THE LATEST NEWS OF IMPORTANT EVENTS
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"WEST YORKSHIRE "TRANSFER APPLICATION.
THE West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd., has applied to the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners for permission to take over the bus service between York and Teerington Church, by way of Strensall, West Lilling and Sheriff Hutton, formerly operated by W. Craven.
130 LICENCE APPLICATIONS: NO OBJECTIONS.
THE Traffic Commissioners for the NVestern Area dealt with over 130 applications for various licences at a sitting on Friday, August 24. The applications were made by coach and bus
83B operators from all parts of the country, and as no objections to any of the applications were received, they were all granted.
BUSES TO REPLACE TRAMS IN HALIFAX.
HA.LIFAX Corporation has applied to the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners for a licence to operate buses between Halifax and Boothtown. This service is to be in substitution for the present tramway service. The corporation and the L,M.S. and L.N.E, Railway Companies, operating jointly, are applying for a licence to operate between Union Street, Halifax, and Ring o' Bells, Queensbury.
FOUR MORE COMPANIES FOR LONDON TRANSPORT.
ON Wednesday last four more independent bus companies in the Central London Area came under the control of London Transport. These we're the Ambassador Bus Co., Ltd., Sphere Omnibus Co., Ltd., Miller Traction Co, Ltd., and Perkins Omnibus Co., Ltd. Of the 55 independent bus undertakings to be taken over by London Transport, only four remain, and negotiations for their transfer are proceeding. The Minister of Transport will fix a day for the transfer of the remaining undertakings when the negotiations are completed. DRIVERS' HOURS: SCOTTISH BUS COMPANY SUMMONED: ONE of the first prosecutions of its kind under the Road and Rail Traffic Act, 1933, took place at Aberdeen on August 23, when W. Alexander" and Sons. Ltd., was charged" with allowing a bus driver to remain too long on duty without a break. A plea of guilty was tendered on behalf of the
company. It was stated that the driver had driven a public service vehicle on the road between Aberdeen and Banff for a period in excess Of five and •a half hours without having an interval of not less than half an hour for rest and refreshment.
In extenuation of the offence, it was pointed out that Banff Town Council had sought an extension of the services from Macduff to Ba.nff. The request had been complied with and the driver's rest period had been utilized until other arrangements could be made. A fine of 25s. was imposed.
GAS-SUS EXPERIMENTS IN STOKE.
AT a recent meeting of the gas comrnittee of Stoke-on-Trent Corporation, the engineer reported on letters received from bus proprietors with regard to the proposed use of town gas as -fuel for buses, He was instructed to communicate further with the busproprietors, stating that the committee strongly recommended that it should carry out the proposed test with a bus using gas fuel on a route in the city.
BELATED CUP FINAL SUMMONSES.
TWO cases of importance to coach owners were recently heard at the
Portsmouth City Police Court. The cases concerned . the alleged use of motor coaches as express carriages without the requisite licences on the occasion at the Cup Final at Wembley, in April last.
The first case was against Mr. Thomas Bruce, of Fratton Road, Portsmouth, and "Mr. Henry Bath, of Havant Road, Cosham, summoned in connection with this case, it being alleged against him that he permitted a coach to be used by Mr. Bruce which was not licensed for the purpose.
• Prosecution explained that Mr. Bruce had the necessary licences for two vehicles in run to Wembley, but he also hired from Mr. Bath the vehicle which was not licensed for the purpose. In this case, there had, been, it was said, an attempt to evade responsibilities as a coach owner.
Another case of a similar kind against Mr. Bruce followed, in which Mr. Stanley Phillips, of Ea.stney, Mr. 'Alfred Cherrett and Mr. Walter Cherrett, of Milton, were involved. In this instance, it was stated that the coach was obtained by Mr. Phillips, Mr. Bruce was driving it, and that Messrs. Cherrett were taking the fares when the vehicle was stopped at Portsbridge.
The defence stated that this was a pre-booked trip and was, -therefore, outside the Act.
