Ulster Board Condemned and Defended
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lk 40TION of no confidence in the 1V1Northern Ireland Road Transport Board was moved in Ulster Parliament, last week, by Major J. H. McCormick. The motion lapsed.
He held that compensation paid to small bus owners and hauliers was unsatisfactory, and that the whole question of the Board should be fully investigated by the Government. He described the operation of the Board as "jobbery," and alleged that small operators were being put to heavy expense in claiming.
Sir Dawson Bates, Minister for Home Affairs, replied that the criticism was founded upon entirely erroneous allegations. Already 61 bus undertakings, with 692 vehicles, had been taken over, and in 23 cases claims had been finally settled. Twenty-two of the claims were settled by agreement. In another three instances, agreement on price had been reached, whilst of the remaining 35, offers had been made, and negotiations were in progress in 18 cases. Fourteen claims were still under investigation, and were alleged to be held up through the tardiness of the operators concerned.
On the haulage side, 63 businesses, running 231 vehicles, had been taken over. Some 900 undertakings with about 1,500 vehicles were still operating.
-Notice of acquisition had been served on 122 of these hauliers, owning a total of some 145 vehicles. Of the 63 businesses taken over, eight claims had been finally settled, and in two more instances the price had been agreed. Negotiations were in progress in nine instances, and nine more offers would be made shortly.