committee had not forbidden the town clerk even to discuss the possibilities of reaching a settlement.
It is understood that several watchcommittee members are now urging that a compromise be reached.
" PERIODS" ON EXCURSIONS: RAIL OBJECTIONS OVERRULED.
DESPITE objection by the London
and North Eastern Railway Co., the Eastern Traffic Commissioners last week granted two applications to issue period return tickets on excursions and tours, Sir Haviland Hiley, chairman, said that it was preferable to alloy the excursion operator to develop his bussness in the open, rather than for bins to risk irregular contracts.
M.H.C.S.A.'s EFFORT TO REDUCE ROAD ACCIDENTS: " •
A MEMORANDUM on the subject of
road accidents has been prepared by the Motor Hirers and Coach Services Association, and a useful pamphlet dealing with conduct on the road has been drawn up for distribution to public-service-vehicle drivers.
It is pointed out that the education of drivers has received the close attention of coach and bus operators, who may claim that their drivers are amongst the most experienced and careful on the road. Recent statistics show that, on an average, the publicservice vehicle is involved in only one mishap per 160,000 miles, and in one fatal accident for every 2,500,000 miles. No indication is given as to responsibility for such accidents.
Although the statistical data compiled by the Ministry of Transport and others were instructive, it was difficult to make from them any constructive deduction because the details did not show, even approximately, the responsibility for the accident, or the types of vehicle involved. The committee of the Association recommends that more . details on these points should, in future, be obtained.
. Some useful suggestions are made concerning the conduct of pedestrians. It is recommended that passengers should not be allowed to alight from moving buses or trams, and no bus
should be permitted to draw out of a line of vehicles at a stopping place Until the bus immediately in front has also drawn away.
Other recommendations concern vehicle and street lighting, the abolition of level-crossings, the improvement of. roads and bridges.
LONDON TRANSPORT DEALS-: LICENCE TRANSFERS.
nN Friday last the Metropolitan 'Traffic Commissioner transferred to the Holtspur Coach Co.. Holtspur, certain express-service and excursion-andtour licences of the Amersham and District Motor Bus and Haulage Co., Ltd., excursion-and-tour licences of London General Country Services, Ltd., and express-service licences of the Lewis Omnibus Co., Ltd..
The London Passenger Transport Board has taken over the three companies, but has seal to the Holtspur concern those portions of the undertakings of the Amersharn, L.G.C.S. and Lewis concerns which it was itself unable legally to operate.
The Commissioner overruled an objection by the Premier Omnibus Co., Watford, which held that it should be
granted the licences. In a previous transaction with L.G.C.S., it was alleged, this company had undertaken not to object to any application made by the Premier concern for the Lewis licences. This promise was denied.
PORTSMOUTH EXTENSIONS OUTSIDE BOUNDARIES REFUSED.
ARTER four days of argument be
tween representatives of Portsmouth Corporation and a number of opposing parties, the South-Eastern Traffic Commissioners decided, last week, to refuse permission to the corporation to extend certain bus routes outside the city boundaries.
The Commissioners held that the routes were adequately served and rejected any claim that the corporation might make to preferential treatment, having already overruled a similar claim by Eastbourne Corporation. The Commissioners considered that any additional service should be operated by Southdown Motor Services, Ltd.
They decided to grant licences for buses to replace trains on two routes.
EAST MIDLAND LICENCE TRANSFERS.
THE East Midland Traffic Commis sioners have received from the following operators applications for the transfer of licences, the name ef the present licence holder and the class of licence being given in parentheses:— Messrs. R. H. Bland, of Cottesmore (W. Pla,skitt, stage service) ; Messrs. M. Kenyon, of Grindleford (Messrs. H. Godber and Sons, stage-service backing) ; Lincolnshire Road Car Co., Ltd., Lincoln (Messrs. 13. Porter, stage, express and excursion and tour).