Mr. Bruce was fined two guineas and 14a0d. costs in 'ma. case. Mr. Bath was fined 20s: MORE OILERS FOR LANCASHIRE,
TWO further instances of Leyland buses with hydraulic transmission superseding trams have been reported dosing the past few days. In Preston six oil-engined vehicles have recently commenced service on the Ashton route, whilst similar models are shortly to be put into commission by the Burnley!: Coble and Nelson Joint Transport Board on the Manchester Road and Towneley routes.
LARGS COUNCIL'S APPEAL.
THERE may be developments in I connection with the rejection by the Ministry of Transport of Largs Town Council's appeal against the acquisition by the Western Co. of ground at the pierhead. as a private bus stand, as announced in our issue dated August 24. It is understood that the right of ownership by the railway company, which is granting the ground to the S.M.T., may he challenged, and the matter may go to the Court of Session. Meanwhile the town council [1.‘ts offered .EI,000 to the railway company for the ground, but it is not expected that the offer will he accepted.
M.H.C.S.A. NATIONAL CON, . FERENCEs'AT BLACKPOOL.
rrIIE Motor Hirers and.. Coach .Ser
vices Association is • holding a national conference at Blackpool • on October 3 and 4. It will be held in the Winter. Gardens, and the Mayor of Blackpool, Alderman' C. E Tatham:. J.P., will extend a civic welcome to delegates. Well,linown personalities.in the industry will be present, the occasion being a notable one, as a national policy on many important matters will be outlined.
It is proposed that there shall be two morning sessions at the conference, commencing at 10 o'clock on each day.-It is hoped that independent coach and bus operators in all parts of the country will set aside the dates in que'stion, so that they may attend what should prove to be not only a pleasant event. but one of vital importance to the industry.
AN INTERESTING CONTRACT. CARRIAGE POINT.
SUMMONSES brought against a woman bus owner of Pontypridd, in respect of alleged serious overloading of a public service vehicle, have been adjourned by the Barry (Glam.) magistrates in order to consider a legal point. The defending solicitor contended that the summons against the owner for " using the vehicle. which ' • was being driven at the time by another person, was invalid, and it was the consideration of this point that led to the adjournment,
A further interesting point related to the charge of 'overloading, in which a 32-seater bus was alleged to have carried 73 passengers, of whom 71 were children. The prosecution pointed out that this was a contract-carriage party carried by the bus to Barry Island; and the ordinary rule of three children to count as two passengers did not apply.
LONDON TRANSPORT APPEAL FAILS.
THE Minister of Transport has, on appeal, upheld the decision of the Traffic Commissioners for the Metropolitan Area in refusing to grant a licence to the London Passenger Transport Board for a service between Knowle Hill and Staines Bridge.
In announcing his decision, the Minister notes the Commissioner's statement that he is satisfied the service is one for which the Board might properly be granted a licence on the. evidence of need tinder section 72 of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, if it was empowered 'by the London Passenger Transport Act, 1933, to operate on the road in question.
The substance of the appeal was that the Commissioner was wrong in his view as to -the Board's powers. • The • Minister, after consideration, supports the Commissioner's view that, in this case, the Board has no right to run on -the route in question. The appeal failed and the appellant was ordered
to pay the costs. . LIVERPOOL CONFERENCE TO CONSIDER TRAFFIC PROBLEMS.
THE bus committee of Liverpool Corporation has recommended the city council to convene a conference of representatives of the four Merseyside boroughs, Litherland Council, the Crosville and Ribble bus concerns, and the Mersey Railway, with the object of co-ordinating and improving the public transport services. Liverpool considers that the whole problem of transport on Merseyside should he thoroughly re
organized, since Queensway Tunnel has accelerated traffic conditions.
The object of the conference will be to consider the establishment of a Merseyside Passenger Transport Board, similar to the Board in London, under a Parliamentary authority. Among the proposals are transfer tickets linking railway and river services with the buses and trams, and a service of buses through the tunnel.
Over 400,000,000 passengers are carried yearly by the various services.
HUDDERSFIELD APPLIES FOR NEW SERVICES.
A PPLICATION has been made to the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners by Huddersfield Corporation for their consent to the running of buses in conjunction with the L.M.S. Rail
way on 13 routes. These will be operated in the borough of Brighouse, and in the urban districts of Golcar, Mirfield, Slaithwaite, New Mill, Holmfirth, Marsden, Meltham, Linthwaite and Scammonclen.